Jankov (Benešov District)

Jankov is a municipality and village in Benešov District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants.

Jankov
Municipality
A pond in Jankov
Flag Coat of arms
Jankov Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°39′11″N 14°43′51″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Central Bohemian
District	Benešov
First mentioned	1352
Area
• Total	29.81 km2 (11.51 sq mi)
Elevation	510 m (1,670 ft)
Population  (2025-01-01)[1]
• Total	914
• Density	31/km2 (79/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	257 03
Website	obecjankov.cz

Administrative division

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

• Jankov (478)
• Bedřichovice (42)
• Čečkov (17)
• Čestín (14)
• Jankovská Lhota (52)
• Nosákov (39)
• Odlochovice (179)
• Otradovice (30)
• Pičín (74)
• Podolí (8)

Čečkov, Nosákov and Odlochovice form an exclave of the municipal territory.

Geography

Jankov is located about 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Benešov and 45 km (28 mi) southeast of Prague. It lies in the Vlašim Uplands. The highest point is at 675 m (2,215 ft) above sea level. The Chotýšanka River flows through the municipality. The area is rich in small fishponds.

History

The first written mention of Jankov is from 1352. From 1418 to 1702, the village was owned by the Talmberk family. The last noble owners of Jankov before the establishment of an independent municipality in 1848 was the Chotek family.^[3]

The Battle of Jankau was fought nearby on 6 March 1645, during the Thirty Years' War. It featured a Swedish army under Lennart Torstensson and an Imperial force commanded by Melchior von Hatzfeld.^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 2,076 —     1880 2,252 +8.5% 1890 2,322 +3.1% 1900 2,157 −7.1% 1910 1,983 −8.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 1,885 −4.9% 1930 1,738 −7.8% 1950 1,305 −24.9% 1961 1,294 −0.8% 1970 1,130 −12.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 943 −16.5% 1991 891 −5.5% 2001 893 +0.2% 2011 940 +5.3% 2021 933 −0.7%
Source: Censuses[5][6]

Transport

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

Sights

Odlochovice Castle

The main landmark of Jankov is the Church of Saint John the Baptist. It was built in the Romanesque style in the mid-12th century. In the 17th century, Baroque modifications were made.^[7]

The Church of Saint Lawrence is located in Bedřichovice. It is a Romanesque-Gothic building from the third quarter of the 13th century.^[8]

A notable building is the castle in Odlochovice. It was built in the Renaissance style on the site of an old Gothic fortress. Neorenaissance reconstruction took place at the end of the 19th century. Today it houses an institute of social care. A large castle park also belongs to the castle.^[9]