Stárkov

Stárkov
Town
Stárkov centre
Coat of arms
Stárkov Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°31′54″N 16°9′0″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Hradec Králové
District	Náchod
First mentioned	1250
Government
• Mayor	Petr Urban
Area
• Total	16.53 km^2 (6.38 sq mi)
Elevation	441 m (1,447 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	627
• Density	38/km^2 (98/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal codes	549 31, 549 36
Website	www.starkov.cz

Stárkov (German: Starkstadt) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts

The villages of Bystré, Chlívce, Horní Dřevíč and Vápenka are administrative parts of Stárkov.

Etymology

The name is derived either from the Czech surname Stárek or from the German surname Stark. In the oldest preserved written record, both the Czech and German names of the settlement appear.[2]

Geography

Stárkov is located about 13 km (8 mi) north of Náchod and 27 km (17 mi) southwest of the Polish city of Wałbrzych. It lies in the Broumov Highlands, in the Broumovsko Protected Landscape Area. The Dřevíč Stream flows through the town.

History

The first written mention of Stárkov is from 1250. It was probably founded in the first half of the 13th century during the colonization of forests in this region. The name Stárkov was first used in 1321. In 1573, Stárkov was promoted to a town.[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 3,079 —     1880 2,881 −6.4% 1890 2,732 −5.2% 1900 2,604 −4.7% 1910 2,279 −12.5%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 2,047 −10.2% 1930 1,843 −10.0% 1950 1,267 −31.3% 1961 1,302 +2.8% 1970 1,167 −10.4%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 976 −16.4% 1991 777 −20.4% 2001 736 −5.3% 2011 628 −14.7% 2021 613 −2.4%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Transport

Town hall

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

Sights

Church of Saint Joseph

The town hall is the main representative building of Stárkov and the landmark of the town square. The very first town hall is documented in 1575. The current town hall was built in 1854. The Baroque castle with gardens was originally built in 1546 and rebuilt in 1681–1691. Other sights on the square include historical houses, a Neoclassical fountain and a Marian column from 1726.[6]

The Church of Saint Joseph was built in 1654–1662, when it replaced an old church destroyed by a fire. The tower was added in 1765. The rectory from 1575 was restored in 1660. There is the Chapel of Fourteen Holy Helpers on a hill above the town. The way from the church to the chapel is lined with the Stations of the Cross.[6]

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. Profous, Antonín (1957). Místní jména v Čechách IV: S–Ž (in Czech). pp. 162–163.
3. "Historie Stárkova do roku 1573" (in Czech). Město Stárkov. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
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 Stárkova od roku 1573 do konce 19.století" (in Czech). Město Stárkov. Retrieved 2021-09-30.

External links

• Official website