Chomutov
Encyclopedia
Chomutov (ˈxomutof; ) is a city in the Czech Republic
, in the Ústí nad Labem Region
.
Chomutov has been a statutory town since 1 July 2006. It occupies an area of 29,26 km² and has 50 782 inhabitants (2008), thereby making it the 20th largest town in the Czech Republic, the 4th largest in the Ústí nad Labem region and the biggest in the Chomutov district. There are almost 80 000 inhabitants in the town's wider metropolitan area.
. The surface is mostly flat only the parts in the north and southeast protrude to the hillside about several tens meters.
and other 23 municipalities. The administrative territory of Chomutov borders with Germany
in the north. Additionally, it borders with municipality territories of town Kadaň
in the west, Louny
in the south, Most
in the east and Litvínov
in the northeast side.
A municipality with extended activities represents a new type of municipalities which holds certain administrative powers delegated from the state government.
A municipality with an authorized municipality office is appointed some parts of the authority of a municipality with the extended activity. Thus, it is smaller municipality than a municipality with extended activities, while the latter is under the authority of an administrative district 9.
Municipality with extended activities
Municipality with authorized municipality office
After the Thirty Years' War, Chomutov stagnated. Rapid development did not come until the second half of the 19th century with advancements in the mining and hardware industries. The town expanded yet further and by 1938 it had reached over 30,000 inhabitants. Industrial facilities and large high-rise housing projects were built to redevelop the area after the Second World War. In the late 1970s an urban settlement was built linking Chomutov with its neighbouring Jirkov
. After the Velvet Revolution
of 1989, the hardware industry significantly decreased its activity, however the environment in and around the town has been visibly improved. The leisure facilities of the area were subsequently emphasised, notably the Alum lake, the Chomutov Zoohttp://www.zoopark.cz/ and Bezruč valley recreational area.
. The Square of 1 May with its baroque Pillar of Trinity by Ambrož Laurentis from 1697, which is banked by seven statues of saints from years 1725-1732.
The Town Hall is situated in the northwest side and it used to be a commendam until 1607. Town Hall borders with the most valuable building in the town which is the church of St. Catherine built in early Gothic
style and finished in 1281.
On the opposite side of the north direction there is the church of Assumption Virgin Mary in late Gothic style from years 1518-1542 and it borders with 53m tall Town Tower which was renovated after the fire in 1525 and which is used as an observation tower.
At the end of the south side there is a Baroque
church of St. Ignatz with two towers on the north frontage which was built for Jesuits by Carlem Luragem in years 1663-1671. The building called Špejchar from the 17th century was used by Jesuits as earlier church and it adjoins the east side of the church of St. Ignatz. Nowadays it is used as a gallery.
There is a Jesuitical dormitory in the south neighboring of the church of St. Ignatz from the 16th and 17th century which is nowadays a settlement of a town museum.
The most important building from the Gothic citizens' houses is the late Gothic house no.: 9, known as Collin's which is at the bottom of the northeast side of the square.
Alum Lake is the water plane in altitude of 337m at the northeast edge of Chomutov. It was caused at the end of the 18th century by flowage after the mining of the space from the years 1558-1785. Its dimension is 240 to 676m and it occupies the area of 16, 3 ha, the maximum depth is 3,25m and its capacity is 285 000 m³.
The high content (about 1%) of alum
in the water from Alum Lake is as a small Dead Sea
, because it prevents the lake from the growth of weed and anabaena. For that reason it is very frequently visited by many people in summer months.
The Ore Mountains Zoo borders with the Alum Lake at the north side. It is a Zoo concentrated mostly on breeding European and mainly domestic wild animals (wolf, European bison, etc.).
Bezruč Valley is 13 km long and 200m deep woody valley on the river Chomutovka at the northwestern side of the town and it is famous place for trips.
The Hill Strážiště (551) rises over the northern edge of Chomutov and on its peak there is a hotel with an observation tower.
Cinemas:
Theatres:
Museums:
Sport centers:
You find more information on web page of Management of cultural facilities in Chomutovhttp://www.skz-chomutov.cz/
Railways in Chomutov:
Public Transport
Transport around the town Chomutov is obtained by buses since 1995 and also by trolleybuses (the newest trolleybus transport). The runner of the trolleybus link is The Public Transport of Chomutov and Jirkovhttp://www.dpchj.cz/
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, in the Ústí nad Labem Region
Ústí nad Labem Region
Ústí nad Labem Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western part of its historical region of Bohemia...
