Louny

Louny (Czech pronunciation: [ˈlounɪ]; German: Laun) is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated on the River Ohře.

"Laun" redirects here. For other uses, see Laun (disambiguation).
Louny
Town
Church of Saint Nicholas
Flag
Coat of arms
Louny
Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°21′26″N 13°47′49″E
CountryCzech Republic
RegionÚstí nad Labem
DistrictLouny
Founded12th century
Government
 • MayorPavel Janda
Area
 • Total24.27 km2 (9.37 sq mi)
Elevation
185 m (607 ft)
Population
 (2019-01-01)[1]
 • Total18,351
 • Density760/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
440 01
Websitewww.mulouny.cz

History

The city was founded in the 12th century (the first known written record dates from 1115). The Church of St Peter stands on the site of the original fort. The original name was Luna, which is retained in the name of a local park, Pramen Luna, and accounts for the Moon as part of the town's emblem.[2] The town developed and expanded during the reign of Ottokar I of Bohemia, although the Thirty Years' War depopulated the city. The second half of the 19th century witnessed the economic growth of the area.

Old town gate, Žatec Gate

Until 1918, Laun - Louny was part of the Austrian monarchy (Austria side after the compromise of 1867), in the district of the same name, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.[3]

The town lies on a railway junction and a factory for overhauling railway engines and rolling stock was established in 1873[4] which became a major employer and contributed to the town's expansion during the early 20th century. The former state company has now been privatized, but remains the town's largest employer with a workforce of 750.

Other industries include a brewery (from the hops which are grown in the region) and a factory making porcelain electrical insulators for power cables, etc.

The town's architecture was formed mainly in the 19th and 20th centuries when many old buildings were torn down. Nevertheless, the most important architectural feature is Roman Catholic St. Nicholas Church, erected between 1517 and 1537 in the late Gothic style.[5] One of the architects was Benedikt Rejt. It incorporates a tower from an earlier church which was otherwise destroyed along with most of the town by a major fire in 1517.

Parts of the town ramparts remain, as does the Žatec Gate which dates from 1500 but was reconstructed in 1872.

An Open-Air Museum of Archeology is located in nearby Březno.

Notable people
Louny ca. 1612; engraving by Matthäus Merian

Twin towns — sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Louny is twinned with:[7]

References
  1. "Population of municipalities of the Czech republic". Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  2. Lounska farnost Description of the Church interior which has this emblem
  3. Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, Wilhelm Klein, 1967
  4. www.lostr.cz Company website
  5. History of the Church of St Nicolas and the Louny Parish
  6. Gymnázium V. Hlavatého
  7. "Partnerská města" (in Czech). Město Louny. Retrieved 2019-08-23.
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