Božanov

Božanov
Municipality
General view
Flag Coat of arms
Božanov Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°31′37″N 16°9′5″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Hradec Králové
District	Náchod
First mentioned	1256
Area
• Total	19.23 km^2 (7.42 sq mi)
Elevation	405 m (1,329 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	389
• Density	20/km^2 (52/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	549 74
Website	www.obecbozanov.cz

Božanov (German: Barzdorf) is a municipality and village in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The hamlet of Studená Voda is an administrative part of Božanov.

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Božan. First, the local stream was named Božanův potok ("Božan's stream"), and the name of the stream was then transferred to the settlement.[2]

Geography

Božanov is located about 19 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Náchod and 26 km (16 mi) south of the Polish city of Wałbrzych, on the border with Poland. It lies in the Broumov Highlands, in the Broumovsko Protected Landscape Area. The highest point is the Koruna hill at 769 m (2,523 ft) above sea level. The village of Božanov is situated in the valley of the stream Božanovský potok.

History

The first written mention of Božanov is from 1256. It belonged to the Broumov estate, owned by the Benedictines. The hamlet of Studená Voda was founded in 1784. Božanov was a prosperous agricultural village for centuries, but due to industrialization in the second half of the 19th century, there was a decrease in the population, who moved to the surrounding larger towns.[3]

About 95% of the population was German-speaking in 1930. In 1938, Božanov was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland. After World War II, the German-speaking population was expelled and the municipality was resettled by Czechs from inland.[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 1,855 —     1880 1,757 −5.3% 1890 1,662 −5.4% 1900 1,440 −13.4% 1910 1,340 −6.9%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 1,282 −4.3% 1930 1,176 −8.3% 1950 599 −49.1% 1961 553 −7.7% 1970 453 −18.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 347 −23.4% 1991 309 −11.0% 2001 332 +7.4% 2011 340 +2.4% 2021 332 −2.4%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality. In the municipality is the pedestrian border crossing Studená Voda / Radków with Poland.

Sights

Church of Saint Mary Magdalene

The main landmark of Božanov is the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene. It was built in the Baroque style in 1735–1740 according to the design by architect Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer. For its value it has been protected as a national cultural monument since 2022.[6]

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. Profous, Antonín (1947). Místní jména v Čechách I: A–H (in Czech). p. 152.
3. "Historie" (in Czech). Obec Božanov. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
4. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
5. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
6. "Kostel sv. Máří Magdalény" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-07-21.

External links

• Official website