Doly (Karviná)

Saint Peter of Alcantara Church

Doly (Polish: Kopalnie, lit. "mines") is a district of the city of Karviná in Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It lies on the southwestern edge of the city, in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia and has a population of 810 (2001).^[1]

Baroque Saint Peter of Alcantara Church is located there. It was built in 1736. Due to the extensive coal mining in the area, the ground lowered and the church leans 6.8° southwards.^[2] The church is now a protected landmark and a memento of the past, reminding the times when coal mining in Karviná was far more extensive. Despite its leaning, the church is still active, with Mass in Czech and Polish languages held each week.^[2] Near the church there is located the old cemetery.

In the area of today's district Doly, was located a settlement called Solca (Polish: Solca, German: Solza). After the discovery of black coal in the area, many miners and workers came and settled there. The village developed quickly since then. In 1873 a château was built there by the noble Larisch-Mönnich family. In the surrounding park, the family chapel and tomb were built. In 1894-1897 a Neo-Renaissance Saint Henry church was constructed. The Viennese architect Cerny, inspired by the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, planned the church for the growing community and the new building was able to house 4,000 worshippers.^[3]

According to the Austrian census of 1910 the village had 1,047 inhabitants, 1,021 of whom had permanent residence there. The census asked people for their native language, 819 (80.2%) were Polish-speaking and 165 (16.1%) were German-speaking. The most populous religious group were Roman Catholics with 930 (88.8%) followed by Protestants with 109 (10.4%).^[4]

Solca virtually disappeared, when the population moved to nearby towns and villages in the 1950s and 1960s, as Solca was extensively undermined due to the coal mining in the area. Communist authorities destroyed most of the buildings afterwards. The château was demolished in 1953, the church in 1960, the Larisch-Mönnich family tomb in 1985.^[3]

References

1. ^ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869 - 2005 - 1. díl". Praha: Czech Statistical Office. 2006. pp. 718–719. http://www.czso.cz/csu/2004edicniplan.nsf/t/9200404384/$File/13n106cd1.pdf. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Profile at the hrady.cz website
3. ^ ^{a b} Vladislav Dudák (25 October 2009). "Dnešní Karviná aneb místo Solcy Pilňok". Týden. http://www.tyden.cz/rubriky/cestovani/ceske-trosky/dnesni-karvina-aneb-misto-solcy-pilnok_144672.html. 
4. ^ Ludwig Patryn (ed): Die Ergebnisse der Volkszählung vom 31. Dezember 1910 in Schlesien, Troppau 1912.

External links

• Solca Château information with historical and contemporary photos
• Church information with historical and contemporary photos

Coordinates: 49°50′5″N 18°29′7″E / 49.83472°N 18.48528°E / 49.83472; 18.48528