Opatovice nad Labem

Opatovice nad Labem
Municipality
Aerial view
Flag Coat of arms
Opatovice nad Labem Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°8′44″N15°47′26″E / 50.14556°N 15.79056°E / 50.14556; 15.79056
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Pardubice
District	Pardubice
First mentioned	1073
Area
• Total	12.01 km2 (4.64 sq mi)
Elevation	225 m (738 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01) [1]
• Total	2,837
• Density	240/km2 (610/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	533 45
Website	www.opatovicenadlabem.cz

Opatovice nad Labem is a municipality and village in Pardubice District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,800 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The village of Pohřebačka is an administrative part of Opatovice nad Labem.

Etymology

The name Opatovice is derived from the Czech word opatství, i.e. 'abbey'. It indicated a village in the vicinity of the monastery that was founded here. ^[2]

Geography

Opatovice nad Labem is located about 11 kilometres (7 mi) north of Pardubice and 6 km (4 mi) south of Hradec Králové. It lies in a flat landscape of the East Elbe Table lowland. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe River. There are several flooded quarries used for recreational purposes. The largest of them is Opaťák in the northern part of the municipality. ^[2]

The Opatovice Canal flows through the village. It was built in the 15th century to supply the large pond system and is a cultural technical monument. Today it is 26 km (16 mi) long. ^[3]

History

Town hall and Church of Saint Lawrence

Archaeological research confirmed that mild climate and fertile surroundings of the Elbe had been exploited by ancient peoples. The first written mention of Opatovice nad Labem is from 1073, when Benedictine monks founded here a monastery. The Opatovice Monastery was finished in 1086 and existed until 1421, when it was burned down by the Hussites. ^[2]

In the 15th century, the village was shortly owned by Diviš Bořek of Miletínek and by George of Poděbrady, and in 1491, it was acquired by the Pernštejn family. The Pernštejns built here the first weir on the Elbe and the Opatovice Canal to feed the system of breeding fish ponds. In 1560, however, they lost the manor for financial reasons and it was acquired by the royal chamber. During the Thirty Years' War, Opatovice was looted by the Swedish army. ^[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 1,027 —     1880 1,328 +29.3% 1890 1,264 −4.8% 1900 1,592 +25.9% 1910 1,624 +2.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 1,498 −7.8% 1930 1,856 +23.9% 1950 1,570 −15.4% 1961 1,943 +23.8% 1970 1,967 +1.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 2,072 +5.3% 1991 1,951 −5.8% 2001 2,180 +11.7% 2011 2,553 +17.1% 2021 2,786 +9.1%
Source: Censuses [4] [5]

Economy

Opatovice Power Plant

Opatovice nad Labem is known for its large power station that was first activated in 1959. ^[6]

Transport

The D35 motorway passes through Opatovice nad Labem. The municipality is known for commissioning one of the largest road junctions in the country. ^[2]

Sights

The main landmark is the Church of Saint Lawrence. It was built in the Gothic style in the second half of the 13th century and rebuilt in 1421. The current appearance is a result of the Baroque reconstructions in the second half of the 18th century. ^[7]

Notable people

• Emanuela Nohejlová-Prátová (1900–1995), numismatist, archaeologist and historian

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. "Historie" (in Czech). Obec Opatovice nad Labem. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
3. "Opatovický kanál – středověké vodní dílo" (in Czech). CzechTourism. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
4. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
5. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
6. "Více než půlstoletí zásobování teplem" (in Czech). Elektrárny Opatovice, a.s. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
7. "Kostel sv. Vavřince" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2021-10-12.

External links

• Official website