Bezdružice

Bezdružice
Bezdružice
Town
	Bezdružice seen from the south
	Flag Coat of arms
	Bezdružice Location in the Czech Republic
	Coordinates: 49°54′26″N 12°58′21″E / 49.90722°N 12.97250°E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Plzeň
District	Tachov
First mentioned	1227
Government
• Mayor	Lumír Kadlec
Area
• Total	32.00 km2 (12.36 sq mi)
Elevation	576 m (1,890 ft)
Population (2024-01-01)
• Total	927
• Density	29/km2 (75/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	349 53
Website	www.bezdruzice.cz

Bezdružice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbɛzdruʒɪtsɛ]; German: Weseritz) is a town in Tachov District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Bezdružice consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):^[2]

Bezdružice (770)
Dolní Polžice (5)
Horní Polžice (28)
Kamýk (4)
Kohoutov (0)
Křivce (12)
Pačín (6)
Řešín (33)
Zhořec (12)

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Bezdruh, meaning "the village of Bezdruh's people".^[3]

Geography

Bezdružice is located about 26 kilometres (16 mi) northeast of Tachov and 33 km (21 mi) northwest of Plzeň. It lies in the Teplá Highlands. The highest point is at 688 m (2,257 ft) above sea level. The municipal territory is rich in small streams.

History

The first written mention of Bezdružice is from 1227. In 1360–1379, Bezdružice was owned by knight Bušek and it was in these times, when a small stone castle was built. In 1459, the village became a market town.^[4]

From 1520 to 1614, a deadly plague infected the town. During the Thirty Years' War, around 1646, the town and the castle were burnt down by the invading Swedish army. In 1712, Bezdružice was acquired by the Löwenstein princely family. At that time, the old and new castles were already standing on the site of the original castle.^[4]

In 1808, another plague hit the town, in 1809, a fire burnt down many parts of the town, and in 1815, a windstorm ravaged Bezdružice.^[5]

The town became more popular when a railway was introduced to the town. The railway quickly gentrified the town. However, the population declined during and after World War II, mainly following the expulsion of local German inhabitants.^[5]

In 1949, Bezdružice lost the town status and was incorporated into the Tachov District.^[5] In 2006, the municipality regained the town status.^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1869	2,168	—
1880	2,158	−0.5%
1890	2,111	−2.2%
1900	2,010	−4.8%
1910	1,962	−2.4%

Year	Pop.	±%
1921	1,977	+0.8%
1930	2,013	+1.8%
1950	983	−51.2%
1961	1,055	+7.3%
1970	1,034	−2.0%

Year	Pop.	±%
1980	1,007	−2.6%
1991	981	−2.6%
2001	990	+0.9%
2011	894	−9.7%
2021	870	−2.7%

Source: Censuses^[6]^[7]

Transport

Bezdružice is the starting point and terminus of the railway line from/to Radnice via Plzeň.^[8]

Sights

Bezdružice Castle is a Gothic castle built by the Kolowrat family before 1330. The castle was partly demolished in the 18th century, but it was remodeled in the Baroque style.^[9]

The first mention of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is from 1515, however the current church was built in 1710–1711, after the old one was demolished.^[4]

Notable people

Kryštof Harant (1564–1621), nobleman
Louis Weinert-Wilton (1875–1945), German writer

Gallery

Former town hall
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Bezdružice Castle

References

^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
^ "Public Census 2021 – basic data". Public Database (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2022.
^ Profous, Antonín (1947). Místní jména v Čechách I: A–H (in Czech). p. 76.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Historie" (in Czech). Město Bezdružice. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Bezdružice". tachovsko.com (in Czech). Retrieved 2020-07-16.
^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
^ "Detail stanice Bezdružice" (in Czech). České dráhy. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
^ Bělohlávek, Miloslav (1985). Hrady, zámky a tvrze v Čechách, na Moravě a ve Slezsku (in Czech). pp. 32, 37.

External links

Official website

[1] "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.

[2] "Public Census 2021 – basic data". Public Database (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2022.

[3] Profous, Antonín (1947). Místní jména v Čechách I: A–H (in Czech). p. 76.

[history-4] "Historie" (in Czech). Město Bezdružice. Retrieved 2021-06-14.

[:0-5] "Bezdružice". tachovsko.com (in Czech). Retrieved 2020-07-16.

[6] "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.

[7] "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.

[8] "Detail stanice Bezdružice" (in Czech). České dráhy. Retrieved 2024-02-20.

[9] Bělohlávek, Miloslav (1985). Hrady, zámky a tvrze v Čechách, na Moravě a ve Slezsku (in Czech). pp. 32, 37.

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