Svatava (Sokolov District)

Market town in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

Svatava

Market town

Centre of Svatava

Flag

Coat of arms

Svatava

Location in the Czech Republic

Coordinates: 50°11′32″N 12°37′31″E﻿ / ﻿50.19222°N 12.62528°E﻿ / 50.19222; 12.62528
Country|  Czech Republic
Region| Karlovy Vary
District| Sokolov
First mentioned| 1391
Area

• Total

| 11.59 km2 (4.47 sq mi)
Elevation

| 407 m (1,335 ft)
Population

(2025-01-01)[1]

• Total

| 1,619
• Density| 140/km2 (360/sq mi)
Time zone| UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code|

357 03

Website| www.mestyssvatava.cz

Svatava (German: Zwodau) is a market town in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,600 inhabitants.

## Etymology

[edit]

The settlement was named after the Svatava River.[2]

## Geography

[edit]

Svatava is located about 2 kilometres (1 mi) northwest of Sokolov and 17 km (11 mi) west of Karlovy Vary. The municipal territory lies mostly in the Sokolov Basin, only the northern part extends into the Ore Mountains and includes the highest point of Svatava, the hill Svatavský vrch at 508 m (1,667 ft) above sea level. The Svatava River flows through the market town. Half of Medard Lake is situated in Svatava's territory.

## History

[edit]

The first written mention of Svatava is in a document of King Wenceslaus IV from 1391. Until 1789, it was an insignificant agricultural village. From 1789, lignite mining began to develop. In 1903, Svatava was promoted to a market town.[2]

During World War II, Svatava was occupied by Germany. In 1943, the occupiers established a slave labour camp, which in September 1944 became a subcamp of the Flossenbürg concentration camp. 1,350 women of various nationalities were imprisoned there. In April 1945, over 1,000 women reached the subcamp following death marches from other subcamps. The surviving prisoners were liberated by American troops on 7 May 1945.[3]

The lignite mining ceased in 2000 and the Medard mine was reclaimed to the lake.[2]

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1869| 1,038| —
1880| 1,663| +60.2%
1890| 2,503| +50.5%
1900| 4,410| +76.2%
1910| 5,269| +19.5%
| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1921| 5,528| +4.9%
1930| 5,879| +6.3%
1950| 3,793| −35.5%
1961| 2,943| −22.4%
1970| 2,083| −29.2%
| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1980| 1,972| −5.3%
1991| 1,464| −25.8%
2001| 1,577| +7.7%
2011| 1,670| +5.9%
2021| 1,646| −1.4%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

## Transport

[edit]

Svatava is located on the railway line Sokolov–Kraslice.

## Sights

[edit]

Memorial of Subcamp of Flossenbürg concentration camp

The main landmark is the Church of the Immaculate Conception. It was built in the Historicist style in 1924. In 1926, the rectory was added to the church.[6]

A memorial of the subcamp of the Flossenbürg concentration camp was created in 1963 by Daniela Vinopalová and erected in 1965.[7]

## Notable people

[edit]

* Ernst Mosch (1925–1999), musician

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2025". Czech Statistical Office. 2025-05-16.
2. ^ a b c "Historie" (in Czech). Městys Svatava. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
3. ^ "Zwodau (Svatava) Subcamp". Flossenbürg Concentration Camp Memorial. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
4. ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
5. ^ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
6. ^ "Kostel Neposkvrněného početí Panny Marie s farou" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
7. ^ "Památník ženského koncentračního tábora" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-12-11.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Svatava.

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Towns, market towns and villages of Sokolov District

* Březová
* Bublava
* Bukovany
* Chlum Svaté Maří
* Chodov
* Citice
* Dasnice
* Dolní Nivy
* Dolní Rychnov
* Habartov
* Horní Slavkov
* Jindřichovice
* Josefov
* Kaceřov
* Krajková
* Královské Poříčí
* Kraslice
* Krásno
* Kynšperk nad Ohří
* Libavské Údolí
* Loket
* Lomnice
* Nová Ves
* Nové Sedlo
* Oloví
* Přebuz
* Rotava
* Rovná
* Šabina
* Šindelová
* Sokolov
* Staré Sedlo
* Stříbrná
* Svatava
* Tatrovice
* Těšovice
* Vintířov
* Vřesová

Authority control databases: National |

* Germany
* Czech Republic

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*[±%]: Percent change
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