Nové Strašecí is a town in Rakovník District in the

Central Bohemian Region The Central Bohemian Region ( ; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative centre is in the Czech capital Prague, which lies in the centre of the regio ...

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 5,700 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Nové Strašecí consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Nové Strašecí (5,488) *Pecínov (218)

Etymology

The name Strašecí is derived from the personal name Strašata, meaning "Strašata's (settlement)". The attribute ''nové'' ('new') is used from 1554, after the town was completely rebuilt as a result of a large fire.

Geography

Nové Strašecí is located about northeast of

Rakovník Rakovník (, ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone. Administrative division Rakovník consists o ...

and west of

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

. It lies in the Džbán range. The highest point is the hill Mackova hora at above sea level.

History

The first written mention of Strašecí is from the period 1334–1343. Shortly after, the village was promoted to 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 ...

. It was a part of the

Křivoklát Křivoklát () is a market town in Rakovník District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 700 inhabitants. It is known for the medieval Křivoklát Castle, protected as national cultural monument. Administrative div ...

estate, owned by the royal chamber. During the 15th century, Strašecí lost its privileges, but in 1503, it was promoted to a town by King Vladislaus II. In 1553, the town was destroyed by large fire and entirely rebuilt. Pecínov was first mentioned in 1556. The original part of the settlement disappeared after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

due to

fire clay Fire clay is a range of refractory clays used in the manufacture of ceramics, especially fire brick. The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines fire clay very generally as a "mineral aggregate composed of hydrous silicates of alumi ...

mining and remained only the upper part of the settlement, which was established in the 1830s.

Demographics

Transport

The D6 motorway (part of the European route E48) from Prague 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 ...

passes through the town. Nové Strašecí is located on the railway line Prague–Rakovník via

Kladno Kladno (; ) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 70,000 inhabitants. It is the largest city in the region and has a rich industrial history. Administrative division Kladno consists of six municipal parts ...

Sights

The main landmark of Nové Strašecí is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the Gothic style in the mid-14th century and modified in Baroque and Neoclassical styles. The town hall with a tower is of Renaissance origin. After the house was damaged by several fires, it was reconstructed to its present form in the 1830s. On the hill Mackova hora is an eponymous observation tower. The tower is high and 98 stairs lead to the viewing platform at a height of .

Notable people

* Viktor Oliva (1861–1928), painter and illustrator

Twin towns – sister cities

Nové Strašecí is twinned with: *

Welden Welden is a community in the Augsburg (district), Augsburg district of Bavaria, in Germany, and is the seat of the commune of Welden. Since the local government reform in 1978 it comprises Welden, Reutern and Ehgatten. Geography Welden lies at t ...

, Germany

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nove Straseci Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Rakovník District