Svratka (Žďár nad Sázavou District)

For the river, see Svratka (river).
Svratka
Town
Church of Saint John the Baptist
Church of Saint John the Baptist
Flag of Svratka
Flag
Coat of arms of Svratka
Coat of arms
Svratka is located in Czech Republic
Svratka
Svratka
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°42′39″N 16°1′56″E / 49.71083°N 16.03222°E / 49.71083; 16.03222
Country Czech Republic
RegionVysočina
DistrictŽďár nad Sázavou
First mentioned1350
Government
 • MayorFrantišek Mládek
Area
 • Total
14.51 km2 (5.60 sq mi)
Elevation
632 m (2,073 ft)
Population
 (2024-01-01)[1]
 • Total
1,418
 • Density98/km2 (250/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
592 02
Websitewww.svratka.cz

Svratka (Czech pronunciation: [ˈsvratka]) is a town in Žďár nad Sázavou District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,400 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The town parts of Česká Cikánka, Moravská Cikánka and Moravská Svratka are administrative parts of Svratka.

Etymology

The town was named after the Svratka river. The name of the river itself was derived from the old Czech verb sworti, which meant 'to meander'.[2]

Geography

Svratka is located about 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast of Žďár nad Sázavou and 46 km (29 mi) northeast of Jihlava. It lies on the border between the Upper Svratka Highlands and Iron Mountains. The highest point is at 778 m (2,552 ft) above sea level. The Svratka River flows through the town; it formed here the historical border between Bohemia and Moravia. The town lies within the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area.

History

The first written mention of Svratka is from 1350. Important noble families took turns in ownership of Svratka: Lords of Pardubice, Poděbrady family, Berka of Dubá family, Kinsky family and Thurn und Taxis family.[2]

The 19th century saw the development of industry, which culminated in 1867 with the promotion of Svratka to a town. There was a paper mill and a match factory.[2]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18691,762—    
18801,777+0.9%
18901,883+6.0%
19001,839−2.3%
19101,933+5.1%
YearPop.±%
19211,759−9.0%
19302,126+20.9%
19501,516−28.7%
19611,638+8.0%
19701,612−1.6%
YearPop.±%
19801,666+3.3%
19911,675+0.5%
20011,592−5.0%
20111,407−11.6%
20211,329−5.5%
Source: Censuses[3][4]

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

The most valuable monument is the Church of Saint John the Baptist. It has an early Gothic core. The separate bell tower dates from around 1600.[5]

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. ^ a b c "Historie města" (in Czech). Město Svratka. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  3. ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
  4. ^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  5. ^ "Hřbitovní kostel sv. Jana Křtitele" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
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