.
Chomutov has been a statutory town since 1 July 2006. It occupies an area of 29,26 km² and has 50 782 inhabitants (2008), thereby making it the 20th largest town in the Czech Republic, the 4th largest in the Ústí nad Labem region and the biggest in the Chomutov district. There are almost 80 000 inhabitants in the town's wider metropolitan area.
Location and natural conditions
The town with the historical heart on the left side of the river Chomutovka shore in altitude of 234m is extended in Chomutovsko-Teplice basin by the foot of the Ore MountainsOre Mountains
The Ore Mountains in Central Europe have formed a natural border between Saxony and Bohemia for many centuries. Today, the border between Germany and the Czech Republic runs just north of the main crest of the mountain range...
. The surface is mostly flat only the parts in the north and southeast protrude to the hillside about several tens meters.
The River Chomutovka in Bezruč valley
Administrative division
Chomutov is a municipality with extended activities, there is one municipality with authorized municipality office JirkovJirkov
Jirkov is a small town situated between Most and Chomutov in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic and is situated on the Chomutov - Ústi nad Labem railway line. Although geographically close to the German border, the presence of hills along the border hinders land travel to...
and other 23 municipalities. The administrative territory of Chomutov borders with Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in the north. Additionally, it borders with municipality territories of town Kadaň
Kadan
Kadaň , is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic.The city lies on the banks of the river Ohře. Although it is situated in an industrial part of the Czech Republic there is no major industry within the city and people usually work in offices or have to commute. There are two...
in the west, Louny
Louny
Louny is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated on the River Ohře.-History:The city was founded in the 12th century . The Church of St Peter stands on the site of the original fort...
in the south, Most
Most
Most is the capital city of the Most District, situated between the Czech Central Mountains and the Ore Mountains, approximately northwest of Prague along the Bílina River and southwest of Ústí nad Labem.-Etymology:...
in the east and Litvínov
Litvínov
Litvínov is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. The largest oil refinery in the Czech Republic is located there. Models Eva Herzigová and Iva Frühlingová come from Litvínov. The HC Litvínov ice hockey club is based in the town....
in the northeast side.
A municipality with extended activities represents a new type of municipalities which holds certain administrative powers delegated from the state government.
A municipality with an authorized municipality office is appointed some parts of the authority of a municipality with the extended activity. Thus, it is smaller municipality than a municipality with extended activities, while the latter is under the authority of an administrative district 9.
Municipality with extended activities
- 1 – Chomutov
Municipality with authorized municipality office
- 2 – Jirkov
History of town
Chomutov was originally a Czech market town, but in 1252 it came into the possession of the Teutonic Order and was completely Germanised. The gothic church of St. Catharine built in this era still stands to this day. In 1396 it received a town charter and in 1416 the knights sold both the town and the lordship to Wenceslaus IV. On March 16, 1421, the town was stormed by the Taborites, sacked and burned. After several upheavals and changes of ownership, Chomutov was taken by Popel of Lobkovic in 1588, who established Jesuit rule, leading to trouble between the Protestant burghers and the town's new overlord. In 1594 the lordship fell to the Czech crown, then in 1605 the town purchased its freedom and was made a royal city.After the Thirty Years' War, Chomutov stagnated. Rapid development did not come until the second half of the 19th century with advancements in the mining and hardware industries. The town expanded yet further and by 1938 it had reached over 30,000 inhabitants. Industrial facilities and large high-rise housing projects were built to redevelop the area after the Second World War. In the late 1970s an urban settlement was built linking Chomutov with its neighbouring Jirkov
Jirkov
Jirkov is a small town situated between Most and Chomutov in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic and is situated on the Chomutov - Ústi nad Labem railway line. Although geographically close to the German border, the presence of hills along the border hinders land travel to...
. After the Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
of 1989, the hardware industry significantly decreased its activity, however the environment in and around the town has been visibly improved. The leisure facilities of the area were subsequently emphasised, notably the Alum lake, the Chomutov Zoohttp://www.zoopark.cz/ and Bezruč valley recreational area.
