Cvikov Explained

Cvikov
Settlement Type:Town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Liberec
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Česká Lípa
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:50.7758°N 14.6333°W
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Petr Vrabec
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1352
Area Total Km2:45.09
Elevation M:357
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:4558
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:471 54

Cvikov (German: Zwickau in Böhmen) is a town in Česká Lípa District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,600 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

Cvikov is made up of the town parts of Cvikov I and Cvikov II, and the villages of Drnovec, Lindava, Naděje, Svitava, Trávník and Záhořín.

Etymology

The origin of the name is unclear. According to one theory, the name was derived from the personal name Cvik, meanings "Cvik's (court)". This is also evidenced by the oldest preserved documents, where the name of the settlement is written with Cv- at the beginning. According to the second theory, the city was founded by German colonists and the name was transferred to it from the Saxon city of Zwickau. This is evidenced by the time the settlement was founded. Some documents suggest that these theories may not be correct and Cvikov was originally named Zvíkov, which is the name of several other settlements in the country.[2]

Geography

Cvikov is located about 12km (07miles) northeast of Česká Lípa and 29km (18miles) west of Liberec. It lies mostly in the Ralsko Uplands. The northern part of the municipal territory extends into the Lusatian Mountains and includes the highest point of Cvikov, the mountain Suchý vrch at 641m (2,103feet) above sea level. The stream Boberský potok flows through the town.

History

The first written mention of Cvikov is from 1352. The settlement was founded in the 13th century. In 1391, it was promoted to a town. In 1634, during the Thirty Years' War, the town was destroyed by fire, then it suffered during the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778). The greatest development of Cvikov occurred in the 19th century, when the town was industrialized.[3]

Transport

The I/13 road, which connects Liberec with Ústí nad Labem, passes through the town.

Sights

The main landmark of the town is the Church of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. The original Gothic church was completely rebuilt in 1553–1558, then it was rebuilt into is current Baroque form in 1726–1728.[4]

Notable people

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Book: Profous, Antonín. Místní jména v Čechách I: A–H. 290. 1947. cs.
  3. Web site: Historie města. Město Cvikov. cs. 2022-10-26.
  4. Web site: Kostel sv. Alžběty Uherské. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2022-10-26.