Kaliště (Pelhřimov District)

49°35′34″N 15°18′15″E / 49.59278°N 15.30417°E / 49.59278; 15.30417Country Czech RepublicRegionVysočinaDistrictPelhřimovFirst mentioned1318Area • Total12.42 km² (4.80 sq mi)Elevation601 m (1,972 ft)Population • Total381 • Density31/km² (79/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal codesWebsitewww.obeckaliste.cz

Kaliště (German: Kalischt) is a municipality and village in Pelhřimov District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants. The village is notable for being the birthplace of the composer Gustav Mahler.

The villages of Háj, Holušice, Podivice and Staré Hutě are administrative parts of Kaliště.

Kaliště is located about 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of Pelhřimov and 29 km (18 mi) northwest of Jihlava. It lies in the Křemešník Highlands. The highest point is the hill Podivický vrch at 638 m (2,093 ft) above sea level. There are several small fishponds in the municipal territory.

The first written mention of Kaliště is from 1318, when it was a property of the Vyšehrad Chapter. During the Hussite Wars, King Sigismund seized the property and in 1436 pledged it to the Trčka of Lípa family. In 1698, it was purchased by the Count Jan Jáchym Harrach, who had built a castle here. He passed it to the Austrian Trautson noble family in 1707. The castle was demolished in 1801.^[2]

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 990 —     1880 979 −1.1% 1890 1,046 +6.8% 1900 1,040 −0.6% 1910 972 −6.5%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 906 −6.8% 1930 815 −10.0% 1950 638 −21.7% 1961 615 −3.6% 1970 511 −16.9%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 417 −18.4% 1991 334 −19.9% 2001 333 −0.3% 2011 336 +0.9% 2021 363 +8.0%
Source: Censuses[3][4]

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

The main landmark of Kaliště is the Church of Saint John the Baptist. It is a rural Baroque church from the early 19th century.^[5]

• Gustav Mahler (1860–1911), composer