Knovíz

Knovíz
Municipality
View from the south
Flag Coat of arms
Knovíz Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°12′46″N 14°8′13″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Central Bohemian
District	Kladno
First mentioned	1088
Area
• Total	4.23 km^2 (1.63 sq mi)
Elevation	228 m (748 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	573
• Density	140/km^2 (350/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	274 01
Website	www.knoviz.cz

Knovíz (Czech pronunciation: [ˈknoviːs]) is a municipality and village in Kladno District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants. It gave its name to the Knovíz culture.

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Knovid, meaning "Knovid's (court)".^[2]

Geography

Knovíz is located about 7 kilometres (4 mi) north of Kladno and 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Prague. It lies in an agricultural landscape in the Prague Plateau. The highest point is at 332 m (1,089 ft) above sea level.

History

The territory of today's Knovíz was inhabited already in the Neolithic period, which is proven by finds dating back about 6000 years. The Knovíz culture, an archeological culture of Bronze Age, is named after this site.^[3]

The first written mention of Knovíz is from 1088, when King Vratislaus II donated the village to the Vyšehrad Chapter. Among the most notable owners of the village were the House of Schwarzenberg.^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 399 —     1880 428 +7.3% 1890 488 +14.0% 1900 605 +24.0% 1910 745 +23.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 695 −6.7% 1930 737 +6.0% 1950 643 −12.8% 1961 602 −6.4% 1970 543 −9.8%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 477 −12.2% 1991 456 −4.4% 2001 509 +11.6% 2011 549 +7.9% 2021 570 +3.8%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Transport

Centre of Knovíz

The D7 motorway from Prague to Chomutov passes through the municipality.

The railway line Louny–Kralupy nad Vltavou runs through the municipality, but there is no train stop. The municipality is served by the stop in neighbouring Podlešín.

Sights

Church of All Saints

The main landmark of Knovíz is the Church of All Saints. It was originally an early Gothic building from the 14th century. The massive tower was added in the 18th century. The church was completely rebuilt in the 19th century. Next to the church is Hus' Pulpit, a sandstone formation where, according to legend, Jan Hus preached on his way to Konstanz.^[6][7]

Notable people

• Alois Pravoslav Trojan (1815–1893), lawyer and politician
• Jan Švankmajer (born 1934), filmmaker and artist; had a studio here

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. Profous, Antonín (1949). Místní jména v Čechách II: CH–L (in Czech). pp. 263–264.
3. "Historie" (in Czech). Obec Knovíz. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
4. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
5. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
6. "Pro návštěvníky a turisty" (in Czech). Obec Knovíz. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
7. "Kostel Všech svatých" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-03-10.

External links

• Official website