Development of population
- 1702 1 129
- 1811 2 967
- 1843 4 014
- 1869 8 183
- 1880 11 707
- 1900 19 813
- 1921 20 894 (1 869: 8,9 % Czech nationality)
- 1930 33 001 (4 442: 13,5 % Czech nationality)
- 1950 28 848
- 1970 39 905
- 1991 53 107
- 2003 50 251
Historical sights
The centre of historical town is oblong and it is edged by arcadesArcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
. The Square of 1 May with its baroque Pillar of Trinity by Ambrož Laurentis from 1697, which is banked by seven statues of saints from years 1725-1732.
Pillar of Trinity
The Town Hall is situated in the northwest side and it used to be a commendam until 1607. Town Hall borders with the most valuable building in the town which is the church of St. Catherine built in early Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style and finished in 1281.
On the opposite side of the north direction there is the church of Assumption Virgin Mary in late Gothic style from years 1518-1542 and it borders with 53m tall Town Tower which was renovated after the fire in 1525 and which is used as an observation tower.
Town Tower
At the end of the south side there is a Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
church of St. Ignatz with two towers on the north frontage which was built for Jesuits by Carlem Luragem in years 1663-1671. The building called Špejchar from the 17th century was used by Jesuits as earlier church and it adjoins the east side of the church of St. Ignatz. Nowadays it is used as a gallery.
There is a Jesuitical dormitory in the south neighboring of the church of St. Ignatz from the 16th and 17th century which is nowadays a settlement of a town museum.
The most important building from the Gothic citizens' houses is the late Gothic house no.: 9, known as Collin's which is at the bottom of the northeast side of the square.
Alum Lake is the water plane in altitude of 337m at the northeast edge of Chomutov. It was caused at the end of the 18th century by flowage after the mining of the space from the years 1558-1785. Its dimension is 240 to 676m and it occupies the area of 16, 3 ha, the maximum depth is 3,25m and its capacity is 285 000 m³.
The high content (about 1%) of alum
Alum
Alum is both a specific chemical compound and a class of chemical compounds. The specific compound is the hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate with the formula KAl2.12H2O. The wider class of compounds known as alums have the related empirical formula, AB2.12H2O.-Chemical properties:Alums are...
in the water from Alum Lake is as a small Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
, because it prevents the lake from the growth of weed and anabaena. For that reason it is very frequently visited by many people in summer months.
The Ore Mountains Zoo borders with the Alum Lake at the north side. It is a Zoo concentrated mostly on breeding European and mainly domestic wild animals (wolf, European bison, etc.).
Bezruč Valley is 13 km long and 200m deep woody valley on the river Chomutovka at the northwestern side of the town and it is famous place for trips.
The Hill Strážiště (551) rises over the northern edge of Chomutov and on its peak there is a hotel with an observation tower.
Church of St. Catherine and Town Hall
Alum Lake
Ore Mountains ZOO
Culture
Galleries:- Luragohttp://www.skks.cz/skks_en/index.php
- Špejchar
- Na Schodech
Cinemas:
- Oko
- Summer cinema
- Svět (opened since 2011)
Theatres:
- The City theatre
Museums:
- Town Hall
- Grammar school
Sport centers:
- Local swimming pool
- Minigolf
- Golf club
- Skate Park
- Squash Centrum
- Summer stadium
- Winter stadium
You find more information on web page of Management of cultural facilities in Chomutovhttp://www.skz-chomutov.cz/
Transport
Roads through Chomutov:- no.: 7 (PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
-SlanýSlanýThe Royal town1 of Slaný is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, located about 25 km northwest of Prague. The town is part of the Prague metropolitan area....
-LounyLounyLouny is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated on the River Ohře.-History:The city was founded in the 12th century . The Church of St Peter stands on the site of the original fort...
-Chomutov-St. Sebastian Hill) - no.: 13 (Karlovy VaryKarlovy VaryKarlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
-OstrovOstrov (Karlovy Vary District)Ostrov , is a town in the Carlsbad Region, Czech Republic. It is located at a foothill of the Ore Mountains about 10 km northeast of Karlovy Vary and has a population of 16,999 ....
-Klášterec nad OhříKlášterec nad OhríKlášterec nad Ohří is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. The River Ohře runs through the town.The town has around 15,700 inhabitants...
-Chomutov-MostMostMost is the capital city of the Most District, situated between the Czech Central Mountains and the Ore Mountains, approximately northwest of Prague along the Bílina River and southwest of Ústí nad Labem.-Etymology:...
