Abertamy

Abertamy
Town
View of Abertamy from a road to Plešivec
Flag Coat of arms
Abertamy Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°22′8″N12°49′6″E / 50.36889°N 12.81833°E / 50.36889; 12.81833
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Karlovy Vary
District	Karlovy Vary
First mentioned	1529
Government
• Mayor	Renata Mrňková
Area
• Total	8.70 km2 (3.36 sq mi)
Elevation	840 m (2,760 ft)
Population  (2023-01-01) [1]
• Total	896
• Density	100/km2 (270/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	362 35
Website	www.mesto-abertamy.cz

Abertamy (German : Abertham) is a town in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants. It is known as a winter sports centre. The town is historically associated with silver and tin mining and is located in the Ore Mountain Mining Region, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Administrative parts

The village of Hřebečná is an administrative part of Abertamy.

Geography

Abertamy is located about 15 km (9 mi) north of Karlovy Vary. It lies in the Ore Mountains. The highest point is one of the highest mountains of the mountain range, Plešivec with an altitude of 1,028 metres (3,373 ft).

History

Church of Fourteen Holy Helpers

Miners started to settle in the area between 1525 and 1529. The first written mention of Abertamy is from 1529. In 1579, Abertamy was promoted to royal mining town by Emperor Rudolf II. On 15 September 1590, a strong earthquake was recorded here. Silver mining gradually declined, especially during the Thirty Years' War, when it ended in 1622. Only the mining of tin continued. Abertamy lost its town rights, and the area was forcibly recatholicized after the war. In the mid-19th century manufacturing of gloves began and expanded in the 20th century. In 1876, Abertamy obtained the town status again. ^{[2] [3]}

In the 1930s, 98% of the population of Abertamy were ethnic Germans. The town was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938 and in 1938–1945 it was administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland. In 1945, many German speaking people were expelled and local industry was nationalised. ^[3] However roughly 150,000 of three million Sudeten Germans in the surrounding region were not expelled due to their indispensable mining and technical skills. A large German-speaking minority remained here until the 2000s, but it is gradually disappearing. ^[4]

Intensive mining of uranium ore had started in the area after World War II. There used to be two shafts in Abertamy. ^[2] In 1998, the factory producing gloves closed down. ^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 3,310 —     1880 3,605 +8.9% 1890 3,644 +1.1% 1900 4,010 +10.0% 1910 4,293 +7.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 3,512 −18.2% 1930 3,824 +8.9% 1950 2,261 −40.9% 1961 1,715 −24.1% 1970 1,145 −33.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 1,156 +1.0% 1991 1,052 −9.0% 2001 1,197 +13.8% 2011 1,213 +1.3% 2021 813 −33.0%
Source: Censuses [5] [6]

Sport

The area is actively used for winter and summer sports. There is a large modern ski resort on the slopes of the mountain Plešivec. It has eight downhill courses and nine ski lifts. ^[7]

Sights

Interiors of the church

Abertamy lies in the mining cultural landscape Abertamy – Boží Dar – Horní Blatná, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019 as a part of the transnational Ore Mountain Mining Region. ^[8]

The most valuable monument in Abertamy is Mauritius Mine, which is remains of the largest tin mine in the Ore Mountains. It was in operation from the 16th century to the 1940s. Today it is a national cultural monument. It is open to the public. Červená jáma, which is the largest depression after mining activities in the country, is also a part of the protected area of the mine. ^[9]

The Church of Fourteen Holy Helpers was built in the late Gothic style in 1534. In 1735–1738, it was rebuilt in baroque style. It was modified to its present form in the first half of the 19th century. ^[10]

Notable people

• Horst Siegl (born 1969), footballer

Gallery

Abertamy from the Plešivec Mountain

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2023". Czech Statistical Office. 2023-05-23.
2. "Občan" (in Czech). Město Abertamy. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
3. "Historie Abertam" (in Czech). Město Abertamy. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
4. "Poslední Němci v Sudetech" (in Czech). Respekt. 2013-03-31. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
5. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Karlovy Vary" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 1–2.
6. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
7. "Sjezdovky & lanovky" (in Czech). Ski areál Plešivec. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
8. "Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region". UNESCO . Retrieved 2023-08-22.
9. "Důl Mauritius" (in Czech). Město Abertamy. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
10. "Kostel Čtrnácti svatých pomocníků v Abertamech" (in Czech). CzechTourism. Retrieved 2022-06-17.

External links

• Official website