Levín Explained

Levín
Settlement Type:Market town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Ústí nad Labem
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Litoměřice
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:50.6139°N 14.2839°W
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1352
Area Total Km2:4.90
Elevation M:438
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:150
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:411 45

Levín (German: Lewin) is a market town in Litoměřice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The village of Horní Vysoké is an administrative part of Levín.

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Lev, meaning "Lev's (castle, court)".[2]

Geography

Levín is located about 13km (08miles) northeast of Litoměřice and 18km (11miles) east of Ústí nad Labem. It lies in the Central Bohemian Uplands and within the České středohoří Protected Landscape Area. The highest point is a hill at 559m (1,834feet) above sea level.

History

The first written mention of Levín is from 1352. At the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, during the rule of Václav of Vartenberk, Levín was promoted to a market town. In 1402 at the latest, the potters' guild was founded in Levín. The town was known for pottery until the beginning of the 20th century, when the supply of good quality clay was exhausted. It was the only place in the country with such long continuous production.[3]

There was a climatic spa in Horní Vysoké. It was founded in the first third of the 19th century, but ceased to exist during World War II. [3]

Transport

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

Sights

The main landmark of Levín is the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1788. After the fire in 1791, it was rebuilt in 1798. The Baroque rotunda of the church is supposed to resemble a potter's wheel and thus reminds of the tradition of this craft in Levín.[3] [4]

A notable building is the former town hall. It was built in the late Baroque and Neoclassical styles in 1793.[5]

The ruin of the Levín Castle is located on a hill above Levín. It was built in the 13th century or at the beginning of the 14th century. In the 1420s, during the Hussite Wars, the castle was destroyed. In 1699, a bell tower was built next to the ruins using material from the castle. From the ruins, only the relics of the fortress wall have survived to this day.[6]

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 II: CH–L. 513. 1949. cs.
  3. Web site: Základní informace o obci. Městys Levín. cs. 2024-04-24.
  4. Web site: Kostel Povýšení sv. Kříže. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2024-04-24.
  5. Web site: Radnice. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2024-04-24.
  6. Web site: Zřícenina hradu Levín. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2024-04-24.