Blížejov : Administrative parts, Etymology, Geography, History Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Blížejov

Municipality in Plzeň, Czech Republic

Flag

Coat of arms

49°30′10″N 12°59′15″E / 49.50278°N 12.98750°E / 49.50278; 12.98750Country

Czech RepublicRegionPlzeňDistrict DomažliceFirst mentioned1324Area

• Total25.00 km² (9.65 sq mi)Elevation

383 m (1,257 ft)Population

(2023-01-01)^[1]

• Total1,620 • Density65/km² (170/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal codes

345 45, 346 01

Websitewww.blizejov.cz

Blížejov is a municipality and village in Domažlice District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,600 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The villages of Chotiměř, Františkov, Lštění, Malonice, Nahošice, Přívozec and Výrov are administrative parts of Blížejov.

Etymology

The initial name of the village was Bližejov. The name was derived from the personal name Bližej, meaning "Bližej's (court)".^[2]

Geography

Blížejov is located about 8 kilometres (5 mi) northeast of Domažlice and 38 km (24 mi) southwest of Plzeň. It lies on the border between the Upper Palatine Forest Foothills and Plasy Uplands. The highest point is at 501 m (1,644 ft) above sea level. The Zubřina Stream flows through the town.

History

The first written mention of Blížejov is from 1324. The village used to be divided into several parts owned by different noble families.^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1869	1,713	—
1880	1,829	+6.8%
1890	1,812	−0.9%
1900	1,932	+6.6%
1910	1,962	+1.6%

Year	Pop.	±%
1921	1,960	−0.1%
1930	1,915	−2.3%
1950	1,467	−23.4%
1961	1,508	+2.8%
1970	1,337	−11.3%

Year	Pop.	±%
1980	1,200	−10.2%
1991	1,047	−12.7%
2001	1,036	−1.1%
2011	1,420	+37.1%
2021	1,526	+7.5%

Source: Censuses^[4]^[5]

Transport

Blížejov is located on the railway line Plzeň–Domažlice.^[6]

Sights

The main landmark of Blížejov is the Church of Saint Martin. It was built in the Gothic style in the mid-14th century. In the first half of the 18th century, it was modified in the Baroque style.^[7]

In Lštění is a late Gothic tower-shaped fortress. It was probably built in the mid-15th century. In the mid-16th century, a Renaissance castle was built next to the fortress, but it was later destroyed. The fortress was rebuilt into a granary in 1769. Today the building is privately owned.^[8]

References

^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2023". Czech Statistical Office. 2023-05-23.
^ Profous, Antonín (1947). Místní jména v Čechách I: A–H (in Czech). pp. 99–100.
^ "O obci" (in Czech). Obec Blížejov. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Domažlice" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 1–2.
^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
^ "Detail stanice Blížejov" (in Czech). České dráhy. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
^ "Kostel sv. Martina" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
^ "Tvrz" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-03-11.