Mašťov () is a town in

Chomutov District Chomutov District () is a district in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Chomutov. Administrative division Chomutov District is divided into two administrative districts of municipalities with extended ...

in the

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. ...

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 600 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.

Administrative division

Mašťov consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Mašťov (589) *Dobřenec (11) *Konice (0)

Etymology

The initial name of the settlement was Maščov. The name was derived from the personal name Mašč (an abbreviated form of Mašek), meaning "Mašč's (court)".

Geography

Mašťov is located about southwest of

Chomutov Chomutov (; ) is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 47,000 inhabitants. There are almost 80,000 inhabitants in the city's wider metropolitan area. The historic city centre is well preserved and is protected as ...

and east of

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 ...

. It briefly borders Germany in the north. It lies in the Doupov Mountains. The highest point is at above sea level. The Sedlec pond is located in the northwestern part of the municipal territory and together with its surroundings, it is protected as a nature reserve. There are also several other small fishponds.

History

The first written mention of Mašťov is from the first half of the 12th century, when it was awarded to the local aristocrat Milhost by Duke

Soběslav I Soběslav (; ) is a town in Tábor District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,100 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, ur ...

. Throughout seven centuries the town changed hands multiple times due to political instability, economic hardship, and several wars that also subjected the town to plunder, disease, fire, and famine. In 1918, when the independent country of Czechoslovakia was formed with Mašťov located in the northwestern part of the country, the town was still dealing with the after effects of the

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, such as homelessness and unemployment. Gradually the town recovered, but the booming economy was affected by the worldwide depression of the 1930s. During

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 ...

, Mašťov was annexed to

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 ...

through the

Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–194 ...

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. ...

, with all Czech residents forced to leave their homes and move to the central part of Bohemia. After the war, the town slowly recovered but never fully developed into the business and industrial town it had been before.

Demographics

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

The main landmark is the Mašťov Castle. It was originally a fortress from the 14th century, which was rebuilt into a Renaissance castle by the

Lobkowicz family The House of Lobkowicz (''Lobkovicové'' in modern Czech, sg. ''z Lobkovic''; ''Lobkowitz'' in German) is an important Bohemian noble family that dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest noble families of the region. Over the cent ...

after 1571. In 1661, it was modified in the Baroque style. Today it serves as an orphanage. The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary dates from the second half of the 14th century. It was modified into its present Baroque form in 1760 and 1844. The Church of Saint Barbara has a Gothic core from the 14th century. Its Neo-Romanesque façade dates from 1863. The funeral chapel of the Mladota of Solopysky noble family is also a protected cultural monument. It is a late Baroque and Neoclassical building that dates from 1805 or 1806. There is a Jewish cemetery, founded in the 15th century. It is among the oldest in the country.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mastov Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Chomutov District