Horní Slavkov (; german: Schlaggenwald) is a town in

Sokolov District Sokolov District ( cs, okres Sokolov) is a district ('' okres'') within the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Sokolov. Complete list of municipalities Březová - Bublava - Bukovany - Chlum Svaté Maří ...

in the

Karlovy Vary Region The Karlovy Vary Region or Carlsbad Region ( cs, Karlovarský kraj, German: ''Karlsbader Region'') is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the westernmost part of its historical region of Bohemia. It is named afte ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. It has about 5,200 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as urban monument zone.

Etymology

The name ''Slavkov'' is derived from the personal name of its founder, Slávek of Rýzmburk. The adjective ''horní'' means "mining" and states that it was a mining settlement.

Geography

Horní Slavkov is located about southeast of Sokolov and southwest of

Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; german: Karlsbad, formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 46,000 inhabitants. It lies on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá. ...

. It lies in the

Slavkov Forest The Slavkov Forest ( cs, Slavkovský les), also called the Emperor's Forest
at www.sachsen.de. Retrieved 14 Nov 2016. (german: Ka ...

. The highest point is the hill Krudum at above sea level.

History

A mining settlement was founded at the beginning of the 13th century. The first written mention of Horní Slavkov is from 1335, when it was named and extended into a small mining town. At the beginning of the 16th century, the town expanded and new residents came to it. Between 1494 and 1547, during the rule of the Pluh of Rabštejn family, Horní Slavkov became one of the largest mining towns thanks to the development of tin and silver ore mining. In 1547, it was promoted to a free mining town by Ferdinand I. The town became a centre of education and culture and there was also a Latin school. At the beginning of the 17th century, there was a permanent decline in mining, due to which the population has decreased. The

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

further deepened the crisis. After the war, there was a boom in craft guild production (

tinsmith A tinsmith is a person who makes and repairs things made of tin or other light metals. The profession may sometimes also be known as a tinner, tinker, tinman, or tinplate worker; whitesmith may also refer to this profession, though the same wo ...

ing,

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...

and

stove A stove or range is a device that burns fuel or uses electricity to generate heat inside or on top of the apparatus, to be used for general warming or cooking. It has evolved highly over time, with cast-iron and induction versions being develope ...

making). A temporary revival of mining occurred at the beginning of the 18th century. Manufactory production of textiles and haberdashery appeared. The first Czech porcelain began to be produced here, when the factory was established in 1792. It reached its greatest development in the 19th century and made the town famous in the world at that time.

Demographics

Economy

Porcelain production continued until 2011, when the factory was closed. In the 20th century, Horní Slavkov was also known for uranium mining. Today, the town is mainly a tourist centre.

Sights

The landmark of the town and its most valuable building is the parish Church of Saint George. It was built in the late Gothic style in 1518–1520 and was fortified. The church complex also includes a free-standing stone bell tower and the Baroque building of the former deanery from 1755–1756.

Twin towns – sister cities

Horní Slavkov is twinned with: * Arzberg, Germany *

Sławków Sławków is a town in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie (part of historic province of Lesser Poland), near Katowice. It borders the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – a metropolis with a population of around 2 million. Sławków is situated in the Sile ...

, Poland

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Horni Slavkov Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Sokolov District