Ždírec nad Doubravou (until 1950 Ždírec) is a town in

Havlíčkův Brod District Havlíčkův Brod District () is a district in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Havlíčkův Brod. Administrative division Havlíčkův Brod District is divided into three administrative districts of municip ...

in the

Vysočina Region The Vysočina Region (; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic. Its capital is Jihlava. The region is located in the central part of the country. It is one of just three in the country (the others being Prague and the Central Boh ...

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 3,100 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Ždírec nad Doubravou consists of eight municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Ždírec nad Doubravou (2,191) *Benátky (141) *Horní Studenec (235) *Kohoutov (89) *Nové Ransko (93) *Nový Studenec (116) *Stružinec (36) *Údavy (93)

Etymology

The name Ždírec is derived from the Old Czech word ''žďářit'', which means "to remove the forest with fire" (

slash-and-burn Slash-and-burn agriculture is a form of shifting cultivation that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a Field (agriculture), field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody p ...

). It refers to the method used during colonization to create space for newly established settlements.

Geography

Ždírec nad Doubravou is located about northeast of

Havlíčkův Brod Havlíčkův Brod (, until 1945 Německý Brod; ) is a town in Havlíčkův Brod District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban mon ...

and northeast of

Jihlava Jihlava (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 55,000 inhabitants. Jihlava is the capital of the Vysočina Region, situated on the Jihlava (river), Jihlava River on the historical border between Moravia and Bohemia. Historically, Jihla ...

. The town proper lies in the

Upper Sázava Hills Upper may refer to: * Shoe upper or ''vamp'', the part of a shoe on the top of the foot * Stimulant, drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both * ''Upper'', the original film title for the 2013 found fo ...

, but most of the municipal territory lies in the

Iron Mountains The Iron Mountains are a subrange of the Blue Ridge Mountains. These mountains are located around the common meeting point of Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina. A portion of the Appalachian Trail runs the crest of the Iron Mountains ab ...

. The highest point is the hill Barchanec at above sea level. The town is situated on the right bank of the Doubrava River. The municipal territory lies in the Iron Mountains and

Žďárské vrchy Žďárské vrchy () is a mountain range in the Czech Republic. It is located in the northwest part of Upper Svratka Highlands which is part of Bohemian-Moravian Highlands and has an area of 485.78 km2. The highest peak of Žďárké vrchy is ...

protected landscape areas.

History

The first written mention of Ždírec nad Doubravou is from 1399. It was probably founded shortly before, during the colonization of the area. For centuries, it was a small village administered as a part of the

Přibyslav Přibyslav () is a town in Havlíčkův Brod District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,100 people. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone. Administrative division Př ...

estate, and since 1677 as part of the

Polná Polná () is a town in Jihlava District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,300 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urban monum ...

estate. The worst tragedy in the history of Ždírec nad Doubravou took place on 9 May 1945, when it was damaged by a

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

raid and dozens of inhabitants were killed. In the second half of the 20th century, the village began to be expanded, and the number of inhabitants grew. In 2000, Ždírec nad Doubravou was promoted to a town.

Demographics

Economy

The largest employer based in the town is Stora Enso Wood Products Ždírec, a manufacturer of paper and wooden products. It employs more than 500 people.

Transport

The town is situated at the crossroads of two main roads: the I/34 (from Havlíčkův Brod to

Svitavy Svitavy (; ) is a town in Svitavy District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. It is the birthplace of Oskar Schindler and the centre of the Czech Esperanto movement. The historic town centre is well pr ...

) and the I/37 road (the section from

Chrudim Chrudim () is a town in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants. It is the second largest town of the region. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#M ...

Žďár nad Sázavou Žďár nad Sázavou (; ) is a town in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. The town is an industrial and tourist centre. It is known for the Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk, which is a UNESCO Wor ...

). Ždírec nad Doubravou is located on the railway line

Pardubice Pardubice (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 92,000 inhabitants. It is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the Elbe River. The historic centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Repub ...

–

Sights

The Church of Saint Wenceslaus was originally a Gothic building, first mentioned in 1352. Its present appearance is a result of a Baroque reconstruction. Next to the church is a separate wooden bell tower. Nový Studenec Castle was originally a fortress, rebuilt in the Renaissance style in 1592. In 1612, the fortress was rebuilt into a late Renaissance castle. The chapel was added around 1699. In the 18th century, the chapel was rebuilt and the third wing of the castle was removed. Today the building is privately owned.

Twin towns – sister cities

Ždírec nad Doubravou is twinned with: *

Michelhausen Michelhausen is a municipality in the district of Tulln in the Austrian state of Lower Austria Lower Austria ( , , abbreviated LA or NÖ) is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Major cities are A ...

, Austria *

Velké Pavlovice Velké Pavlovice () is a town in Břeclav District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,100 inhabitants. Geography Velké Pavlovice is located about north of Břeclav. Most of the municipal territory lies the Ždáni ...

, Czech Republic

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zdirec Nad Doubravou Populated places in Havlíčkův Brod District Cities and towns in the Czech Republic