-TepliceTepliceTeplice , Teplice-Šanov until 1948 is a town in the Czech Republic, the capital of the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is the state's second largest spa town ....
-DěčínDecínDěčín is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region in the north of the Czech Republic. It is the largest town and administrative seat of the Děčín District.-Geography:...
-Nový BorNový BorNový Bor is a town in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. There is developed production of glass artifacts, small precision motors and, increasingly, tourism.-History:...
)
Railways in Chomutov:
- no.: 120 (Prague-KladnoKladnoKladno is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is located 25 km northwest of Prague. Kladno is the largest city of the region and holds a population together with its adjacent suburban areas of more than 110,000 people...
-ŽatecŽatecŽatec is an old town in the Czech Republic, in Louny District, Ústí nad Labem Region. It has a population of 19,813 .The earliest historical reference to Sacz is in the Latin chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg of 1004. During the 11th century it belonged to the Vršovci - a powerful Czech...
-Chomutov) - no.: 130 (Ústí nad LabemÚstí nad LabemÚstí nad Labem is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Ústí nad Labem Region. The city is the 7th-most populous in the country.Ústí is situated in a mountainous district at the confluence of the Bílina and the Elbe Rivers, and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway junction...
-BílinaBílinaBílina is a town in the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It is located on the river Bílina. It is known for its comforting and relaxing spas.-Location:...
-MostMostMost is the capital city of the Most District, situated between the Czech Central Mountains and the Ore Mountains, approximately northwest of Prague along the Bílina River and southwest of Ústí nad Labem.-Etymology:...
-Chomutov) - no.: 133 (Chomutov-JirkovJirkovJirkov is a small town situated between Most and Chomutov in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic and is situated on the Chomutov - Ústi nad Labem railway line. Although geographically close to the German border, the presence of hills along the border hinders land travel to...
) - no.: 137 (Chomutov-VejprtyVejprtyVejprty is a town in the Czech Republic.-External links:*...
-BärensteinBärensteinBärenstein is a municipality in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony, Germany.- References :...
) - no.: 140 (Chomutov-KadaňKadanKadaň , is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic.The city lies on the banks of the river Ohře. Although it is situated in an industrial part of the Czech Republic there is no major industry within the city and people usually work in offices or have to commute. There are two...
-Karlovy Vary-SokolovSokolov (Sokolov District)Sokolov , Falknov nad Ohří until 1948 is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, located to the north-east of Cheb. It has about 28,000 inhabitants....
-ChebChebCheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
)
Public Transport
Transport around the town Chomutov is obtained by buses since 1995 and also by trolleybuses (the newest trolleybus transport). The runner of the trolleybus link is The Public Transport of Chomutov and Jirkovhttp://www.dpchj.cz/
People
- Ernst Fischer, Austrian politician, writer
- Erich HellerErich HellerErich Heller was a British essayist, known particularly for his critical studies in German-language philosophy and literature of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.- Biography :...
, British philosopher and literary scholar - František Josef GerstnerFrantišek Josef GerstnerFrantišek Josef Gerstner was a Bohemian physicist and engineer.Gerstner studied at the Jesuits gymnasium in Chomutov, after which he studied mathematics and astronomy at the Faculty of Philosophy in Prague between 1772 and 1777. In 1781, he started to study medicine in Vienna, but quickly decided...
(1756–1832), a professor of Math and Mechanics - Hans Goldmann(1899–1991), a Swiss ophthalmologist, a rector at the University in Bern
- Jiří Žáček (1945), a Czech poet, writer and translator
- Vlastimil Harapes (1946), a Czech dancer, director and choreographer
- Petr KlímaPetr KlimaPetr Klíma is a Czech former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, and the Pittsburgh Penguins...
, hockey player, defected to US at 18 to play in NHL - Sharka BlueSharka BlueSharka Blue is a Czech pornographic film actress born in 1981. She was a nominee for the 2008 AVN Award for Best Sex Scene in a Foreign-Shot Production...
, Czech pornstar born in 1981
External links
- http://www.chomutov-mesto.cz - Official site of Chomutov
- http://www.mujchomutov.cz/ - Culture, sport and amusement in Chomutov
- http://zoopark.cz/ - Chomutov ZOO