Břežany (Rakovník District)

Břežany
Municipality
Church of Saint Margaret
Flag Coat of arms
Břežany Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°0′25″N 13°34′58″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Central Bohemian
District	Rakovník
First mentioned	1414
Area
• Total	7.88 km^2 (3.04 sq mi)
Elevation	442 m (1,450 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	121
• Density	15/km^2 (40/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	270 34
Website	www.obecbrezany.cz

Břežany is a municipality and village in Rakovník District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 100 inhabitants.

Etymology

The name Břežany is derived from the word břeh ('bank' in Czech, but in old Czech also meaning 'hillside') or from the word březí ('birch forest'). The word břežané denoted people who live near a bank, hillside or birch forest, so Břežany was a village of such people.[2]

Geography

Břežany is located about 17 kilometres (11 mi) southwest of Rakovník and 31 km (19 mi) north of Plzeň. It lies in the Plasy Uplands. The highest point is at 471 m (1,545 ft) above sea level.

History

The first written mention of Břežany is from 1414.[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 336 —     1880 328 −2.4% 1890 330 +0.6% 1900 337 +2.1% 1910 337 +0.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 330 −2.1% 1930 270 −18.2% 1950 190 −29.6% 1961 194 +2.1% 1970 155 −20.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 133 −14.2% 1991 126 −5.3% 2001 113 −10.3% 2011 135 +19.5% 2021 121 −10.4%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Transport

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

Sights

The main landmark of Břežany is the Church of Saint Margaret. The original building was completely destroyed during the Hussite Wars, restored after 1560, and then again destroyed during the Thirty Years' Wars. The current church was built in the Baroque style in 1727.[3]

The second valuable building in a Břežany is Baroque granary. It dates from 1797.[3][6]

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. Profous, Antonín (1947). Místní jména v Čechách I: A–H (in Czech). pp. 190–192.
3. "Územní plán Břežany" (PDF) (in Czech). Město Rakovník. August 2011. p. 22. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
4. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
5. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
6. "Historie Břežan" (in Czech). Obec Břežany. Retrieved 2023-02-23.

External links

• Official website