Toužim

Toužim (Czech pronunciation: [ˈtouʒɪm]; German: Theusing) is a town in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,500 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as urban monument zone.

Toužim
Town
Former town hall at the town square
Flag Coat of arms
Toužim Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°3′38″N 12°59′6″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Karlovy Vary
District	Karlovy Vary
First mentioned	1354
Government
• Mayor	Alexandr Žák
Area
• Total	98.55 km2 (38.05 sq mi)
Elevation	612 m (2,008 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	3,492
• Density	35/km2 (92/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	364 20
Website	www.touzim.cz

Administrative division

Toužim consists of 16 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):^[2]

• Toužim (2,699)
• Bezděkov (45)
• Branišov (10)
• Dobrá Voda (110)
• Dřevohryzy (0)
• Kojšovice (69)
• Komárov (74)
• Kosmová (166)
• Lachovice (0)
• Luhov (8)
• Nežichov (33)
• Políkno (27)
• Prachomety (55)
• Radyně (57)
• Smilov (12)
• Třebouň (92)

Geography

Toužim is located about 21 kilometres (13 mi) south of Karlovy Vary. It lies in the Teplá Highlands. The highest point is the hill Třebouňský vrch at 825 m (2,707 ft) above sea level. The Střela River originates in the municipal territory and flows through the town proper.

History

The first written mention of Toužim is in a document from 1354, where there was written about the site of a Premonstratensian provostry. The surrounding fortified town was founded in 1469.^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 5,075 —     1880 5,109 +0.7% 1890 5,155 +0.9% 1900 5,052 −2.0% 1910 5,104 +1.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 5,085 −0.4% 1930 4,898 −3.7% 1950 2,462 −49.7% 1961 2,680 +8.9% 1970 3,594 +34.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 3,949 +9.9% 1991 3,864 −2.2% 2001 3,798 −1.7% 2011 3,710 −2.3% 2021 3,457 −6.8%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Transport

Toužim is located on the railway line of local importance heading from Rakovník to Bečov nad Teplou.^[6]

Sights

Toužim Castle

Marian column on the square

The main landmark of the historic centre is the castle complex, formed by two castle buildings, a manorial brewery and fragments of town walls.^[7]

The parish deanery Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was built after 1488. The original late Gothic church building was damaged by fires and rebuilt in 1738–1742. The northern Gothic tower and the Baroque side chapel of Christ the Sufferer from 1699 have been preserved.^[7]

The former town hall on the town square is a Neoclassical-Empire building with a Gothic core. It was rebuilt to its present form after numerous fires. In the middle of the town square is a Marian column from 1705, a fountain from the mid-18th century, and a modern sculpture of King George of Poděbrady, after whom the square is named.^[7]

Notable people

• Francis Erdmann, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (1629–1666), German nobleman
• Josef Antonín Sehling (1710–1756), composer
• Ignaz Friedrich Tausch (1793–1848), botanist
• Emil Triner (born 1961), racing driver