Abertamy

Abertamy
Town
Flag
Coat of arms
Country Czech Republic
Region Karlovy Vary
District Karlovy Vary
Commune Ostrov
Elevation 900 m (2,953 ft)
Coordinates CZ 50°22′8″N 12°49′6″E / 50.36889°N 12.81833°E / 50.36889; 12.81833Coordinates: CZ 50°22′8″N 12°49′6″E / 50.36889°N 12.81833°E / 50.36889; 12.81833
Area 8.70 km2 (3.36 sq mi)
Population 1,323 (2011)
Density 152 / km2 (394 / sq mi)
First mentioned 1529
Mayor Zdeněk Lakatoš
Timezone CET (UTC+1)
 - summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 362 35
Location in the Czech Republic
Location in Karlovy Vary District
Wikimedia Commons: Abertamy
Statistics: statnisprava.cz
Website: www.obecabertamy.cz

Abertamy (in German Abertham) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It is located in Ore Mountains about 16 km (10 mi) north of Karlovy Vary and has a population of 1,413 (2005). With an altitude of 840 meters above sea level, the place serves as a winter sports center. From 1938 to 1945 it was one of the municipalities in Sudetenland.

The village of Hřebečná is the administrative part of Abertamy.

History

Abertamy from Plešivec Mountain

Abertamy is first mentioned in written documents from 1529, when miners started to settle in the area. During 1531-1558 silver was mined here. In 1579 Abertamy obtained township rights. On September 15, 1590, a strong earthquake was recorded here. After the Thirty Years' War silver mining stopped, and only the mining of tin continued. Abertamy lost its town rights, and the area was forcibly recatholicized after the war. During the 19th century manufacturing of gloves began and expanded in the 20th century. In 1876 Abertamy again obtained town status.

View on Abertamy from a road to Plešivec Mountain

In 1910 the town had 4,200 inhabitants. In 1921 Abertamy was electrified. It was annexed into the Third Reich in 1938; in 1945 many German speaking people were expelled and local industry was nationalised. However roughly 150,000 of 3.5 million Sudenten Germans in the surrounding region were not expelled due to their indespensable mining and technical skills. Even by 1960 most children entering grade 1 in Abertamy only spoke German and until the end of communism the town was largely German speaking.[1] In 1947 Abertamy had about 1,200 inhabitants. Intensive mining of uranium ore had started (and prisoners from nearby communist Jáchymov concentration camp were forced to work there under cruel conditions). In 1998 the factory producing gloves closed down.

Since 1946, Abertamy has had a secondary school specialising in forest industry[2]

Inside church building in Abertamy

Attractions

Famous people associated with Abertamy

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, April 04, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.