Deštná (Jindřichův Hradec District)

Deštná
Town
Town square
Flag Coat of arms
Deštná Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°15′55″N 14°55′16″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	South Bohemian
District	Jindřichův Hradec
First mentioned	1294
Government
• Mayor	David Šašek
Area
• Total	12.70 km^2 (4.90 sq mi)
Elevation	520 m (1,710 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	728
• Density	57/km^2 (150/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	378 25
Website	www.destna.cz

Deštná (German: Deschna) is a town in Jindřichův Hradec District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The village of Lipovka is an administrative part of Deštná.

Etymology

The name was derived either from the Czech word déšť (i.e. 'rain'), which described a rainy landscape, or from the old Czech expression deščený, which denoted a forest made up of tall but not very branched trees.[2]

Geography

Deštná is located about 14 kilometres (9 mi) north of Jindřichův Hradec and 45 km (28 mi) northeast of České Budějovice. It lies in the Křemešník Highlands. The highest point is the hill Deštenská hora at 647 m (2,123 ft) above sea level. The stream of Dírenský potok flows through the town. The municipal territory is rich in fishponds.

History

The first written mention of Deštná is a donation deed of Oldřich of Hradec from 1294, when it was already a market town. In 1364, Lords of Hradec sold Deštná to the Rosenberg family, who annexed it to the Choustník estate. In 1418, Deštná was promoted to a town. With a short break in 1531–1538, the Rosenbergs owned Deštná until 1596, when they sold it to Vilém Ruth. He annexed the town to the Červená Lhota estate, which remained so until the establishment of an independent municipality in 1848. In 1774, Deštná was badly damaged by a large fire.[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 1,653 —     1880 1,620 −2.0% 1890 1,550 −4.3% 1900 1,476 −4.8% 1910 1,393 −5.6%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 1,321 −5.2% 1930 1,245 −5.8% 1950 967 −22.3% 1961 955 −1.2% 1970 800 −16.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 685 −14.4% 1991 649 −5.3% 2001 664 +2.3% 2011 721 +8.6% 2021 696 −3.5%
Source: Censuses[3][4]

Transport

There are no railways or major roads running through the municipal territory.

Sights

Church of Saint Otto

The main landmark of Deštná is the Church of Saint Otto. It was built by the Teutonic Order after 1255 and was extended in 1380. The tower was raised in 1687. In 1733, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style. It is the only church in the country dedicated to Saint Otto of Bamberg.[5][6]

The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist is located on the outskirts of the town. It was built in the second quarter of the 17th century and rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style in the 18th and 19th centuries.[7]

Among the tourist destinations are the Aviation Museum Deštná with exhibits about Czechoslovak RAF pilots in World War II, and Rope Museum of Karel Klik, which presents the rope-making craft.[8]

Notable people

• Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739–1799), Austrian composer, violinist and silvologist; buried here
• Bohumil Jílek (1892–1963), politician

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. "Historie Deštné" (in Czech). Město Deštná. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
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. "Kostel sv. Ottona s křížem" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
6. "Proč je deštenský kostel zasvěcen patronovi s neobvyklým jménem sv. Otton?" (in Czech). Město Deštná. 2019-05-22. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
7. "Kaple sv. Jana Křtitele" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
8. "Muzea" (in Czech). Město Deštná. Retrieved 2023-12-04.

External links

• Official website