Štětí (; ) is a town in

Litoměřice District Litoměřice District () is a Okres, district in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Litoměřice. Administrative division Litoměřice District is divided into three Districts of the Czech Republic#Munici ...

in the

Ústí nad Labem Region Ústí nad Labem Region or Ústecký Region () is an Regions of the Czech Republic, administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western part of the historical land of Bohemia, and named after the capital, Ústí nad Labem. I ...

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 8,600 inhabitants. It lies on the

Elbe The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...

River. It is an industrial town known for the largest paper mill in the country.

Administrative division

Štětí consists of ten municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Štětí (7,029) *Brocno (223) *Čakovice (59) *Chcebuz (259) *Hněvice (137) *Počeplice (191) *Radouň (240) *Stračí (107) *Újezd (40) *Veselí (35)

Etymology

The town's name is derived from the Old Czech word ''ščetie'', which was a term for the poles driven into the swampy terrain as a basis for the upper construction. The German name Wegstädtl was created from the Czech phrase ''ve Štětí'' (meaning 'in Štětí'), which was modified into German words ''Weg'' ('road') and ''Städtl'' ('little town'). The German name was used from 1720 at the latest.

Geography

Štětí is located about southeast of

Litoměřice Litoměřice (; ) is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument reservation. The town is the seat of the Roman C ...

and north 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 on the border between the

Lower Ohře Table The Lower Ohře Table () is a plateau and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the Ústí nad Labem and Central Bohemian regions. Geomorphology The Lower Ohře Table is a mesoregion of the Central Bohemian Tab ...

and

Ralsko Uplands The Ralsko Uplands () are highland, uplands and a Geomorphological division of the Czech Republic, geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the Liberec Region, Liberec, Ústí nad Labem Region, Ústí nad Labem and Centr ...

. The highest point is the hill Újezdský Špičák at above sea level. The town is situated on the right bank of the

River. The eastern part of the municipal territory lies in the Kokořínsko – Máchův kraj Protected Landscape Area.

History

The first written mention of Štětí is from 1312. For centuries, it was part of the

Mělník Mělník (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urban monument zon ...

estate, owned first by Bohemian queens and later by various noble families. From 1542, the estate was owned by Zdislav Berka of Dubá. During his rule, in 1549, Štětí was promoted to a town. 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 ...

, the town was looted several times. In 1654, Štětí was still ethnically Czech, but in the following decades, German settlers came to the town, which gradually became predominantly ethnically German. During the 18th century, the town was hit by various disasters: the passage of troops, floods, epidemics, crop failures and a large fire in 1788. The economic boom occurred in the 19th century. In addition to agriculture and river fishing, Štětí was famous for the production of

stocking Stockings (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transpar ...

s. In the second half of the 19th century, the railway was built and the town was industrialized.

Demographics

Economy

Štětí is known as an industrial centre. The town is home to the largest

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt ...

in the Czech Republic. The paper mill is a part of the

Mondi Mondi plc is a multinational packaging industry, packaging and paper company, paper group. Group offices are located in Weybridge, England. It has listings on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of ...

group.

Transport

Štětí is located on the railway lines heading from

Ústí nad Labem Ústí nad Labem (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants and is the capital of the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is a major industrial centre and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway junction. ...

Kolín Kolín (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations, urban monume ...

and to

Lysá nad Labem Lysá nad Labem (; ) is a town in Nymburk District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 10,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the Elbe River. The town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument ( ...

Sights

The most significant building is the Church of Saints Simon and Jude. Originally it was built in the 14th century, but it was destroyed by a flood in 1784 and rebuilt in 1785. The Church of Saints Peter and Paul is the main landmark of Chcebuz. It was built in the Baroque style in 1781–1784.

Notable people

Franz Reichelt Franz Reichelt (16 October 1878 – 4 February 1912), also known as Frantz Reichelt or François Reichelt, was an Austro-Hungarian-born French tailor, inventor and parachuting pioneer, now sometimes referred to as the Flying Tailor, who is remem ...

(1878–1912), Austrian tailor and inventor

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Steti Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Litoměřice District Populated riverside places in the Czech Republic Populated places on the Elbe