Jiříkov Explained

Jiříkov
Settlement Type:Town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Ústí nad Labem
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Děčín
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:50.9944°N 14.5708°W
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Jindřich Jurajda
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1346
Area Total Km2:13.31
Elevation M:368
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:3538
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:407 53

Jiříkov (in Czech pronounced as /ˈjɪr̝iːkof/; German: Georgswalde) is a town in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,500 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The town is made up of the town parts of Filipov, Loučné, Nový Jiříkov and Starý Jiříkov.

Etymology

The original German name was derived from Dorf im Georgswalde (i.e. "the village in Georg's forest"), which was shortened to Georgswalde. The Czech name Jiříkov means "Jiří's" and derived from the personal name Jiří, which is a Czech variant of Georg.[2]

Geography

Jiříkov is located about northeast of Děčín and 42km (26miles) northwest of Liberec. It lies in the salient region of Šluknov Hook, on the border with Germany. The town is urbanistically fused with the neighbouring German town of Ebersbach-Neugersdorf.

Jiříkov is situated in the Lusatian Highlands. The stream Jiříkovský potok flows through the town.

History

The first written mention of Jiříkov is from 1346. In the 15th century, it belonged to the Šluknov estate. The village of Filipov was founded in 1681 by the then-owner of the estate, Philipp Sigmund of Dietrichstein, and named after him. Flax was grown in the vicinity of Jiříkov, which was further processed, but due to the wars, the linen craft began to flourish only from 1751. In 1753, the village was promoted to a market town by Empress Maria Theresa.[3]

The first textile factory was founded in 1807, and during the 19th century Jiříkov was industrialized. In 1873, the railway was opened. The population grew rapidly and in 1914 Jiříkov became a town. In the interwar period, disagreements between the Czech and German populations began, and in 1938 Jiříkov was annexed by Nazi Germany. After World War II, the Germans were expelled and Jiříkov was repopulated by Czech settlers.[3]

Transport

On the Czech-German border are the road and railway border crossings Jiříkov / Ebersbach. The railway that runs through Jiříkov is unused.

Sights

The main landmark of Jiříkov is the Church of Saint George. It was built in the Baroque style in 1724–1728, on the site of an old Gothic church.[4]

External links

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 II: CH–L. 552–553. 1949. cs.
  3. Web site: Z historie města Jiříkov. Město Jiříkov. cs. 2023-05-29.
  4. Web site: Kostel sv. Jiří. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-05-30.