Ždírec (Jihlava District)

Ždírec (Seelenz) is a municipality and village in Jihlava District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants.

Geography
Ždírec is located about 8 km northeast of Jihlava. It lies in the Upper Sázava Hills. The highest point is at 552 m above sea level. The stream Ždírecký potok flows through the municipality. The stream supplies several small fishponds.

History
The first written mention of Ždírec is from 1233. From the 13th century until 1945 Ždírec was ethnically a German village. It belonged to the German-speaking enclave called Jihlava Language Island. After World War II, the Germans were expelled and the municipality was resettled by Czechs.

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

Sights
The main landmark of Ždírec is the Church of Saint Wenceslaus. It was built in the pseudo-Gothic style in 1893–1898, after the old church was destroyed by a fire in 1890. It became protected as a cultural monument in 1958.

Other sights include a Baroque sculptural group of Saint John of Nepomuk from 1743, a Baroque statue of Saint Anthony of Padua from 1753, and the building of retirement home from 1926 with the Chapel of the Virgin Mary.