Prácheňsko

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Officially Provincia Prachinensis or Prachens in English and German, an autonomous region in the southwest of the present Bohemia, created in the late 13th century and abolished by the Austrian Empire's regional reform in 1848. Its boundaries extended through the Bohemian Forest (Gabreta, Böhmerwald or Šumava) in the south, on towards Budweis (České Budějovice) then to the north, close to the town of Příbram and from here southwest to Markt Eisenstein (Železná Ruda). Ethnic groups of the region included Jews, Roma, Czechs and Germans and by religion were Roman Catholics and Jews. Today this region comprises three districts, namely West Bohemian, South Bohemian and Central Bohemian. Its former capital city is Pisek (a great medieval city until its devastation in 1620 ), now a small town with approximately 30-35 000 inhabitants.

The first capital, Prachens (which gave its name to the whole region of Prácheň) is now overtaken by forest, close to the town of Horažďovice. The local dialect of the western part is still extant as is the use of the bagpipe in the music of the region. The central geographical feature of the Prachens region is the Otava river (a Celtic name), or in the local dialect Wotāva. Other principal towns of the former Prachens are Strakonice (or Strakonitz in German, and also the name used by the local Jewish population), Sušice (Schüttenhofen or Setuakaton in its Celtic form), Rožmitál (Rosenthal), Vimperk (Winterberg), Horní Planá (Ober Plan), Železná Ruda (Markt Eisenstein), Kasejovice (Casseudz, Kasejowitz), Protivín (Protiwin) and Horažďovice (Horaschdowitz). The current population of this region is approximately 200-250 000 inhabitants, but it suffered serious population losses after WWII because of the expulsion of its German population (about 25% in total) and because of the Holocaust (השואה or חורבן). Post war, the Jewish population is very small and there is no active synagogue.

A unique dialect of the Czech language is spoken in the western part of the region with distinctive pronunciation of ع (similar to arabic ayn) and with a large content of German loan words.

The Bohemian historian August Sedlacek wrote extensively about Provincia Prachinensis and Pisek city.