Bělá pod Pradědem

Bělá pod Pradědem
Municipality
Bělá pod Pradědem in the valley
Flag Coat of arms
Bělá pod Pradědem Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°7′54″N 17°12′57″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Olomouc
District	Jeseník
First mentioned	1284
Area
• Total	92.23 km^2 (35.61 sq mi)
Elevation	474 m (1,555 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	1,729
• Density	19/km^2 (49/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	790 01
Website	www.bela.cz

Bělá pod Pradědem (German: Waldenburg) is a municipality in Jeseník District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,700 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The municipality is made up of the villages of Adolfovice, Bělá, Domašov and Filipovice.

Etymology

The municipality gained its name after the Bělá river and the nearby Praděd mountain.

Geography

Bělá River in Adolfovice

Bělá pod Pradědem is located about 6 kilometres (4 mi) south of Jeseník and 60 km (37 mi) north of Olomouc. It lies in the Hrubý Jeseník mountains. The highest point is the peak of Malý Děd at 1,368 metres (4,488 ft) above sea level; Praděd is located outside the municipal territory. The Bělá River flows through the municipality; the villages are located in the valley of the river.

History

Both villages of Adolfovice and Domašov were first mentioned in 1284. Both villages were founded in the second half of the 13th century, during the colonization by the bishops of Wrocław, who owned the area. The villages were included within the ecclesiastical Duchy of Nysa, which, later on, passed under suzerainty of the Bohemian Crown. In 1772, the hamlet of Filipov/Philippsdorf was founded by bishop Philipp Gotthard von Schaffgotsch, and in 1796 the hamlet of Bělá/Waldenburg was founded by bishop Josepf Christian Franz zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein. Both hamlets were joined to Domašov in 1848.[2]

In 1850, the duchy was secularized and dissolved, and the villages were incorporated directly to Bohemia. After World War I, since 1918, the area formed part of Czechoslovakia.

During World War II, the area was occupied by Germany. On 9 October 1939, Luftwaffe military Junkers F 13 on the way from Opole to Olomouc crashed into the forest in Bělá pod Pradědem. All seven soldiers died in the accident and were buried at the cemetery in Domašov.[3]

In Adolfovice, the occupiers operated three forced labour subcamps (E250, E334, E595) of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner-of-war camp.[4] After the war, in 1945, the German population was expelled in accordance with the Beneš decrees, and the area was restored to Czechoslovakia.

The municipality of Bělá pod Pradědem was established in 1961 by merger of municipalities of Adolfovice and Domašov, including the villages of Bělá and Filipovice.[5]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 4,347 —     1880 4,678 +7.6% 1890 4,513 −3.5% 1900 4,109 −9.0% 1910 3,707 −9.8%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 3,351 −9.6% 1930 3,596 +7.3% 1950 2,096 −41.7% 1961 1,802 −14.0% 1970 1,599 −11.3%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 1,711 +7.0% 1991 1,736 +1.5% 2001 1,785 +2.8% 2011 1,747 −2.1% 2021 1,600 −8.4%
Source: Censuses[6][7]

Transport

Church of Saint John the Baptist

The I/44 road from Šumperk to Jeseník passes through the municipality.

Sights

Church of Saint Thomas

There are two churches in Domašov. The Church of Saint Thomas was built in the Baroque style in 1726–1730. [8] The Church of Saint John the Baptist is a Neoclassical building with late Baroque elements.[9]

Notable people

• Josef Odložil (1938–1993), athlete, Olympic medalist; lived here

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic

Bělá pod Pradědem is twinned with:[10]

• Tułowice, Poland

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. "Nejstarší historie obce" (in Czech). Obec Bělá pod Pradědem. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
3. "V Jeseníkách havarovala stíhačka i Dakota. Jedna z nehod dostane pomník". iDNES.cz (in Czech). 2012-08-06. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
4. "Working Parties". lamsdorf.com. Archived from the original on 2020-10-29. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
5. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21. pp. 1, 11, 104, 120.
6. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
7. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
8. "Kostel sv. Tomáše v Bělé pod Pradědem navrhl žák slavného římského architekta" (in Czech). Czech Radio. 2019-07-17. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
9. "Kostel sv. Tomáše Apoštola" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
10. "Tułowice – partnerská obec" (in Czech). Obec Bělá pod Pradědem. Retrieved 2022-01-31.

External links

• Official website