Sokolov, Czech Republic

Villages of Hrušková and Novina and area of former village of Vítkov are administrative parts of Sokolov.

The meaning of the original German name Falkenau was "falcon's riparian forest", the original Czech name Falknov was created by transcription of the German name. According to legend, it was related to hobby of knight Sebastian, who is said to have been the founder of the town, of falconry. After World War II, when it was customary to change names of German origin, the town was renamed Sokolov. According to communist propaganda at the time, the name was not related to a falcon (i.e. sokol in Czech), but to the Battle of Sokolovo in which Czechoslovak soldiers had fought alongside Soviet soldiers on the Eastern Front in World War II.[2]

Sokolov is located about 16 kilometres (10 mi) southwest of Karlovy Vary. It lies mostly in the Sokolov Basin. The eastern part of the municipal territory extends into the Slavkov Forest and includes the highest point of Sokolov, the hill Zelený močál at 797 metres (2,615 ft) above sea level. The Ohře River flows through the town.

On the eastern outskirts of the town there is Lake Michal, an artificial lake created by flooding of former coal quarry. It has an area of 30 ha (74 acres) and serves recreational purposes.[3]

Church of Saint James the Great in the historical centre

The first written mention of Sokolov is from 13 April 1279 under the name Falkenau / Falknov. The town was a property of noble families of Nothaft and later Schlick. The Schlick family built here a small castle, which was rebuilt in the 16th century.[4]

After the Battle of White Mountain the Nostitz family gained Sokolov. During the Thirty Years' War the town and the castle was repeatedly burned out. The town and the castle was recovered in the 1760s by Johann Hartwig of Nostitz-Rieneck. In the 18th century, there was a great expansion of urban crafts and hop growing.[4]

Until 1918, the town was part of Austria-Hungary, head of the Falkenau a.d. Eger District, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.[5] In 1919, the town, being part of the continuous German Sprachraum, was proclaimed part of the Republic of German-Austria, but shortly afterwards became part of the First Czechoslovak Republic.

From 1938 to 1945, the town was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of Reichsgau Sudetenland. During World War II, Falkenau was the site of a sub-camp of the Flossenbürg concentration camp. The camp at Falkenau was captured by the U.S. 1st Infantry Division on 6 May 1945. Nearly all of the town's population, being Germans, were expelled after 1945.

The region is known for mining of lignite. The largest employer based in the town is Sokolovská uhelná, a major Czech mining company.[8]

The D6 motorway from Karlovy Vary to Cheb runs through the town.

The town is home to a football club, FK Baník Sokolov. It used to play in the second tier of the Czech football team, but today it plays in lower amateur tiers.

The Church of Saint James the Great is one of the landmarks of the town centre. It was first documented in the 13th century and rebuilt in the late Renaissance style in 1632–1637. In 1671–1681, it was modified in the early Baroque style. The church tower is built in the spirit of the Saxon Renaissance.[9]

The Sokolov Castle was built on the site of a former water fortress in late Renaissance and early Baroque styles. In 1800–1805, the building was modified in the Neoclassical style. Since 1960, the castle has been the seat of the Regional Museum, focused mainly on the development of mining and the history of the region.[10]

• Ernst Hammer (1884–1957), German military officer
• Václav Blažek (born 1959), historical linguist
• Štefan Füle (born 1962), diplomat
• Markéta Vondroušová (born 1999), tennis player

Sokolov is twinned with:[11]

• Saalfeld, Germany
• Schwandorf, Germany

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sokolov.

• Official website
• Regional Tourist Portal (in Czech)