Prague 17 is a municipal district of the Capital City of Prague made up of the cadastral areas of Řepy, Zličín and part of Třebonice.
Prague 17 is an administrative district of the Capital City of Prague. Its office carries out state administration for the cadastral areas of Řepy, Zličín and part of Třebonice. This territory contains two self-governing units, Prague 17 (formerly Řepy) and Praha Zličín. The municipality lies at an altitude of 340–370 metres[1].
History
The first written mention of Řepy dates from 993, from the founding charter of the Břevnov Monastery. Other historical sources mention the village in the 13th century[1].
Until 1968 Řepy was an independent village outside Prague, belonging first to Praha-venkov District and later to Prague-West District. When the capital was enlarged, the village was incorporated into Prague. State administration was carried out by the Řepy Local National Committee, which had limited powers and administered the territory of so-called old Řepy, that is Bílá Hora, Fialka, the settlement of Blatiny, and lower and upper Řepy. After 1968 the delegated agenda for Řepy was handled by the District National Committee Prague 6 (ONV Praha 6)[1].
In the mid-1980s construction of the Řepy housing estate began[1].
In 1990 administration of the territory passed from the national committee to the Municipal District of Praha Řepy, on the basis of Acts No. 294/1990 Coll., 367/1990 Coll. and 418/1990 Coll. Self-governing activities were introduced at the same time, but most of the agenda was still handled by Prague 6[1].
In the 1994 reorganisation of state administration, based among other things on Act No. 90/1993 Coll., the whole territory of the Řepy housing estate came under the Municipal District of Praha Řepy. The office took on a designated part of the delegated agenda, and the rest of state administration was handled by Prague 13[1].
As of 1 July 2001, on the basis of Act No. 131/2000 Coll. and the Statute of the Capital City of Prague, the independent administrative district of Prague 17 was established, with full state administration for the cadastral areas of Řepy, Zličín and part of Třebonice[1].
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Řepy was designed by the then mayor Vladimír Kadlec. It contains the so-called Řepy cross, found during restoration work in the Church of St. Martin in 1990 thanks to the restorer Dagmar Schwarzová, as well as a sword and the cloak of St. Martin. The Parliament of the Czech Republic accepted and approved the coat of arms on 13 May 1994[1].
Associations and entertainment buildings
A number of associations were active in the village; among the most active were Sokol, Orel, the scouts, the Smetana choral society, the Brotherhood and the volunteer firefighters. Four theatres operated in the village: U Pískáčků, U Škopů, U Auřadů and the theatre in the Sokolovna. The Sokolovna served not only for physical training and theatre but also hosted film screenings twice a week[1].
Geological subsoil and building materials
The upper part of the village stood on marlstone bedrock, which provided building stone. Quarries arose in the surroundings, and the Church of St. Martin is built of local marlstone. Opuková Street is named after this area[1].
The middle part of the village lay on sandy bedrock, where several sand pits were established[1].
The lower part of Řepy lay on ground suitable for brickmaking. A small brickworks was established in the village, and from 1942 another brickworks in Zličín produced fireclay bricks. The Hliník pond was formed from the excavated soil, and the name of the settlement of Blatiny is also connected with this area[1].
Landmarks
The territory of the district contains the Church of St. Martin, a stop on the pilgrimage route on Karlovarská Street, the monastery of the Servite order, the Kratochvíl farmstead and the Monastery of St. Charles Borromeo[1].