Poustka

Poustka
Municipality
Seeberg Castle
Flag Coat of arms
Poustka Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°8′25″N12°17′54″E / 50.14028°N 12.29833°E / 50.14028; 12.29833
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Karlovy Vary
District	Cheb
First mentioned	1275
Area
• Total	6.98 km2 (2.69 sq mi)
Elevation	515 m (1,690 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01) [1]
• Total	170
• Density	24/km2 (63/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	350 02
Website	www.poustka.cz

Poustka (German : Oed) is a municipality and village in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants. It is known for the Seeberg Castle.

Administrative parts

The village of Ostroh is an administrative part of Poustka.

Etymology

The word poustka denoted lonely house or abandoned house. The Middle High German word einôti (in modern German Einöde), which gave rise to the German name of the settlement Oed, had the same meaning. ^[2]

Geography

Poustka is located about 8 kilometres (5 mi) northwest of Cheb and 40 km (25 mi) west of Karlovy Vary. It lies in the Fichtel Mountains. The highest point is the hill Kozinec at 551 m (1,808 ft) above sea level. The stream Slatinný potok flows through the municipality.

History

The first written mention of Poustka is from 1275. ^[3] Ostroh was first mentioned in 1322. ^[4] The villages developed typically for the castle grounds, they provided the background for the castle. Farmers and people working at the castle lived here. It used to be a strategic point, but later the original function of the castle changed and it became mainly an administrative centre. ^[3] Among the notable owners of the castle were the families of Schlick, Juncker, Zedtwitz and Nostitz. ^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 734 —     1880 806 +9.8% 1890 734 −8.9% 1900 662 −9.8% 1910 660 −0.3%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 542 −17.9% 1930 552 +1.8% 1950 148 −73.2% 1961 115 −22.3% 1970 109 −5.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 114 +4.6% 1991 99 −13.2% 2001 117 +18.2% 2011 153 +30.8% 2021 159 +3.9%
Source: Censuses [5] [6]

Transport

The I/64 road from Františkovy Lázně to the Czech-German border in Aš runs through the municipality.

Sights

Church of Saint Wolfgang

The main landmark is the Seeberg Castle in Ostroh. It was built between 1250 and 1275. It originally served as a ministerial castle. The original Romanesque castle was later rebuilt in Gothic and Renaissance styles. It consists of a Romanesque and Gothic palace with a Renaissance wing. Today the castle is open to the public. ^[7]

The Church of Saint Wolfgang was built in the Gothic style in 1470–1478. It was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1721–1724. ^[8]

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. Profous, Antonín (1951). Místní jména v Čechách III: M–Ř (in Czech). p. 448.
3. "Poustka" (in Czech). Atlas Česka. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
4. "Hrad Seeberg" (in Czech). Obec Poustka. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
5. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
6. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
7. "Hrad Ostroh, Seeberg" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
8. "Kostel sv. Wolfganga" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-01-18.

External links

• Official website