Batelov

Batelov
Market town
Míru Square
Flag Coat of arms
Batelov Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°18′52″N 15°23′41″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Vysočina
District	Jihlava
First mentioned	1272
Area
• Total	42.70 km^2 (16.49 sq mi)
Elevation	552 m (1,811 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	2,443
• Density	57/km^2 (150/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	588 51
Website	www.batelov.cz

Batelov (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbatɛlof]; German: Battelau) is a market town in Jihlava District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,400 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The villages of Bezděčín, Lovětín, Nová Ves and Rácov are administrative parts of Batelov.

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Batel.[2]

Geography

Batelov is located about 16 kilometres (10 mi) southwest of Jihlava. The municipal territory lies in three geomorphological regions: the central part lies in the Křižanov Highlands, the northern part lies in the Křemešník Highlands, and the southern forested part lies in the Javořice Highlands. The highest point is the hill Rovina at 761 m (2,497 ft) above sea level. The Jihlava River flows through Batelov. There are several fishponds around the market town.

History

The first written mention of Batelov is from 1272. The original settlement was founded in a part called Na Vůbci. The owners changed often and included various lesser noble families. In 1534, Batelov was promoted to a market town.[2][3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 3,271 —     1880 3,208 −1.9% 1890 3,274 +2.1% 1900 3,278 +0.1% 1910 3,365 +2.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 3,214 −4.5% 1930 3,042 −5.4% 1950 2,293 −24.6% 1961 2,486 +8.4% 1970 2,389 −3.9%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 2,363 −1.1% 1991 2,286 −3.3% 2001 2,393 +4.7% 2011 2,247 −6.1% 2021 2,276 +1.3%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Transport

Batelov is located on the major railway lines Brno–Plzeň and Jihlava–Tábor.[6]

Sights

New Castle

The landmark of the town square is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The church awas built in the mid-18th century and has a Neoclassical façade from 1836. A staircase lined with several valuable statues leads to the church.[7]

There are two castles in Batelov called Old Castle and New Castle. The Old Castle is a one-storey Renaissance building from the second half of the 16th century. It served mostly as an administrative seat.[8] The New Castle is a Neoclassical building with Renaissance core, which served as the seat of the nobility.[9]

Notable people

• Zdeněk Mahler (1928–2018), writer, screenwriter and musicologist

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. "Historie Batelova" (in Czech). Městys Batelov. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
3. "Strategický plán rozvoje městyse Batelova 2020–2025" (in Czech). Městys Batelov. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
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. "Detail stanice Batelov" (in Czech). České dráhy. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
7. "Kostel sv. Petra a Pavla se sochami" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
8. "Starý zámek" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
9. "Nový zámek" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-01-26.

External links

• Official website