Kolín

Kolín
Town
Town Hall
Flag Coat of arms
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Central Bohemian
District	Kolín
Commune	Kolín
River	Elbe
Elevation	220 m (722 ft)
Coordinates	50°1′N 15°12′E / 50.017°N 15.200°E / 50.017; 15.200Coordinates: 50°1′N 15°12′E / 50.017°N 15.200°E / 50.017; 15.200
Area	34.97 km2 (13.50 sq mi)
Population	30,946
Density	885/km2 (2,292/sq mi)
First mentioned	1261
Mayor	Vít Rakušan
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	280 02
Location in the Czech Republic
Statistics: statnisprava.cz
Website: www.mukolin.cz

Kolín (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkoliːn]; German: Kolin) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic some 55 kilometres (34 mi) east from Prague, lying on the Elbe River.

Ptolemy's world map mentions Kolin - Budorgis in the 2nd century. In the 12th and 13th-century German settlers were called in after the Germans leaving west during Migration and the colonization by Slavs. Kolín was founded by king Přemysl Otakar II in the 13th century, first mentioned in 1261. Later on, 1437, a castle was founded here. Between 1475 and 1488, Hynek ze Strážnic, a Renaissance writer and son of King George of Poděbrady, lived in the Kolín Castle.

The 1757 Battle of Kolin was fought during the Seven Years' War, and in 1944 a refinery in Kolin was bombed during the Oil Campaign of World War II. Cyklon B for Nazi concentration camps was produced there.

The historical centre of the town has many gothic and baroque buildings. Most notable are the main market (Karls Square), the Jewish ghetto and synagogue, the very old and large Jewish cemetery, and St. Bartholomeus Church from the 13th century (a work of the architect Peter Parler).

In spring 2005 a new automobile factory was opened by the TPCA consortium on the northern edge of the town.50 04N; 15 14E It employs 3,000 people, cost about 1.5 billion EUR and has a current capacity of 300,000 cars a year.