Kolín (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 32,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Administrative parts Kolín is made up of town parts of Kolín I–VI and of villages of Sendražice, Šťáralka, Štítary and Zibohlavy. Etymology The name Kolín probably comes from the Old Czech verb koliti, i.e. "to hammer poles", and is related to the location of Starý Kolín in the often flooded area at the confluence of Klejnárka and Elbe. The soil in the vicinity of the confluence was strengthened with the help of wooden poles. Geography Kolín lies about east of Prague. It lies in a fertile landscape of the Central Elbe Table lowland. The town is located on the Elbe River. In the eastern part of the municipal territory is Sandberk, an artificial lake created by flooding a sandstone quarry. History Ptolemy's world map mentions Budorgis in the Kolín's area in the 2nd century. Kolín was founded by King Ottokar II of Bohemia in the 13th century by relocation, when Starý Kolín ("Old Kolín") was threatened by floods and the king decided to move the settlement. The first written mention of Kolín is from 1261, when it was mentioned that Přelouč obtain town privileges, same as Kolín and Kouřim have. It lay on a trade route Prague–Český Brod–Čáslav–Moravia. In 1437–1438, a castle was founded in Kolín. It was built on ruins of a burned down monastery. During the Thirty Years' War, it was damaged, and in the 17th century, it was rebuilt to a brewery. In 1911, the castle burned down and its Renaissance look disappeared. The 1757 Battle of Kolín was fought during the Seven Years' War, and in 1944 a refinery in Kolín was bombed during the Oil Campaign of World War II. Zyklon B for Nazi concentration camps was produced there. Demographics Economy In Kolín is the smaller part of Kolín-Ovčáry Industrial Zone, known mostly for the factory of the automobile manufacturing company Toyota Motor Manufacturing. As of 2020, TMM employed 2,400 people and it is the most important employer in the region. Kolín is home to the packaging and paper manufacturer, OTK company. Sights The historical centre of the town has many gothic and baroque buildings. Most notable are the main market (Karlovo Square) with the Neo-Renaissance town hall, and