Osek () is a municipality and village in

Strakonice District Strakonice District () is a district in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Strakonice. Administrative division Strakonice District is divided into three administrative districts of municipalities with ext ...

in the

South Bohemian Region The South Bohemian Region () is an administrative unit (''Regions of the Czech Republic, kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It has about 700 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Osek consists of five municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Osek (479) *Jemnice (56) *Malá Turná (41) *Petrovice (40) *Rohozná (49)

Etymology

Osek is a common Czech toponymy. The word denotes a cut trunk and it also could mean a cut forest.

Geography

Osek is located about northeast of

Strakonice Strakonice (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Strakonice consists of eight municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Strakonice ...

and northwest of

České Budějovice České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše. České Budějovice is the largest ...

. It lies in the Blatná Uplands. The highest point is a hill at above sea level. There are several fishponds in the municipality; the largest of them are Velký and Bašta. The ponds are supplied by the stream Petrovický potok.

History

The first written mention of Osek is from 1392, then known as ''Vosek'' or ''Wossek''. It was probably founded in the second half of the 14th century. The village began to grow around the lord's court, on which a fortress was probably built before 1414. Osek was acquired by King

Wenceslaus IV Wenceslaus IV (also ''Wenceslas''; ; , nicknamed "the Idle"; 26 February 136116 August 1419), also known as Wenceslaus of Luxembourg, was King of Bohemia from 1378 until his death and King of Germany from 1376 until he was deposed in 1400. As he ...

escheat Escheat () is a common law doctrine that transfers the real property of a person who has died without heirs to the crown or state. It serves to ensure that property is not left in "limbo" without recognized ownership. It originally applied t ...

. He divided it among his minions. Until

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the villages of Osek, Petrovice, Malá Turná and Rohozná were administrative parts of the municipality of Radomyšl, and Jemnice was a sovereign municipality. Shortly before World War I, the villages separated and created a new municipality. In 1924, Osek was renamed to its current name. In 1961, Jemnice joined the Osek municipality.

Demographics

Transport

The I/4 road (the section from

Příbram Příbram (; or ''Przibram'') is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It is known for its mining history, and more recently, its new venture into economic restructuring. The town is the t ...

) passes through the municipality. The railway line Strakonice– Blatná runs through the municipality, but there is no train station. The municipality is served by the station in neighbouring Radomyšl.

Sights

The most important monument is the Osek Castle. The fortress from the 15th century was completely rebuilt into the current pseudo-Baroque castle in 1911. It has valuable interiors. Today it serves as a home for people with disabilities. Next to the castle is a park founded in the early 20th century.

References

External links

* {{authority control Villages in Strakonice District