Velká Bíteš
Town
View towards the town
View towards the town
Flag of Velká Bíteš
Flag
Coat of arms of Velká Bíteš
Coat of arms
Velká Bíteš is located in Czech Republic
Velká Bíteš
Velká Bíteš
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°17′37″N 16°13′14″E / 49.29361°N 16.22056°E / 49.29361; 16.22056
Country Czech Republic
RegionVysočina
DistrictŽďár nad Sázavou
First mentioned1240
Government
 • MayorMarkéta Lavická
Area
 • Total47.30 km2 (18.26 sq mi)
Elevation
476 m (1,562 ft)
Population
 (2023-01-01)[1]
 • Total5,361
 • Density110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal codes
594 53, 595 01
Websitewww.vbites.cz

Velká Bíteš (until 1924 Velká Byteš) is a town in Žďár nad Sázavou District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,400 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts

Villages of Bezděkov, Březka, Holubí Zhoř, Jáchymov, Janovice, Jestřabí, Jindřichov, Košíkov, Ludvíkov and Pánov are administrative parts of Velká Bíteš. Pánov forms an exclave of the municipal territory.

Geography

Velká Bíteš is located about 35 kilometres (22 mi) southeast of Žďár nad Sázavou and 27 km (17 mi) west of Brno. It lies in the Křižanov Highlands. The highest point is at 530 m (1,740 ft) above sea level. The Bítýška River flows through the town.

History

Church of Saint John the Baptist

The first written mention of Velká Bíteš is from 1240, when the church was mentioned.[2] The settlement was founded in the first half of the 13th century. In the mid-14th century, it was a market town and in 1408, it was promoted to a town.[3]

The greatest development occurred after the Hussite Wars, but the town was severely damaged during the Thirty Years' War and recovered slowly. Velká Bíteš was not industrialized until 1950, when a large engineering company was founded. Thanks to this, the population increased significantly.[3]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18693,406—    
18803,527+3.6%
18903,361−4.7%
19003,237−3.7%
19103,126−3.4%
YearPop.±%
19213,046−2.6%
19302,992−1.8%
19502,807−6.2%
19613,217+14.6%
19703,435+6.8%
YearPop.±%
19804,272+24.4%
19914,652+8.9%
20014,889+5.1%
20115,042+3.1%
20215,140+1.9%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Economy

První Brněnská Strojírna Velká Bíteš

The largest employers based in the town are ITW Pronovia, manufacturer of plastic products for the automotive industry,[6] and První Brněnská Strojírna Velká Bíteš, manufacturer of aerospace technologies.[7]

Transport

The D1 motorway from Prague to Brno runs next to the town.

Sights

Velká Bíteš is known for the unique fortified Church of Sain John the Baptist. The original wooden structure was replaced by the stone Romanesque church in the 13th century. In the 15th century, it was surrounded by stone ramparts with an entrance tower.[2]

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Velká Bíteš is twinned with:[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2023". Czech Statistical Office. 2023-05-23.
  2. 1 2 "Kostel sv. Jana Křtitele" (in Czech). ICKK Velká Bíteš. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
  3. 1 2 "Stručná historie Velké Bíteše" (in Czech). ICKK Velká Bíteš. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
  4. ↑ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011 – Okres Žďár nad Sázavou" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 19–20.
  5. ↑ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  6. ↑ "About Us". ITW PRONOVIA, s.r.o. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
  7. ↑ "About PBS". PBS Group, a. s. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
  8. ↑ "Partnerská města" (in Czech). Město Velká Bíteš. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
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