Lukavec (Pelhřimov District)

Lukavec
Market town
Church of Saint Wenceslaus
Flag Coat of arms
Lukavec Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°33′56″N 14°59′26″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Vysočina
District	Pelhřimov
First mentioned	1352
Area
• Total	21.48 km^2 (8.29 sq mi)
Elevation	579 m (1,900 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	1,005
• Density	47/km^2 (120/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal codes	394 26, 395 01
Website	www.lukavec.cz

Lukavec is a market town in Pelhřimov District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,000 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The villages of Bezděkov, Týmova Ves and Velká Ves are administrative parts of Lukavec.

Geography

Lukavec is located about 22 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of Pelhřimov and 63 km (39 mi) southeast of Prague. It lies in the Křemešník Highlands. The highest point is at 697 m (2,287 ft) above sea level. There are several small fishponds around the market town.

History

The first written mention of Lukavec is from 1352, when there was a fortress owned by the Lukavecký of Lukavec family. The family owned Lukavec until the early 17th century, then the owners often changed. In 1543, Lukavec was first referred to as a market town.[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 1,673 —     1880 1,694 +1.3% 1890 1,654 −2.4% 1900 1,460 −11.7% 1910 1,426 −2.3%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 1,381 −3.2% 1930 1,293 −6.4% 1950 1,040 −19.6% 1961 1,009 −3.0% 1970 990 −1.9%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 1,129 +14.0% 1991 1,147 +1.6% 2001 1,137 −0.9% 2011 1,041 −8.4% 2021 939 −9.8%
Source: Censuses[3][4]

Transport

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

Sights

The main landmark of the town square is the Church of Saint Wenceslaus. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1774-1781 on the site of a chapel, which was first documented in 1654. The tower was preserved from the original chapel. The present appearance of the church is a result of modifications made after the fire in 1856.[5]

The Lukavec Castle is a late Renaissance building, built on the site of an older Gothic fortress. It is surrounded with a large English park with ponds and a Neoclassical pavilion. Today, the pavilion houses an exhibition about the poet Antonín Sova, who grew up here.[6]

In the northern part of Lukavec is a significant Jewish cemetery. Its existence was first documented in 1724 and was used until 1935. The oldest preserved tombstone is from 1725. It has an area of 0.16 ha (0.40 acres).[7]

Notable people

• Antonín Sova (1864–1928), poet; grew up here

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. "Z historie obce: Historie Lukavce" (in Czech). Městys Lukavec. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
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 Povýšení sv. Václava" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
6. "Zámek" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
7. "Židovský hřbitov" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-09-09.

External links

• Official website