Novosedly (German Neusiedel) is a village in the district of
Břeclav in the South Moravian Region. It lies on the right bank of
the Dyje near the border with Austria, between the towns of Mikulov
and Hrušovany nad Jevišovkou. Approximately 1,200 inhabitants live
here.
Novosedly was founded as a colonization village
probably before 1183, but no later than in the first quarter of the
13th century. The first reliable written mention is from 1276.
Originally they belonged to the chapter in Stará Boleslav. In 1276,
the village ceded to the Premonstratensian monastery in Dolní
Kounice. Already during the first half of the 14th century, however,
part of the village belonged to the Drnholec estate. That eventually
won her over. Novosedly then fell under the Drnholec estate until
the abolition of the patrimonial administration in 1848.
After the introduction of a new state administration organization in
1850, it was incorporated into the judicial and political district
of Mikulov. A new school building was built in 1856 (another Czech
minority school building was built next to it in 1920). In 1872, a
railway was brought here (line Břeclav - Hrušovany nad Jevišovkou),
from which a branch led to Lava nad Dyjí (abolished in 1930). The
post office in the village was founded on January 22, 1892.
After the Munich Agreement, Novosedly was ceded to the German Empire
and annexed to the Lower Danube County on October 8, 1938. The
Soviet army occupied the village on May 8, 1945. Most of the
village's inhabitants were subsequently displaced and replaced by
settlers from Wallachia, Hodonín, Slovakia and re-emigrants from
Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. Since 1960, the village falls under the
district of Břeclav. On March 5, 2004, the municipality of Novosedly
was awarded the emblem and flag by the Parliament of the Czech
Republic.
Novosedly was founded as a colonization village probably before 1183,
but at the latest in the first quarter of the 13th century. The first
reliable written mention is from 1276. It originally belonged to the
chapter in Stará Boleslav. In 1276, the village passed to the
Premonstratensian monastery in Dolní Kounice. Already during the first
half of the 14th century, part of the village belonged to the Drnholec
estate. That finally won her over. Novosedly then fell under the
Drnholec estate until the abolition of the patrimonial administration in
1848.
After the introduction of a new organization of state
administration in 1850, it was incorporated into the judicial and
political district of Mikulov. A new school building was built in 1856
(another Czech minority school building was built next to it in 1920).
In 1872, a railway was brought here (Břeclav - Hrušovany nad Jevišovkou
line), from which a branch line led to Láva nad Dyjí (cancelled in
1930). The post office in the village was established on January 22,
1892.
After the Munich Agreement, Novosedly was ceded to the
German Empire and on October 8, 1938, it was annexed to the Lower Danube
County. The Soviet army did not occupy the village until May 8, 1945.
The majority of the inhabitants of the village were subsequently
displaced and replaced by settlers from Wallachia, Hodonín, Slovakia and
re-emigrants from Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. Since 1960, the village has
been part of the Břeclav district. On March 5, 2004, the Parliament of
the Czech Republic granted the village of Novosedly a coat of arms and a
flag.
Population
Although they are located in an area settled
by Croatian colonization, Novosedly itself was, until the expulsion of
the Germans in 1945, overwhelmingly German.
Autonomy
Since
1990, František Trefilík has served as the mayor of the village. He was
re-elected at the constituent meeting of the council on November 6,
2014. The representatives removed him from his position in August 2015,
at the council meeting on September 17, 2015, Milan Masařík was elected
as the new mayor. However, he resigned after two weeks. At the council
meeting on November 3, 2015, Adam Hrůza was elected as the new mayor. He
was re-elected mayor at the constituent meeting of the council on 1
November 2018.
Church of St. Aldrich
The Church of St. Oldřich is a Roman
Catholic parish church in the village of Novosedly in the district of
Břeclav. The single-nave church with a Romanesque core dates from the
13th century, modified and expanded in later times. It is protected as a
cultural monument.
History
The church in Novosedle is
mentioned for the first time in 1276. However, the late Romanesque
church was built in the first half of the 13th century, it consisted of
a flat-ceilinged nave with a chancel apse. During the 3rd quarter of the
13th century, the apse was demolished and a larger Gothic chancel was
built and vaulted. Probably at the same time, a rectangular chapel,
ending in an apse, was also added to the southern wall of the nave. The
underground space under this apse probably served as a well chapel (cult
of St. Aldrich), later it was transformed into an ossuary. Around the
year 1500, the nave of the church was provided with a vault. The tower
was probably built in the second half of the 17th century. In 1774, the
wooden belfry floor was apparently replaced by a brick one, and the side
chapel was vaulted. The previously separate area of the chapel was
connected to the nave before 1828 by punching holes in the southern wall
of the nave. The original small sacristy was enlarged to its present
form in 1811. In 1891, two windows of the chancel were walled up and
others were modified in a Gothic style. In 1909, the original nave was
replaced by a new one and the chapel windows were modified.
Description
The church of St. Oldřich stands on the village square in
the center of the village. It is a single nave oriented building. The
late Romanesque rectangular nave is complemented by a Gothic, polygonal
chancel. A four-sided sacristy adjoins its northern wall. A tower with a
prismatic plan stands in the axis of the western facade of the nave.
Access to the chancel and tower is by a cylindrical spiral staircase
standing at the north side of the nave. Adjacent to the southern wall of
the nave is the rectangular chapel of St. Roch, ending in an apse. Under
the apse is a space with a circular plan, topped by a dome and
accessible by a staircase. The chancel is secured by stepped buttresses.
There is one original arched window on its south side. In the northern
wall of the nave, partially bricked original Romanesque windows with a
semicircular arch are located (they are also similar in the attic space
of the southern wall). Beneath them are later Gothic arched windows. The
church tower is equipped with corner pilasters. The main entrance to the
church is located in the basement covered by a cross vault. Another
entrance is in the west facade of the chapel of St. Roch. The nave is
vaulted with three cross-vault fields, the adjoining choir space and the
chancel have two cross-vault fields and a beamed finial. The nave and
the choir space are separated by a semicircular vaulted brick triumphal
arch. In the western part of the nave there is a Neo-Gothic music hall.
The south wall of the nave is connected to the chapel by two openings
with arched arches. The chapel of St. Roch has a barrel vault, the apse
is finished with a conch.
Device
In the interior of the church
there is a main altar from 1801 with a painting of the Celebration of
St. Oldrich by Ferdinand Licht. The two side counterpart retabular
altars contain the main images of the Death of St. Joseph (F. Licht,
1801) and Death of St. Barbory (anonymous, late 18th century). In the
side chapel there is an altar from the beginning of the 18th century,
with the original painting of St. Rocha.
А Marian column in the village with a statue of the Virgin Mary and
Jesus Christ, dating from the 18th century.
The baroque-classical
chapel of the Suffering Christ from the beginning of the 18th century is
located in the southern part of the village
A trinity of divine
torments from different times, located around the eastern and northern
edges of the village.
Location and Regional Context
The village lies at 48°50′13″N
16°29′34″E (48.83694°N, 16.49278°E), roughly 30 km (19 mi) northwest of
Břeclav, 39 km (24 mi) south of Brno, and between the towns of Mikulov
(to the north) and Hrušovany nad Jevišovkou (to the southwest). It sits
directly on the right bank of the Dyje River (Thaya in German), very
close to the Austrian border, where the landscape transitions smoothly
into Austria’s Weinviertel region.
This places it in the southern
part of the Dyje–Svratka Valley (Dyjsko-svratecký úval), a broad lowland
depression within the Outer Subcarpathia section of the Western
Carpathians. The valley stretches 83 km southwest–northeast, covers
1,452 km², and forms part of the larger Alpide belt’s outer depression.
It drains northward into the Morava River and ultimately the Danube
basin (Black Sea watershed).
Topography and Relief
The
municipality occupies a classic lowland setting with an average
elevation of 173 m (568 ft) above sea level. The terrain is
predominantly flat to gently undulating, characteristic of the
Dyje–Svratka Valley’s floodplain and low-relief areas. The northern
sections of the valley feature more pronounced undulations and isolated
hills, while the southern part (including Novosedly) is flatter but
still rises modestly.
The highest point within the municipal
territory is Syslík hill at 265 m (869 ft) above sea level. Valley-wide,
elevations range from a low of about 170 m (near the Nové Mlýny
reservoirs downstream) to 355 m at Výhon hill farther afield; peaks are
scarce overall. The landscape includes river floodplains and subtle
slopes ideal for agriculture.
Hydrology
The dominant water
feature is the Dyje River itself, which flows along the village’s
western/southwestern edge. The municipality lies entirely on its right
(eastern) bank. No major tributaries or streams are prominently
documented within the cadastral area, though the broader valley hosts
the Svratka, Jihlava, Svitava, Jevišovka, and Litava rivers, with large
reservoirs (Nové Mlýny) at the Dyje–Svratka confluence downstream. The
area is prone to occasional flooding typical of lowland river valleys.
Geology and Soils
Geologically, the Dyje–Svratka Valley consists
primarily of Neogene (Miocene–Pliocene) sediments—mainly gravel, sand,
and finer deposits from the outer depression of the Carpathian foredeep.
These create fertile, well-drained soils, often with loess overlays in
higher or sloping areas. The combination of sedimentary geology and mild
relief produces excellent conditions for viticulture, as seen across the
southern valley.
Climate
Novosedly experiences a temperate
continental climate typical of South Moravia’s lowlands, moderated by
its position in the Pannonian-influenced zone. Summers are warm, winters
are cold and snowy with occasional strong winds, and the sky is partly
cloudy year-round. The growing season is relatively long and dry enough
for quality wine production, with moderate annual precipitation
(generally 500–600 mm regionally) concentrated in summer. This
microclimate—warmer and sunnier than the Czech interior—supports the
Mikulovská wine sub-region.
Land Use, Vegetation, and Human
Landscape
Land use is overwhelmingly agricultural, with vineyards
dominating the slopes and higher ground. Novosedly belongs to the
Mikulovská wine sub-region (part of the broader Moravian wine region),
featuring named vineyard tracts such as U božích muk, Stará hora, Růžová
hora, Nad Sklepy, Slunečná, Janův vrch, and Kamenný vrch. Forests cover
only about 11.7% of the broader valley; natural vegetation is limited to
riparian strips (oaks, poplars, willows) along the Dyje, while higher
areas may have black locust or small woods. The rest is intensively
farmed, including orchards and arable fields. No major protected natural
areas are designated directly in Novosedly, though the valley supports
scattered nature-friendly patches amid cultivation.