Louny.html |
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| Louny | |||
| Town | |||
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| Country |  Czech Republic |
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| Region | Ústí nad Labem | ||
| District | Louny | ||
| Commune | Louny | ||
| River | Ohře | ||
| Elevation | 185 m (607 ft) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Area | 24.27 km² (9.37 sq mi) | ||
| Population | 19,157 (2006-10-02) | ||
| Density | 789 /km² (2,044 /sq mi) | ||
| Founded | 12th century | ||
| Mayor | Jan Kerner | ||
| Timezone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 440 01 | ||
   Location in the Czech Republic
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| Wikimedia Commons: Louny | |||
| Statistics: statnisprava.cz | |||
| Website: www.mulouny.cz | |||
Louny (IPA: [ˈloʊ̯nɪ]; German: Laun) is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated on the River Ohře.
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History
The city was founded in 12th century (the first known written record comes from 1115). The Church of St Peter stands on the site of the original fort. The original name was Luna, which is preserved in the name of a park, Pramen Luna and accounts for the Moon as part of the emblem of the town1. It grew up during the reign of Ottokar I of Bohemia. The Thirty Years' War depopulated the city. The second half of 19th century was the time of economic growth of the area.
It is at a railway junction and a factory for overhauling railway engines and rolling stock was established in 18732 which became a major employer and contributed to the town's expansion during the early 20th century. The former state company has now been privatized, but still remains the town's largest employer with a workforce of 750.
Other industries are a brewery (from the hops which grow in the region) and a factory making porcelain electrical insulators for power cables etc.
The architecture of the city was shaped mainly in 19th and 20th century when many old buildings were torn down. Nevertheless, the most important architectural sight is the Roman-Catholic St. Nicholas Church, erected between 1517 and 1537 in the late Gothic style3. One of the architects was Benedikt Rejt. It incorporates a tower from an earlier church which was otherwise destroyed along with most of the town by a major fire in 1517.
Parts of the city ramparts remain as does the Žatec gate which dates from 1500 but was reconstructed in 1872.
Nearby is the Březno Open-Air Museum of Archeology.
Famous people
- Kamil Hilbert, architect, (1869-1933).
- Václav Hlavatý, mathematician, (1894-1969). The Gymnázium V. Hlavatého (Secondary School) is named after him.4
- Karel Konrád, novelist, (1899-1871).
- Jaroslav Vrchlický, poet, (1853-1912).
References
- ^ Lounska farnost Description of the Church interior which has this emblem
- ^ www.lostr.cz Company website
- ^ [1] History of the Church of St Nicolas and the Louny Parish
- ^ Gymnázium V. Hlavatého
External links
- Official website (Czech)
- Louny Information centre (English)
- History of the Louny Parish (English)
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