Plasy (; ) is a town in

Plzeň-North District Plzeň-North District () is a Okres, district in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Plzeň. The most populated town of the district is Nýřany. Administrative division Plzeň-North District is divided into two Dis ...

in the

Plzeň Region Plzeň Region or Plzeňský Region (also known as Pilsen Region; ) is an Regions of the Czech Republic, administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the western part of the historical land of Bohemia and named after the capital, Plz ...

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 2,900 inhabitants. It is known for its former monastery of the same name, which is protected as a national cultural monument.

Administrative division

Plasy consists of six municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Plasy (1,891) *Babina (214) *Horní Hradiště (168) *Lomnička (80) *Nebřeziny (179) *Žebnice (158)

Geography

Plasy is located about north of

Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...

. It lies in the Plasy Uplands. The highest point is the hill Spálená hora at above sea level. The

Střela The Střela is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Berounka River. It flows through the Karlovy Vary and Central Bohemian regions. It is long, making it the 22nd longest river in the Czech Republic. Etymology The name means ...

River flows through the town.

History

The foundation of the town is connected with the foundation of the Cistercian monastery. The Plasy Monastery was founded in 1144 by then Prince Vladislaus II. The monastery experienced the greatest development during the reign of King Wenceslaus I, and its property gradually grew to cover 50 surrounding villages. The development of the monastery ended during the

Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...

, when it was burned down in 1421. The entire 15th and 16th centuries mean a period of deep decline. After the

Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain (; ) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the next three hundred years. It was fought on 8 November 16 ...

in 1620, the monastery's financial situation improved, most of it former properties were returned to it, and the construction of new buildings on the monastery grounds began. The monastery was abolished in 1785 by decree of Emperor

Joseph II Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor F ...

. In 1826, the monastery building with the whole estate was purchased by

Klemens von Metternich Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein ( ; 15 May 1773 – 11 June 1859), known as Klemens von Metternich () or Prince Metternich, was a German statesman and diplomat in the service of the Austrian Empire. ...

, who is buried here in the family tomb.

Demographics

Transport

Plasy is located on the railway line heading from Plzeň to Žihle and Most.

Sights

The monastery complex is the most significant landmark of Plasy, protected as a national cultural monument. It contains the former monastery, Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Baroque granary with the Royal Chapel of Saints Wenceslaus and Mary Magdalene, and abbot's residence. In 1661–1666, the church was rebuilt in the early Baroque style. The new convent building was built in 1711–1740 by

Jan Santini Aichel Jan Blažej Santini Aichel, also spelled Aichl (, ; 3 February 1677 – 7 December 1723) was a Czechs, Czech architect of Italians, Italian descent, whose major works are representative of the unique Czech Baroque architecture#Baroque G ...

and after his death by

Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer (; 1 September 1689 – 18 December 1751) was a German Bohemians, German Bohemian architect of the Baroque architecture, Baroque era. He is among the most prolific and renowned architects of his era in Bohemia. He was bo ...

. Today the complex is open to the public and offers guided tours. The former Church of Saint Wenceslaus was built in the Gothic style and rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1690. After the abolition of the monastery, it was modified into the family tomb of the Metternich family.

Notable people

* Mauritius Vogt (1669–1730), German geographer, historian, cartographer and musician; lived here *

(1773–1859), Austrian diplomat and politician * Václav Levý (1820–1870), sculptor * Viktor Stretti (1878–1957), painter * Rudolf Jung (1882–1945), German Nazi ideologue * Jiří Kornatovský (born 1952), painter

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Plzeň-North District