Jiříkov (Bruntál District)

Jiříkov (Girsig) is a municipality and village in Bruntál District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Kněžpole, Křížov, Sovinec and Těchanov are administrative parts of Jiříkov.

Geography
Jiříkov is located about 20 km southwest of Bruntál and 28 km north of Olomouc. It lies in the Nízký Jeseník range. The highest point is located on the slopes of the Návrší hill, at 700 m above sea level. The Oslava River flows along the western municipal border.

History
The first written mention of Jiříkov is from 1264. Jiříkov was probably founded as part of the colonization activities of the Olomouc Bishop Bruno von Schauenburg. In 1494 the village belonged to the Sovinec estate.

Of the original row of buildings, only a few houses remained after World War II. Today the old part of the village consists mostly of new buildings.

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

Sights
The main landmark of Jiříkov is the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel. It was built in the Baroque style in from 1787. Its prismatic Renaissance tower dates from 1605.

In the village of Sovinec is the Sovinec castle, built before 1332.

In popular culture
Jiříkov and its inhabitants play a major role in Bohdan Sláma's film The Wild Bees (2001).