Nižbor Explained

Nižbor
Settlement Type:Municipality
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Central Bohemian
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Beroun
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:50°N 14.0025°W
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1265
Area Total Km2:28.01
Elevation M:235
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:2131
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:267 05

Nižbor (German: Nischburg) is a municipality and village in Beroun District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,100 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The villages of Stradonice and Žloukovice are administrative parts of Nižbor.

Etymology

The local castle was originally named Miesenburg, meaning "castle upon Mže"). Later it was distorted to Nižbor.[2]

Geography

Nižbor is located about 6km (04miles) northwest of Beroun and 24km (15miles) west of Prague. It lies in the Křivoklát Highlands, in the Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area. The highest point is the hill Lísek at 483m (1,585feet) above sea level. The Berounka River flows through the municipality.

History

The first written mention of Nižbor is from 1265, when Nižbor Castle was founded by King Ottokar II. The castle became an important centre of the region. In 1425, it was conquered by the Hussites. Nižbor was a royal property until 1601. From 1510 to 1601, however, it was granted to the Otta of Los family. During their rule, an iron smelter was established here and there was an influx of new inhabitants.[2]

In 1601–1613, Nižbor was owned by the Šanovec family, who had rebuilt the castle. The Waldstein family acquired the estate during the Thirty Years' War and annexed it to the neighbouring Křivoklát estate. In 1731, the Waldsteins sold the Křivoklát estate with Nižbor to the Fürstenberg family, who owned it until 1929.[2]

Economy

Nižbor is known for the Nižbor glassworks, a Bohemian crystal factory founded in 1903.

Transport

Nižbor is located on the railway line BerounRakovník.[3]

Sights

The most important monument is the Nižbor Castle. The original medieval castle was rebuilt into a Renaissance residence n the early 17th century, then it was completely rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1720–1725. It was rebuilt by the architect František Maxmilián Kaňka.[2] [4] Today the castle is open to the public. It houses the Information centre of Celtic culture.[5]

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was built in the Baroque style in 1724. It was built on the site of the Gothic castle chapel next to the castle.[6]

A cultural monument is the Fürstenberg Tomb. The burial ground of the Fürstenberg family with a number of sepulchral objects was built from 1787 until the mid-19th century.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Web site: Středověk a novověk. Obec Nižbor. cs. 2023-03-13.
  3. Web site: Detail stanice Nižbor. České dráhy. cs. 2024-07-08.
  4. Web site: Zámek. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-03-13.
  5. Web site: Zámek Nižbor. Ústav archeologické památkové péče Středních Čech. cs. 2023-03-13.
  6. Web site: Kostel Povýšení sv. Kříže (Nižbor, Česko). Středočeská vědecká knihovna v Kladně. cs. 2023-03-13.
  7. Web site: Fürstenbergská hrobka. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-03-13.