Podhradí (Cheb District)

Podhradí (German: Neuberg) is a municipality and village in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants.

Podhradí
Podhradí with ruins of Neuberg Castle
Podhradí with ruins of Neuberg Castle
Flag of Podhradí
Coat of arms of Podhradí
Podhradí is located in Czech Republic
Podhradí
Podhradí
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°15′20″N 12°12′7″E / 50.25556°N 12.20194°E / 50.25556; 12.20194
Country Czech Republic
RegionKarlovy Vary
DistrictCheb
First mentioned1288
Area
 • Total6.36 km2 (2.46 sq mi)
Elevation
562 m (1,844 ft)
Population
 (2024-01-01)[1]
 • Total216
 • Density34/km2 (88/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
352 01
Websitewww.oupodhradi.cz

Etymology

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The name Podhradí (from pod hradem, i. e. "under the castle") means "area under the castle".

Geography

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Podhradí is located about 22 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of Cheb and 46 km (29 mi) west of Karlovy Vary, in the Aš Panhandle area. It lies in the Fichtel Mountains. The highest point is the hill Studánecký vrch at 697 m (2,287 ft) above sea level, located on the northern municipal border. The stream Ašský potok flows through the municipality.

History

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Ruins of Neuberg Castle

The first written mention of Neuberg Castle is from 1288, however, it was built in the first half of the 13th century. Until 1288, it was owned by the Lords of Neuberg, then King Rudolf I handed it to Lords of Plauen as a fief. Podhradí soon returned to the possession of the Lords of Neuberg. In 1395, the castle and the village was acquired by the Zedtwitz family, who owned it until 1945.[2]

In the 16th century, the Romanesque castle was abandoned, and after a big fire at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, it was severely damaged. The remains of the castle were used for building materials. The castle was replaced by a Renaissance castle, which was damaged during the Thirty Years' War and rebuilt in the late 17th century. In 1902, it was destroyed in a big fire.[2]

After the estate was divided among several branches of the Zedtwitz family, the members of one of them had built new residence called Upper Chateau, and another residence known as Lower Chateau was built in the mid-18th century. The Upper Chateau was demolished in the 1960s, the Lower Chateau was completely demolished in 1965.[2]

After World War II, the German population was expelled and the village significantly depopulated.[3]

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
18691,461—    
18801,392−4.7%
18901,466+5.3%
19001,618+10.4%
19101,737+7.4%
YearPop.±%
19212,009+15.7%
19301,360−32.3%
1950454−66.6%
1961321−29.3%
1970257−19.9%
YearPop.±%
1980180−30.0%
1991138−23.3%
2001166+20.3%
2011175+5.4%
2021195+11.4%
Source: Censuses[3][4]

Transport

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Ruins of Upper Chateau

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

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Church of the Good Shepherd

The Church of the Good Shepherd is the oldest Lutheran church in the area. It was built in the late Gothic style by the Zedtwitz family in 1470–1490. In the 1680s, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style. The tower was modified in 1677–1699.[5]

Ruins of Neuberg Castle and Upper Chateau are preserved and freely accessible.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 17 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Historie" (in Czech). Obec Podhradí. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Cheb" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 21 December 2015. pp. 11–12.
  4. ^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 27 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Kostel Dobrého Pastýře" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Prohlédněte si. V Podhradí je zámek i hrad" (in Czech). Deník.cz. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
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