Štěpánov nad Svratkou explained

Štěpánov nad Svratkou
Settlement Type:Market town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Vysočina
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Žďár nad Sázavou
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:49.5047°N 16.3392°W
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1285
Area Total Km2:10.85
Elevation M:346
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:713
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal codes
Postal Code:592 63, 593 01

Štěpánov nad Svratkou (until 1951 Štěpánov; German: Stiepanau) is a market town in Žďár nad Sázavou District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The village of Vrtěžíř is an administrative part of Štěpánov nad Svratkou.

Geography

Štěpánov nad Svratkou is located about east of Žďár nad Sázavou and 36km (22miles) northwest of Brno. It lies in the Upper Svratka Highlands. The highest point is at 643m (2,110feet) above sea level. The built-up area is situated in the valley of the Svratka River and its tributary, the Hodonínka Stream.

History

The first written mention of Štěpánov is in a deed of Bishop Dětřich from 1285. The village was founded by Štěpán of Medlov between 1234 and 1256. Silver, copper and iron ore were mined in the area from the 13th century and Štěpánov became an industrial centre of the estate. It was first referred to as a market town in 1551, but it was not officially promoted to a market town until sometime between 1561 and 1584. During the 18th century, mining has stopped.[2]

In 1951, Štěpánov was merged with the neighbouring municipality of Olešnička (today an integral part of Štěpánov) and the name of the settlement and the municipality was changed to Štěpánov nad Svratkou.[3]

Transport

The I/19 road (the section from Žďár nad Sázavou to Blansko District) passes through the market town.

Sights

The main landmark of Štěpánov nad Svratkou is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The original medieval church from the second half of the 13th century was destroyed by a fire in 1917. The current church was built in the Cubist style in 1923–1924.[4]

Among the protected cultural monuments in the municipality are an architecturally valuable rectory, a cast iron cross from 1761 and a Baroque statue of St. John of Nepomuk from 1896.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Web site: Obec – historie. Městys Štěpánov nad Svratkou. cs. 2023-09-20.
  3. Web site: Vyhláška č. 16/1952 Sb.. Zákony pro lidi. cs. 2023-09-20.
  4. Web site: Kostel sv. Petra a Pavla ve Štěpánově nad Svratkou. Město Bystřice nad Pernštejnem. cs. 2023-09-19.
  5. Web site: Výsledky vyhledávání: Kulturní památky, obec Štěpánov nad Svratkou. Ústřední seznam kulturních památek. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-09-19.