Zhůří

Zhůří is a defunct village in the Šumava (Bohemian Forest) in the Klatovy area of the Plzeň Region. It lies within Šumava National Park, in the former Dobrá Voda military area.^[2]^[3] Before the Second World War it had almost 700 inhabitants, mostly of German nationality.^[1]^*

Demise of the village

After the war the German population was expelled. A military area was set up nearby and the village was razed. The Zhůřská pláň nature reserve now occupies the site.^[1] The military training area was abolished in 1991.^[2] The locality contained a former army chemical training ground.^[3]

Environmental burden

The first remains of activity at the former chemical training ground were found here on 21 October 2020. In May 2023 barrels containing unknown substances were found, and the situation was handled as an emergency at the time.^[3] In September 2026 the Minister of the Environment, Igor Červený, said that the former military area held about 1,000 tonnes of contaminated soil and 200 barrels of hazardous chemicals, including dioxins, furans, mercury, arsenic and chlorinated solvents. According to the State Office for Nuclear Safety, the site does not contain substances historically used as chemical weapons.^[2] Clean-up was due to start at the end of September 2026 and last until June 2028.^[2]

On 30 September 2026 Minister Červený filed a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator with the High Public Prosecutor's Office in Prague.^[4] The suspicion concerns, among other things, negligent general endangerment and negligent damage to and endangering of the environment. The cost of the clean-up is estimated at more than 150 million crowns.^[5]

Sources

* The sources are collected and the preliminary text of this entry is drafted with artificial intelligence, on the instruction of the editorial staff; the entry has not yet been verified by an editor — report a mistake.