Přelouč

History

Přelouč is one of the oldest historically documented settlements in the region. A settlement for probably founded here in the 10th century. The first written mention of Přelouč dates back to 1086 when the village became a part of the Benedictine monastery in Opatovice nad Labem. It was owned by the monastery for 300 years. In 1261, Přelouč was promoted to a market town by King Ottokar II of Bohemia. Since then, the town has used its coat of arms which consists of a black gridiron in the golden field. This symbol is associated with Saint Lawrence who lived in the 3rd century in Rome and was burnt alive on a gridiron. Because of the town's affiliation with the Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Lawrence, the town coat of arms includes the gridiron. Thanks to its location, Přelouč was an important strategic transit place in the 13th and 14th centuries. During the Hussite Wars, Přelouč was conquered and badly damaged. As a result, its importance declined and it became a small agricultural market town. In 1518, it was joined to the Pardubice estate. New economical and cultural development occurred in the second half of the 16th century and in 1580, it was promoted to a town by Rudolf II. The War of the Austrian Succession again damaged the town, which again became a small agricultural town. It was not until the first half of the 19th century, thanks to the construction of a new imperial road and then the railway, that Přelouč became the second most economically important town in the region. From 1850 to 1960, Přelouč was a district town.

Geography

Přelouč is located about west of Pardubice. It lies on the border between the Svitavy Uplands and East Elbe Table, in the Polabí region. The highest point is at above sea level. The town is situated on the left bank of the Elbe. There are several water bodies in the municipal territory. North of the town are flooded gravel quarries, which are used mainly for recreation and water sports. North of the town is also the fishpond Buňkov, the largest water body of Přelouč. Inside the urban area is the small fishpond Račanský rybník.

Most-observed species

• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,660
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,456
• Gray/Purple Heron

  Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,342
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,301
• Common Buzzard

  Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,285
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,252
• Mute Swan

  Cygnus olor (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  1,237
• Graylag Goose

  Anser anser (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,188

Most recent

• M 3 — 2006-03-21
  1 km NNW of Bystré, Czechia
• M 3.4 — 2005-10-25
  0 km N of ?ervený Kostelec, Czechia
• M 2.9 — 2005-08-10
  2 km WSW of ?ervený Kostelec, Czechia
• M 2.7 — 2004-08-13
  3 km SSW of Karpacz, Poland
• M 2.5 — 2004-06-03
  6 km WNW of Janowice Wielkie, Poland
• M 2.8 — 2003-08-26
  1 km NNW of Marciszów, Poland