Kraslice

Kraslice
Town
Town hall
Flag
Coat of arms
Country Czech Republic
Region Karlovy Vary
District Sokolov
Commune Kraslice
Elevation 514 m (1,686 ft)
Coordinates
Area 81.35 km2 (31.41 sq mi)
Population 7,299 (2006-07-03)
Density 90 / km2 (233 / sq mi)
First mentioned 1272
Mayor Zdenek Brantl
Timezone CET (UTC+1)
 - summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 358 01 - 358 03
Location in the Czech Republic
Location in Sokolov District
Wikimedia Commons: Kraslice
Website: www.kraslice.cz

Kraslice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkraslɪtsɛ]; German: Graslitz) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic.

Contents

Geography

The town is situated on the southern slopes of the eastern reaches of the Ore Mountains, some 5 km from the neighbouring German town of Klingenthal.

The city lies on railway line No 145 from Sokolov to Klingenthal. Passenger services are provided by the railway company of Viamont.

History

German monks from Waldsassen Abbey in Bavaria were the first to settle the upper Svatava valley in the 12th century. The town was granted regal city status by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV in 1370. In 1944 a women's subcamp of Flossenbürg concentration camp was established here.

Etymology

The roots of the name derive from the medieval German "Graz", meaning pine forest. Many variants were used throughout the town's history: Greselin, Zum Greselin, Gresslens, Gresslas, Gresslitz, Graeslitz and Graslitz. The Czech name is a transliteration of the last used German name.

Population

Graslitz had 13.936 inhabitants on December 1, 1930, 6.294 inhabitants May 22, 1947 and currently has some 7,000 inhabitants – a significant decrease from the pre-World War II population figure of around 20,000, due to the expulsion of the German-speaking population after that war.

Partner cities

External links