Lovosice Explained

Lovosice
Settlement Type: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:50.515°N 14.0511°W
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Milan Dian
Leader Party:ANO
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1143
Area Total Km2:11.89
Elevation M:151
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:8774
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:410 30

Lovosice (in Czech pronounced as /ˈlovosɪtsɛ/; German: Lobositz) is a town in Litoměřice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,800 inhabitants. It is an industrial town.

Geography

Lovosice is located about 6km (04miles) southwest of Litoměřice and 16km (10miles) south of Ústí nad Labem. It lies mostly in the Lower Ohře Table. A small northwestern part of the municipal territory extends into the Central Bohemian Uplands and includes the highest point of Lovosice, which is a contour line at the foot of the Lovoš mountain at 310m (1,020feet) above sea level. The town is situated on the left bank of the Elbe River, which forms the northern municipal border.

History

The region of Lovosice was inhabited already in the Bronze Age. Some evidence indicates that the first Czechs lived right here.

The first mention of Lovosice is from 1143. Duke Vladislaus II gave this small village to the Strahov monastery. Emperor Rudolf II promoted the village to a town in 1600.[2]

Lovosice was 1756 the site of a major battle between Prussia and the Austrian empire, at the Battle of Lobositz.

In 1850, the railroad was built, which supported the industrialization of the town and accelerated development.[2]

During World War II, due to the Munich Agreement, Lovosice fell within a German occupation zone, commonly called Sudetenland. Only 600 Czechs stayed in the town at that time.[2] After the war, the German population was expelled as a result of the Beneš decrees.

Economy

Lovosice is known as an industrial town with a long tradition of chemical and food-processing industries.[2]

Transport

Lovosice is a significant transport junction. Besides a cargo port on the Elbe River, the town has a great connection to Prague and Germany via the D8 motorway.

Lovosice is located on the railway lines PragueDěčín and LitoměřiceChotiměř. The town is served by three train stations.[3]

Sights

The former town hall is one of the most valuable buildings in the town. It was built in the Art Nouveau style in 1906–1907. Today it serves as a library and tourist information office.[4]

The Renaissance castle in Lovosice was built in the second half of the 16th century. After a fire in 1809, it was modified in the Baroque style and served as an archive and office. Today the building houses a secondary vocational school.[4]

The Church of Saint Wenceslaus was built in the Baroque style in 1733–1748, on the site of the former wooden church. It contains valuable frescoes and a Saint Wenceslaus altarpiece.[4]

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic. Lovosice 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 Lovosice. Město Lovosice. cs. 2021-07-18.
  3. Web site: Detail stanice Lovosice. České dráhy. cs. 2024-06-02.
  4. Web site: Město Lovosice. Město Lovosice. cs. 2021-07-18.
  5. Web site: Aktivní partnerství: komunikace, důvěra, spolupráce. Město Lovosice. cs. 2020-08-17.