The name Kolín probably comes from the Old Czech verb koliti, i.e. "to hammer poles", and is related to the location of Starý Kolín in the often flooded area at the confluence of the Klejnárka and Elbe rivers. The soil in the vicinity of the confluence was strengthened with the help of wooden poles.[3]
Kolín is located about 47 kilometres (29 mi) east of Prague. It lies in a fertile landscape of the Central Elbe Table lowland. The Elbe River flows through the town. In the eastern part of the municipal territory is Sandberk, an artificial lake created by flooding a sandstone quarry.
Ptolemy's world map of the 2nd century mentions Budorgis in the area of today's Kolín.[4]
Kolín was founded by King Ottokar II in the 13th century by relocation, when Starý Kolín ("Old Kolín") was threatened by floods and the king decided to move the settlement. The first written mention of Kolín is from 1261, when it was mentioned that Přelouč obtained town privileges, just like Kolín and Kouřim have. It lay on a trade route Prague–Český Brod–Čáslav–Moravia.[5]
Jewish people settled in Kolín in the 14th century.[6] In 1437–1438, a castle was founded in Kolín. It was built on the ruins of a burned down monastery. During the Thirty Years' War, it was damaged, and in the 17th century, it was rebuilt as a brewery. In 1911, the castle burned down and its Renaissance look disappeared.[7]
In Kolín is the smaller part of Kolín-Ovčáry Industrial Zone, known mostly for the factory of the automobile manufacturing company Toyota Motor Manufacturing.[10] As of 2020, TMM employed 2,400 people. It is the most important employer in the region.[11]
Kolín is home to the packaging and paper manufacturer, OTK company.
Kolín is connected with Prague by the I/12 road. The I/38 road (the section from Kutná HoratoNymburk) also passes through the town.
Kolín is a railway junction. The Kolín railway station is located on the major lines Prague–Olomouc and Prague–Brno, which further continue to Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. It also lies on the intraregional lines Prague–Havlíčkův Brod and Ústí nad Labem–Kolín.[12]
The historical centre of the town, formed by the Karlovo Square and surrounding streets, has many Gothic and Baroque buildings. The most important monument is the Church of Saint Bartholomew, protected as a national cultural monument. It has an early Gothic core from the second half of the 13th century. In the mid-14th century, it was rebuilt by the architect Peter Parler. A separate bell tower was built next to the church at the end of the 15th century. In 1878–1910, the Gothic appearance of the church was restored by Josef Mocker.[13]
A notable landmark of the town square is the town hall. Originally a Gothic house from the 15th century, it was rebuilt in the Neo-Renaissance style in 1887.[14]
In Kolín is the original Jewish ghetto with a synagogue from 1696. It is the second oldest and most valuable synagogue in Bohemia.[15] The Jewish cemetery is one of the oldest and largest Jewish cemeteries in Bohemia. It was established in the first half of the 15th century.[16]
^Kleineberg, Andreas; Marx, Christian; Lelgemann, Dieter; Knobloch, Eberhard (2010). Germania und die Insel Thule. Die Entschlüsselung von Ptolemaios' "Atlas der Oikumene" (in German). Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft. ISBN978-3-534-23757-9.
^"Historie" (in Czech). Město Kolín. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
Czech Republic
Dietikon, Switzerland
Duino-Aurisina, Italy
Érd, Hungary
Kamenz, Germany
Lubań, Poland
Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia
