Město Touškov (; ) is a town in

Plzeň-North District Plzeň-North District () is a Okres, district in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Plzeň. The most populated town of the district is Nýřany. Administrative division Plzeň-North District is divided into two Dis ...

in the

Plzeň Region Plzeň Region or Plzeňský Region (also known as Pilsen Region; ) is an Regions of the Czech Republic, administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the western part of the historical land of Bohemia and named after the capital, Plz ...

of the

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

. It has about 2,400 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.

Administrative division

Město Touškov consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Město Touškov (2,085) *Kůští (53) Kůští forms an

exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...

of the municipal territory.

Geography

Město Touškov is located about northwest of

Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...

. It lies in the

Plasy Uplands Plasy (; ) is a town in Plzeň-North District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,900 inhabitants. It is known for its former monastery of the same name, which is protected as a national cultural monument. Administrative di ...

. The highest point is at above sea level.

History

The first written mention of Touškov is in a deed of the monastery in Kladruby from 1115. In 1238, it was referred to as a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

. From 1288, it was referred to as a town. During the

Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...

, Touškov was destroyed by the army of

Jan Žižka Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha (; 1360 – 11 October 1424) was a Czechs, Czech military leader and Knight who was a contemporary and follower of Jan Hus, and a prominent Radical Hussite who led the Taborites, Taborite faction during the Hu ...

and became a village again, but it recovered and from 1472 it was called a market town again. At the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, Touškov acquired an urban character. The Gothic cores of houses from this time have been preserved to this day. In 1543, Touškov was officially promoted to a market town by Emperor Ferdinand I. After the devastation of Touškov during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, settlers from Germany were invited to the market town, and a German majority gradually emerged. In the mid-17th century, the Jewish community of 25 people was documented. Two large fires devastated Touškov in 1659 and 1672 and three small fires in 1683, 1688 and 1724, but the market town continued to develop. In the second half of the 19th century, Touškov became a town. From 1938 to 1945, Město Touškov was annexed by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

and administered as part of the

Reichsgau Sudetenland The Reichsgau Sudetenland was an administrative division of Nazi Germany from 1939 to 1945. It comprised the northern part of the ''Sudetenland'' territory, which was annexed from Czechoslovakia according to the 30 September 1938 Munich Agreement. ...

. All the Jews and most of the Czechs left the town. After World War II, the Germans were expelled and the town was resettled by Czechs.

Demographics

Transport

The I/20 road from Plzeň to

Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...

(part of the

European route E49 European route E49 is a road that forms part of the International E-road network. It runs between Magdeburg, Germany, and Vienna, Austria. The road follows the route: * Germany ** : - Magdeburg, Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, ** : ** : - Plauen * Czec ...

) runs along the northern municipal border.

Sights

The most important monument is the Church of Saint John the Baptist. It was built in the Baroque style in 1778–1780. The landmark of Dolní Square is the Holy Trinity Column. It dates from 1723.

Notable people

Simon von Lämel Simon Edler von Lämel (August 1766 – 18 April 1845) was an Austrian-Jewish merchant who devoted his life to bettering the lives of his fellow Jews. Biography He was born in Tuschkau (now Město Touškov), near Plzeň, Bohemia. His father die ...

(1766–1845), Austrian-Jewish merchant

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mesto Touskov Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Jewish communities in the Czech Republic Populated places in Plzeň-North District