Žirovnice

Žirovnice
Town

Flag
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 49°15′20″N 15°11′29″E / 49.25556°N 15.19139°E / 49.25556; 15.19139Coordinates: 49°15′20″N 15°11′29″E / 49.25556°N 15.19139°E / 49.25556; 15.19139
Area
 • Total 44,4 km2 (171 sq mi)
Elevation 565 m (1,854 ft)
Population (31.12.2013)
 • Total 2,954
 • Density 6.7/km2 (17/sq mi)

Žirovnice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈʒɪrovɲɪtsɛ]; German: Serownitz) is a town in the Vysočina Region, Czech Republic.

The town was built around a castle of the same name. First written account is from year 1358.[1] Žirovnice was traditionally town of weavers, but in 1863, manufacturing of buttons from nacre was introduced. In 1940s, nearly 100 nacre-processing manufactures existed in the small town. After Communists seized power in 1948, these manufactures were nationalized and transformed into one company, which still exists. In castle Žirovnice there is a museum of button-manufacturing and nacre-processing.[2]

The small river Žirovnička flows through the town. There are many historical buildings in the town - the Castle of Žirovnice, St. Filip's and St. Jakub's church and others. Žirovnice has 2954 inhabitants (at 31.12.2013).[3] There is varied cultural life in the town. Every year the inhabitants celebrate the festival of Žirovnice's unicorn (the unicorn is the symbol of the town).

The town is twinned with Grosshöchstetten in Switzerland.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.zirovnice.cz/historie-zamku/ms-27282/p1=27282
  2. ↑ http://www.zirovnice.cz/expozice-knoflikarstvi-a-perleti/d-88234/p1=22622
  3. ↑ http://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo/tabdetail.jsp?kapitola_id=5&pro_1_154=549231&cislotab=MOS+ZV01
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