Potštejn

Potštejn
Municipality
Aerial view
Aerial view
Flag of Potštejn
Flag
Coat of arms of Potštejn
Coat of arms
Potštejn is located in Czech Republic
Potštejn
Potštejn
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°4′56″N 16°18′32″E / 50.08222°N 16.30889°E / 50.08222; 16.30889
Country Czech Republic
RegionHradec Králové
DistrictRychnov nad Kněžnou
First mentioned1350
Area
 • Total
9.03 km2 (3.49 sq mi)
Elevation
315 m (1,033 ft)
Population
 (2024-01-01)[1]
 • Total
991
 • Density110/km2 (280/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
517 43
Websitewww.potstejn.cz

Potštejn (German: Pottenstein) is a municipality and village in Rychnov nad Kněžnou District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,000 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The village of Brná is an administrative part of Potštejn.

Etymology

The name of the municipality was derived from name of castle with the same name, which was named after its founder Půta of Drslavic: Puttenstein, misspelled as Potštejn.[2]

Geography

Potštejn is located about 9 kilometres (6 mi) south of Rychnov nad Kněžnou and 35 km (22 mi) southeast of Hradec Králové. It lies on the border of three geomorphological regions: Orlice Table, Svitavy Uplands and Orlické Foothills. The highest point is at 518 m (1,699 ft) above sea level. The municipality is situated in the valley of the Divoká Orlice River.

History

The first written mention of the castle of Potštejn is from 1259,[3] 1287[2] or 1295.[4] The castle was conquered only once in history, in 1339 by Charles IV before he became king.[3][5] The village below the castle was first mentioned in 1350. The golden times of the castle were after 1495, when it was bought by Vilém II of Pernštejn, who had rebuilt it.[3]

In the 17th century, economic decline came, the castle fell into disrepair, and the entire Potštejn went bankrupt. In 1746, the estate was bought by the nobleman Jan Ludvík Harbuval Chamaré, who had built here a château. After the House of Chamaré died out in the mid-19th century, Potštejn was acquired by marriage by the Dobřenský of Dobřenice family. They owned it until 1945, when their properties were confiscated.[3]

The renewed Unity of the Brethren was founded in Potštejn in 1870.[6]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18691,041—    
18801,084+4.1%
18901,052−3.0%
1900989−6.0%
1910970−1.9%
YearPop.±%
1921916−5.6%
19301,012+10.5%
19501,029+1.7%
19611,107+7.6%
19701,097−0.9%
YearPop.±%
19801,041−5.1%
1991991−4.8%
2001904−8.8%
2011896−0.9%
2021974+8.7%
Source: Censuses[7][8]

Transport

Potštejn is located on the railway line Hradec Králové–Letohrad.[9]

Sights

Potštejn Castle above the village

The Potštejn Castle is a castle ruin with an exhibition on the history of the castle. The castle complex includes the Chapel of Saint John of Nepomuk from 1766 and the last station of the Stations of the Cross from 1754.[4]

The Potštejn Château is a late Baroque castle, built in 1749–1755. Today it is privately owned, but it is open to the public. There is a castle park next to the castle, which is a combination of a French garden and an English park with rare species of trees.[3][10]

The Church of Saint Lawrence was built in 1815–1821.[10]

In literature

The Potštejn Castle was famed in Alois Jirásek's novel Poklad.[5]

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Potštejn is twinned with:[11]

References

  1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. ^ a b "Na zříceninu Potštejn dorazí loupeživí rytíři" (in Czech). CzechTourism. 2019-07-16. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Historie zámku" (in Czech). Potštejn Château. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  4. ^ a b "Hrad Potštejn" (in Czech). Obec Potštejn. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  5. ^ a b "Hrad Potštejn – vydejte se za pověstí o pokladu" (in Czech). CzechTourism. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  6. ^ "Historie" (in Czech). Unity of the Brethren. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  7. ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
  8. ^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  9. ^ "Detail stanice Potštejn" (in Czech). České dráhy. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  10. ^ a b "O obci" (in Czech). Obec Potštejn. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  11. ^ "Main Page" (in Czech). Obec Potštejn. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
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