Besednice

Besednice (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbɛsɛdɲɪtsɛ]; German: Bessenitz) is a market town in Český Krumlov District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 800 inhabitants.

Besednice
Market town
Church of Saint Procopius
Flag Coat of arms
Besednice Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 48°47′24″N 14°33′25″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	South Bohemian
District	Český Krumlov
First mentioned	1395
Area
• Total	16.12 km2 (6.22 sq mi)
Elevation	575 m (1,886 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	838
• Density	52/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal codes	382 41, 382 81
Website	www.besednice.cz

Administrative division

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

• Besednice (767)
• Malče (46)

Etymology

The name is derived from the old Slavic word besěda, which denoted outdoor sitting.^[3]

Geography

Besednice is located about 17 kilometres (11 mi) east of Český Krumlov and 20 km (12 mi) south of České Budějovice. It lies in the Gratzen Foothills. The highest point is the mountain Velký kámen at 753 m (2,470 ft) above sea level.

The brook Besednický potok flows through the market town. The landscape around Besednice near the Besednický potok is known as a site of the moldavites. It is protected as the Besednické vltavíny Nature Monument.^[4]

History

The first written mention of Besednice is from 1395, when Henry III of Rosenberg donated the village to the parish church of St. Vitus in Český Krumlov. From that time until the establishment of an independent municipality in 1848, Besednice belonged to the Český Krumlov prelature.^[5]

Besednice was promoted to a market town in 1910.^[6]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 876 —     1880 934 +6.6% 1890 1,028 +10.1% 1900 1,069 +4.0% 1910 1,110 +3.8%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 1,069 −3.7% 1930 898 −16.0% 1950 761 −15.3% 1961 818 +7.5% 1970 776 −5.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 814 +4.9% 1991 770 −5.4% 2001 802 +4.2% 2011 831 +3.6% 2021 813 −2.2%
Source: Censuses[7][8]

Transport

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

Sights

The most important monument is the Church of Saint Procopius. It was built in the Baroque style in 1738, then it was rebuilt in 1742–1745 and in the Neoclassical style in 1875.^[9]