Skorek’s court. That is what Skorkov once meant. We’re standing in a village with a history stretching back centuries. Skorkov has seen generations come and go.
Skorkov is a municipality in the Mladá Boleslav District. It lies in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. About 700 people call Skorkov home. The first written record of Skorkov dates back to 1332. But the villages of Otradovice and Podbrahy were not mentioned until 1788.
The name Skorkov comes from the personal name Skorek. Skorek likely meant scorek or scorec. Over time Skorkov evolved. Locals fondly call it ve Skorkově or do Skorkova.
Skorkov today includes three parts. There is Skorkov itself with 354 residents. Otradovice has 216 people. Podbrahy is home to 157.
Skorkov sits in a flat landscape. Most of it belongs to the Central Elbe Table. The Jizera River flows along the eastern edge. It marks the municipal border. The D10 motorway runs along the northern border. This connects Prague and Turnov.
The Church of Saint John the Baptist stands as Skorkov’s oldest landmark. Documents mention it first in 1359. The Thirty Years’ War caused damage. It was rebuilt around 1690. A bell tower was added in 1689. This tower was rebuilt in 1873 to its present form. A Renaissance ossuary sits next to the church.
The village Podbrahy got its name from a sunny slope. This slope was called Brah. A tall forest near Skorkov sloped down to the Jizera valley. Brah referred to an open barn. It had a roof on poles. Hay was brought there.
Otradovice means the village of Otrad’s people. German authorities gave it the artificial name Laubendorf in the 18th century. Laubendorf meant arbour village. But this name did not catch on.
Children from Skorkov used to attend school in Sojovice. They crossed the Jizera River on a rickety footbridge. Several children fell into the river in the winter of 1771. They drowned. In 1772 a school opened in Skorkov. It was in a wooden house number 28. Students from Skorkov, Podbrahy, and Otradovice attended. This school district continued until the school closed in 1976.
Skorkov has evolved over the centuries. Yet it maintains its unique character. From its etymological roots to its important church. Skorkov offers a glimpse into Czech history.