Zdounky is a municipality and village in

Kroměříž District Kroměříž District () is a Okres, district in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Kroměříž. Administrative division Kroměříž District is divided into three Districts of the Czech Republic#Municipalities wi ...

in the

Zlín Region Zlín Region () is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the south-eastern part of the historical region of Moravia. It is named after its capital Zlín. Together with the Olomouc Region it forms a cohesion area of Central M ...

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 2,100 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Zdounky consists of six municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Zdounky (1,313) *Cvrčovice (142) *Divoky (124) *Lebedov (17) *Nětčice (231) *Těšánky (143)

Etymology

There are several theories about the origin of the name. Either it was derived from the personal names Vzdún or Zdúnek, or from the old word for a potter (''zdún'').

Geography

Zdounky is located about southwest of

Kroměříž Kroměříž (; ) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 28,000 inhabitants. It is known for Kroměříž Castle with its castle gardens, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic town centre with the castle ...

and west of

Zlín Zlín (in 1949–1989 Gottwaldov; ; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 75,000 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Zlín Region and it lies on the Dřevnice River. It is known as an industrial centre. The development of the modern city ...

. Most of the municipal trerritory lies in the

Litenčice Hills Litenčice () is a market town in Kroměříž District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants. Administrative division Litenčice consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 censu ...

, only the southern part lies in the

Chřiby Chřiby (, the "Mars Mountains") is a geographic region of the Czech Republic, part of the Central Moravian Carpathians of the Outer Western Carpathians. The area is a nature park and tourist park, offering a variety of natural features, rock f ...

range. The highest point is the hill Na Kopě at above sea level.

History

The first written mention of Zdounky is from 1298. From 1358, Zdounky was referred to as a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

, but throughout its history its economic and political importance was only local. In 1423, 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 ...

, Zdounky was ravaged by the

Hussites upright=1.2, Battle between Hussites (left) and Crusades#Campaigns against heretics and schismatics, Catholic crusaders in the 15th century upright=1.2, The Lands of the Bohemian Crown during the Hussite Wars. The movement began during the Prag ...

. Among the most notable owners of Zdounky were the

Zierotin The House of Zierotin or House of Žerotín () was a Czech Bohemian nobility, noble family in the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, one of the oldest and most illustrious noble families from Bohemia and Moravia. The ancestors of the family were first m ...

family (in 1523–1542), the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

(in 1635–1784) and Counts of Lamberg (in 1806–1889).

Demographics

Transport

Zdounky is located on the railway line

Bystřice pod Hostýnem Bystřice pod Hostýnem (; ) is a town in Kroměříž District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Bystřice pod Hostýnem consists of five municipal parts (in brackets population acc ...

–

Zborovice Zborovice is a municipality and village in Kroměříž District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,400 inhabitants. Administrative division Zborovice consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the ...

via Kroměříž.

Sights

The main landmarks of Zdounky are the church and the castle. The Church of the Holy Trinity was originally a Gothic building, first documented in 1366. The Renaissance tower was added in 1570. In the 18th century, the church was rebuilt several times. The Zdounky Castle was built in the Renaissance style in the 17th century on the site of a fortress from the 14th century. Next to the castle is a Baroque granary and a castle park. Today the castle is privately owned.

References

External links

* {{authority control Villages in Kroměříž District