Ondřejov (Prague-East District)


Ondřejov is a village in the Prague-East District, in the Central Bohemian Region, of the Czech Republic. It is home to about 1,500 people. The village is notable for its observatory – owned by the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

History

The first written mention of the village dates from 1352. The Parish church is dated from around the first quarter of the 14th century. In the early modern period it was discovered that there were large amounts of silver ore in the vicinity of the village, prompting one of the village's main exports to be crafts such as pottery.
In 1850 there were 817 residents and 164 homes, In 1900 974 residents and 169 houses, in 1970 1,024 residents in 248 houses, and in 2016 1,592 residents in 302 houses.
In the year 1898 – 1906 the industrialist :cs:Josef Jan Frič|Josef Jan Fric built the astronomical observatory in the village, which he gave to the Charles University in 1928. Today it is operated by the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences.