Horní Benešov Explained

Horní Benešov
Settlement Type:Town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Moravian-Silesian
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Bruntál
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:49.9667°N 17.6028°W
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Pavel König
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1226
Area Total Km2:20.40
Elevation M:568
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:2214
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:793 12

Horní Benešov (in Czech pronounced as /ˈɦorɲiː ˈbɛnɛʃof/; until 1926 Benešov; German: Bennisch) is a town in Bruntál District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,200 inhabitants. Horní Benešov has a long mining tradition.

Administrative parts

The village of Luhy is an administrative part of Horní Benešov.

Geography

Horní Benešov is located about 10km (10miles) east of Bruntál and 20km (10miles) west of Opava. It lies in the Nízký Jeseník range. The highest point is at 619m (2,031feet) above sea level.

History

The first written mention of Horní Benešov is from 1226, when it was a mining settlement. The silver mines were one of the oldest in Czech lands. The town of Benešov was founded on the site of the settlement in 1253, and the town rights were confirmed in 1271 by King Ottokar II.[2]

The town was destroyed by a Hungarian invasion in 1474 and then during the Thirty Years' War. The mining was in decline since 17th century. During the 19th and 20th centuries, economic development of Benešov was driven mostly by textile industry.[2]

According to the Austrian administration census of 1910 the town had 3,826 inhabitants, 3,800 (99.9%) were German-speaking. Most populous religious groups were Roman Catholics with 3,766 (98.4%), followed by Protestants with 30 (0.8%) and the Jews with 25 (0.6%).[3]

Before World War I, the town was part of the Austrian Silesia region. After World War I, the town was within the state of Czechoslovakia and in 1926 was given its present name. From 1938 to 1945 Horní Benešov was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as a part of Reichsgau Sudetenland. After the war, the German population was expelled.

In 1902–1914 and 1951–1992, baryte was mined here.[2]

Transport

The I/11 road (the section from Opava to Bruntál) passes through the town.

Sights

The main landmark of Horní Benešov is the Church of Saint Catherine. It was built in the Neoclassical style in 1719. It has preserved elements from the original building from the 16th century.[4]

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic. Horní Benešov is twinned with:[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Web site: Historie města. Město Horní Benešov. cs. 2024-06-21.
  3. Ludwig Patryn (ed): Die Ergebnisse der Volkszählung vom 31. Dezember 1910 in Schlesien, Troppau 1912.
  4. Web site: Kostel sv. Kateřiny. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2024-06-21.
  5. Web site: Partnerská spolupráce. Město Horní Benešov. cs. 2024-06-21.