Svoboda nad Úpou

Svoboda nad Úpou
Town
Panorama of Svoboda nad Úpou
Flag Coat of arms
Svoboda nad Úpou Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°38′0″N 15°48′51″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Hradec Králové
District	Trutnov
First mentioned	1546
Government
• Mayor	Petr Týfa
Area
• Total	7.75 km^2 (2.99 sq mi)
Elevation	516 m (1,693 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	2,009
• Density	260/km^2 (670/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	542 24
Website	musvoboda.cz

Svoboda nad Úpou (German: Freiheit an der Aupa) is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,000 inhabitants. It lies in the Giant Mountains in the valley of the Úpa River.

Etymology

Both the Czech name Svoboda and the German name Freiheit literally means 'freedom'. The name refers to the "freedom to mine" (the privilege of a mining town).[2]

Geography

Svoboda nad Úpou is located about 8 kilometres (5 mi) northwest of Trutnov and 46 km (29 mi) north of Hradec Králové. It lies in the Giant Mountains. The highest point is at 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level. The town is situated in the valley of the Úpa River.

History

Based on the chronicle of Simon Hüttel, