Kněžice (Jihlava District)

Kněžice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkɲɛʒɪtsɛ]) is a municipality and village in Jihlava District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,400 inhabitants.

Kněžice
Church of Saint James the Great
Church of Saint James the Great
Flag of Kněžice
Coat of arms of Kněžice
Kněžice is located in Czech Republic
Kněžice
Kněžice
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°16′15″N 15°40′20″E / 49.27083°N 15.67222°E / 49.27083; 15.67222
Country Czech Republic
RegionVysočina
DistrictJihlava
First mentioned1222
Area
 • Total
22.39 km2 (8.64 sq mi)
Elevation
550 m (1,800 ft)
Population
 (2024-01-01)[1]
 • Total
1,402
 • Density63/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
675 29
Websitewww.knezice.com

Administrative parts

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The villages of Brodce, Rychlov and Víska are administrative parts of Kněžice.

Geography

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Kněžice is located about 15 kilometres (9 mi) southeast of Jihlava. It lies in the Křižanov Highlands. The highest point is at 669 m (2,195 ft) above sea level. The Brtnice River flows through the municipality; the fishponds Kněžický and Strážov are supplied by the river. The municipality of Hrutov forms an enclave in the municipal territory of Kněžice.

History

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The first written mention of Kněžice is from 1222. Until the end of the 16th century, half of Kněžice and the villages of Rychlov and Víska were owned by the monastery in Želiv. The second half of Kněžice was property of various noble families, most notably of the Waldstein family in the early 17th century. In the 1620s, Kněžice was acquired by the Collalto family, who held it continuously until the establishment of a sovereign municipality.[2]

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
18691,537—    
18801,587+3.3%
18901,517−4.4%
19001,423−6.2%
19101,354−4.8%
YearPop.±%
19211,372+1.3%
19301,232−10.2%
19501,174−4.7%
19611,273+8.4%
19701,244−2.3%
YearPop.±%
19801,314+5.6%
19911,398+6.4%
20011,420+1.6%
20111,410−0.7%
20211,321−6.3%
Source: Censuses[3][4]

Transport

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

Sights

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Kněžice Castle

The Church of Saint James the Great has a Romanesque core. In the second half of the 14th century, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style and extended. The tower was added only in 1838.[5]

Kněžice Castle is a Renaissance hunting lodge with Baroque and Neoclassical modifications. It was built at the end of the 16th century on the site on an old fortress. Today the castle houses the municipal office, library and Kněžice's Museum of Nature.[6]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. ^ "Něco z historie" (in Czech). Obec Kněžice. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  3. ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
  4. ^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  5. ^ "Kostel sv. Jakuba Staršího" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  6. ^ "Zámek" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
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