Stráž (Tachov District)

Stráž
Stráž
Market town
	[mapframe not available on SimWiki] Interactive map of Stráž
	Coordinates: 49°40′9″N 12°45′52″E / 49.66917°N 12.76444°E
Country	File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic
Region	Plzeň
District	Tachov
First mentioned	1331
Area
• Total	53.97 km2 (20.84 sq mi)
Elevation	448 m (1,470 ft)
Population (2026-01-01)
• Total	1,369
• Density	25.37/km2 (65.70/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal codes	348 02, 348 06
Website	www.obecstraz.cz

Stráž (German: Neustadtl) is a market town in Tachov District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,400 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Stráž consists of 11 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):^[2]

Stráž (791)
Bernartice (90)
Bonětice (41)
Bonětičky (29)
Borek (37)
Dehetná (37)
Jadruž (25)
Olešná (42)
Souměř (49)
Strachovice (57)
Valcha (5)

Etymology

The name Stráž means 'guard' in Czech. This name was often given to places that were used for guarding and from which it was possible to see well into the distance, or to places along rivers that served to keep watch so that no one passed without paying the toll.^[3]

Geography

Stráž is located about 17 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of Tachov and 43 km (27 mi) west of Plzeň. It lies in the Podčeskoleská Hills. The highest point is the hill Homole at 579 m (1,900 ft) above sea level. The upper course of the Úhlavka River flows through the market town. The territory of Stráž is rich in fishponds.

History

The first written mention of Stráž is from 1331, when it became a market town. Existence of a Jewish community is also documented in 1331. After the Hussite Wars, the area began to be settled by Germans. From the mid-15th century, Stráž was a part of the Přimda estate.^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1869	3,172	—
1880	3,170	−0.1%
1890	3,087	−2.6%
1900	3,009	−2.5%
1910	2,944	−2.2%

Year	Pop.	±%
1921	2,800	−4.9%
1930	2,683	−4.2%
1950	1,380	−48.6%
1961	1,305	−5.4%
1970	1,145	−12.3%

Year	Pop.	±%
1980	1,019	−11.0%
1991	958	−6.0%
2001	1,070	+11.7%
2011	1,072	+0.2%
2021	1,203	+12.2%

Source: Censuses^[5]^[6]

Transport

Stráž is located on the railway line Tachov–Domažlice.^[7]

Sights

The main landmark of Stráž is the Church of Saint Wenceslaus. It was originally a Romanesque church from the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, rebuilt in all periods: in the Gothic in the second half of the 14th century; in the Renaissance in 1609, when the tower was added; in the Baroque in two stages – 1720–1722 and 1740s; and in 1878, when reconstruction was carried out after the fire in 1876.^[8]

The Church of Saint John the Baptist is a cemetery church located on the western edge of the market town. It was built in the Baroque church in 1734.^[9]

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul is located in Bernartice. It is a large Baroque church, built in 1734–1739 on the site of an old Gothic church.^[10]

The Jewish cemetery in Stráž is one of the oldest cemeteries of this kind in Bohemia. The first written mention of the cemetery is from 1450, but it is probably older. The preserved tombstones are from the 17–19th centuries.^[11]

Notable people

Anton Gag (1859–1908), painter
Edmund Weil (1879–1922), German bacteriologist

References

↑ "Population in municipalities as at 1. 1". DataStat. Czech Statistical Office. 2026-05-18.
↑ "Public Census 2021 – basic data". Public Database (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. 2022.
↑ Profous, Antonín (1957). Místní jména v Čechách IV: S–Ž (in čeština). pp. 191–192.
↑ "Strategie rozvoje městyse Stráž a jeho částí do roku 2031" (PDF) (in čeština). Městys Stráž. 2021. pp. 15–16. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
↑ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
↑ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
↑ "Station details Stráž u Tachova". České dráhy. Retrieved 2026-05-27.
↑ "Kostel Narození sv. Václava" (in čeština). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
↑ "Kostel sv. Jana Křtitele" (in čeština). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
↑ "Kostel sv. Petra a Pavla" (in čeština). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
↑ "Židovský hřbitov" (in čeština). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-02-20.

External links

Official website

[1] "Population in municipalities as at 1. 1". DataStat. Czech Statistical Office. 2026-05-18.

[2] "Public Census 2021 – basic data". Public Database (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. 2022.

[3] Profous, Antonín (1957). Místní jména v Čechách IV: S–Ž (in čeština). pp. 191–192.

[4] "Strategie rozvoje městyse Stráž a jeho částí do roku 2031" (PDF) (in čeština). Městys Stráž. 2021. pp. 15–16. Retrieved 2024-02-20.

[5] "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.

[6] "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.

[7] "Station details Stráž u Tachova". České dráhy. Retrieved 2026-05-27.

[8] "Kostel Narození sv. Václava" (in čeština). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-02-20.

[9] "Kostel sv. Jana Křtitele" (in čeština). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-02-20.

[10] "Kostel sv. Petra a Pavla" (in čeština). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-02-20.

[11] "Židovský hřbitov" (in čeština). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-02-20.

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