Písek (Frýdek-Místek District) Explained

Písek
Other Name:Polish: Piosek
Settlement Type:Municipality
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Moravian-Silesian
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Frýdek-Místek
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:49.5592°N 18.8022°W
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1466
Area Total Km2:15.46
Elevation M:420
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:1894
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:739 84

Písek (Polish: {{Audio-nohelp|Piosek.ogg|Piosek, German: Piosek) is a municipality and village in Frýdek-Místek District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,900 inhabitants. The municipality has a significant Polish minority.

Etymology

The name of the municipality is of topographic origins and literally means "sand". Historically it has been scribed as Piesek (1523), Pisek (1577, 1621), Pyßek/Pioßek (1643), Piasek (1652) and so on.[2]

Geography

Písek is located about southeast of Frýdek-Místek and 45km (28miles) southeast of Ostrava. It lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia, a small part of the municipality borders with Poland. The Olza River flows through the municipality.

The municipal territory is located on the border between two mountain ranges. The northern part lies in the Silesian Beskids, the southern part lies in the Jablunkov Intermontane. The highest point is the mountain Kyčera/Kiczory on the Czech-Polish border at 989m (3,245feet) above sea level.

History

Písek was established most probably in the 14th century. Historians presume that on the basis of establishment date of nearby Bukowiec (1353). The first written mention of Písek is in a document from 1466 where a local advocatus was mentioned. Politically Písek belonged initially to the Duchy of Teschen.[3] [4]

The villagers lived mainly off farming, pastoralism and forestry. In 1692, there was a mill. After the establishment of Třinec Iron and Steel Works in 1839 many inhabitants of Písek went to work there and agriculture has become a side activity for most of them.[3]

After Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire a modern municipal division was introduced in the re-established Austrian Silesia. The village as a municipality was subscribed to the political district of Teschen and the legal district of Jablunkau. According to the censuses conducted in 1880–1910 the population of the municipality grew from 884 in 1880 to 1,055 in 1910 with a majority being native Polish-speakers (dropping from 100% in 1880 to 97.5% in 1910) accompanied by German-speaking (at most 2.5% in 1910) and Czech-speaking people (at most 1.1% in 1910). In terms of religion in 1910 the majority were Roman Catholics (59.5%), followed by Protestants (40.5%).[5]

After World War I, Polish–Czechoslovak War and the division of Cieszyn Silesia in 1920, it became a part of Czechoslovakia. Following the Munich Agreement, in October 1938 together with the Trans-Olza region it was annexed by Poland, administratively adjoined to Cieszyn County of Silesian Voivodeship.[6] It was then annexed by Nazi Germany at the beginning of World War II. After the war it was restored to Czechoslovakia.

From 1980 to 1990 Písek was an administrative part of Jablunkov.[7]

Demographics

Polish minority makes up 15.4% of the population.[8]

Transport

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

Sights

Písek is poor in historical buildings. The Roman Catholic Church of Divine Mercy was built in 1995.[9] The second church in the municipality is a SCEAV Lutheran church, built in 2010–2011.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Book: Mrózek, Robert. Nazwy miejscowe dawnego Śląska Cieszyńskiego. Local names of former Cieszyn Silesia. University of Silesia in Katowice. 1984. Katowice. 127–128. pl. 0208-6336.
  3. Web site: Historie a současnost. Obec Písek. cs. 2022-03-16.
  4. Book: Panic, Idzi. Idzi Panic. Śląsk Cieszyński w średniowieczu (do 1528). Cieszyn Silesia in Middle Ages (until 1528). Starostwo Powiatowe w Cieszynie. Cieszyn. 313. pl. 978-83-935147-8-6. 2015.
  5. Book: Piątkowski, Kazimierz. Stosunki narodowościowe w Księstwie Cieszyńskiem. Macierz Szkolna Księstwa Cieszyńskiego. 1918. Cieszyn. 267, 285. pl.
  6. Ustawa z dnia 27 października 1938 r. o podziale administracyjnym i tymczasowej organizacji administracji na obszarze Ziem Odzyskanych Śląska Cieszyńskiego. Dziennik Ustaw Śląskich. 18/1938, poz. 35. 31 October 1938. Katowice. 1 July 2014. pl.
  7. Web site: Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011. Czech Statistical Office. 425. cs. 2015-12-21.
  8. Web site: Population Census 2021: Population by selected ethnicity. Public database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  9. Web site: Filiální kostel v Písku. Farnost Jablunkov. cs. 2022-03-16.
  10. Web site: Evangelický kostel v Písku. Česká cena za architekturu. cs. 2022-03-16.