Protivín () is a town in

Písek District Písek District () is a Okres, district in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Písek. Administrative division Písek District is divided into two Districts of the Czech Republic#Municipalities with extended ...

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 4,800 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Protivín consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Protivín (3,591) *Chvaletice (93) *Krč (195) *Maletice (50) *Milenovice (169) *Myšenec (250) *Selibov (87) *Těšínov (93) *Záboří (135)

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Protiva, meaning "Protiva's (court, castle)".

Geography

Protivín is located about south of

Písek Písek (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 31,000 inhabitants. The town is known for the oldest bridge in the country. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument z ...

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 ...

. Most of the municipal territory lies in the

České Budějovice Basin The České Budějovice Basin () is a structural basin and Geomorphological division of the Czech Republic, geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the South Bohemian Region and it is named after the city of České Bud� ...

, but the eastern part extends into the Tábor Uplands and includes the highest point of Protivín, a nameless hill at above sea level. The Blanice River flows through the town. There are several fishponds in the municipal territory.

History

The first written mention of Protivín is from 1282. It was founded around 1260 as a village and fortress by a ford across the river Blanice. In the late 19th century, Protivín developed. However, the prosperity ended with the closure of the sugar factory and a wave of emigration, especially to

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

in the United States, where the settlement named Protivin was founded by immigrants in 1872. However, the population continued to grow, and in 1899, Protivín was promoted to a town.

Demographics

Economy

The town is known for the Protivín Brewery, which produces a regional beer label Platan. It was founded in 1598.

Transport

The I/20 road (part of the

European route E49 European route E49 is a road that forms part of the International E-road network. It runs between Magdeburg, Germany, and Vienna, Austria. The road follows the route: * Germany ** : - Magdeburg, Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, ** : ** : - Plauen * Czec ...

) from

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 ...

and

Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...

passes through the municipal territory. Protivín is located on the main railway lines

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

–České Budějovice and

Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...

–

Sights

There are three churches in the municipal territory. The Church of Saint Elizabeth on the town square was built in 1662 in the early Baroque style. The Church of Saint Gall in Myšenec is from the end of the 11th century and after several reconstructions it still retains its Gothic character. The Church of Saint Wenceslaus in Krč was built in 1352. A Renaissance castle is located on the town square. It also includes a park with an area of . The Crocodile Zoo Protivín was established in 2008 and is unique by breeding of all of

Crocodilia Crocodilia () is an order of semiaquatic, predatory reptiles that are known as crocodilians. They first appeared during the Late Cretaceous and are the closest living relatives of birds. Crocodilians are a type of crocodylomorph pseudosuchia ...

species.

Notable people

* Ottokar Brzoza-Brzezina (1883–1968), Polish brigadier general * Marta Krásová (1901–1970), operatic singer * Jiří Kolář (1914–2002), poet, writer, painter and translator

Twin towns – sister cities

Protivín is twinned with: * Blackwood, Wales, United Kingdom

Gallery

Myšenec church 03.JPG, Church of Saint Gall in Myšenec Selibov ( Protivín ) 001.jpg, Folk baroque style architecture in Selibov Základní škola v Protivíně 1.jpg, Primary school Protivín-London Plane avenue.jpg, ''

Platanus ''Platanus'' ( ) is a genus consisting of a small number of tree species native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae. All mature members of ''Platanus'' are tall, reaching in height. The type ...

'' alley by the brewery

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Protivin Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Písek District Prácheňsko