Nižní Lhoty

Nižní Lhoty (Polish: Ligota Dolna, German: Unter Ellgoth) is a municipality and village in Frýdek-Místek District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants.

Nižní Lhoty
Municipality
Fire station
Flag Coat of arms
Nižní Lhoty Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°38′46″N 18°26′12″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Moravian-Silesian
District	Frýdek-Místek
First mentioned	1434
Area
• Total	3.79 km2 (1.46 sq mi)
Elevation	359 m (1,178 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	294
• Density	78/km2 (200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	739 51
Website	www.niznilhoty.cz

Etymology

The name Lhoty is plural of Lhota, which a very common name of Slavic settlement, derived from lhůta (i.e. "period"). The adjective Nižní, originally Dolny neb Spodny (i.e. "lower") was used to differentiate it from the younger nearby sister settlement called originally Hornÿ, today Vyšní Lhoty ("Upper Lhoty").^[2]

Geography

Nižní Lhoty is located about 6 kilometres (4 mi) southeast of Frýdek-Místek and 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Ostrava. It lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia, in the western part of the Moravian-Silesian Foothills. The municipality is situated on the right bank of the Morávka River.

History

Some sources state that the village was first mentioned in a Latin document of Diocese of Wrocław called Liber fundationis episcopatus Vratislaviensis from around 1305 as item Rudgeri villa, however it is very unlikely and disputed.^[a] Far more likely it was later mentioned in 1434 as Lhoty and in 1450 as Rozkowa Lhota. Later up the Morávka river the sister settlement of Vyšní Lhoty was established. They were then both mentioned in 1584. The name Nižní Lhoty was first used in 1573.^[2][3][4]

Politically the village belonged initially to the Duchy of Teschen. In 1573 it was sold as one of 16 villages and the town of Friedeck and formed a state country split from the Duchy of Teschen.^[5]

The village had a typical agricultural and pastoral character. In the 18th century, the road leading through the valley to the mountain area led outside the built-up part of the village, which led to the isolation of the village and only a very slow development of business and trade.^[4]

After World War I and fall of Austria-Hungary, it became a part of Czechoslovakia. In March 1939, it became a part of Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. After World War II, it was restored to Czechoslovakia.

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 449 —     1880 436 −2.9% 1890 413 −5.3% 1900 420 +1.7% 1910 405 −3.6%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 410 +1.2% 1930 457 +11.5% 1950 390 −14.7% 1961 363 −6.9% 1970 334 −8.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 269 −19.5% 1991 246 −8.6% 2001 249 +1.2% 2011 255 +2.4% 2021 290 +13.7%
Source: Censuses[6][7]

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

There are no protected cultural monuments in the municipality.^[8]

Notes

1. This leaves the question what happened to Rudgeri villa, as it indeed lay somewhere in the vicinity but is now considered lost. It was probably absorbed by another nearby village, but not necessarily by Nižní Lhoty.

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. Mrózek, Robert (1984). Nazwy miejscowe dawnego Śląska Cieszyńskiego [Local names of former Cieszyn Silesia] (in Polish). Katowice: University of Silesia in Katowice. p. 106. ISSN 0208-6336.
3. Panic, Idzi (2015). Śląsk Cieszyński w średniowieczu (do 1528) [Cieszyn Silesia in Middle Ages (until 1528)] (PDF) (in Polish). Cieszyn: Starostwo Powiatowe w Cieszynie. p. 307. ISBN 978-83-935147-8-6.
4. "Historie a obecní symboly Nižních Lhot" (in Czech). Obec Nižní Lhoty. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
5. Panic, Idzi (2011). Śląsk Cieszyński w początkach czasów nowożytnych (1528-1653) [Cieszyn Silesia in the beginnings of Modern Era (1528-1653)] (in Polish). Cieszyn: Starostwo Powiatowe w Cieszynie. p. 224. ISBN 978-83-926929-5-9.
6. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
7. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
8. "Výsledky vyhledávání: Kulturní památky, obec Nižní Lhoty". Ústřední seznam kulturních památek (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-07-15.

External links

• Official website