České Velenice (, ) is a town in Jindřichův Hradec District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,700 inhabitants. The town is located in the Třeboň Basin on the border with Austria and is adjacent to the town of Gmünd, to which it once belonged.
Geography
Suchdol nad Lužnicí is located about south of Jindřichův Hradec and southeast of České Budějovice, on the border with Austria. It lies in the Třeboň Basin. The highest point is the flat hill Andělský kopec at above sea level.
History
Until 1870, there were only small settlements of Česká Cejle, Josefsko and Dolní Velenice in the area constituting current České Velenice, and it was part of the Austrian town of Gmünd. In 1868, the main railway station and the factory for repairing rolling stock and locomotives were established. The development of this border area was decisively increased by the inauguration of the Emperor Franz Joseph Railway connecting Vienna to Prague in 1869. Due to the construction, housing estates were built and the population grew, especially of Czech nationality.
At the end of World War I, the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919) awarded the territory to Czechoslovakia. On 31 July it was officially attached to Czechoslovakia and became the new municipality, at first under the names Cmunt v Čechách and Český Cmunt, and since 1922 under the name České Velenice. Until 1938, České Velenice was a prospering municipality with an important railway junction.
Economy
The largest employer based in the town is the company Magna Cartech, a branch of Magna International. It focuses on sheet metal pressing and welding for automotive industry.
Transport
thumb|České Velenice railway station
České Velenice railway station is located of the international line Prague–Vienna and is the terminus of the line from České Budějovice. The town shares the railway and pedestrian border crossing with Gmünd in Austria.
Education
České Velenice is home to one secondary school and one primary school. The secondary school mainly focuses on business, transport and mechanics.
Sights
The only protected cultural monument in České Velenice is the Church of Saint Agnes of Bohemia. It was built in 1935. Around the church is an English-style park.
Notable people
- Adolf Born (1930–2016), painter, cartoonist and illustrator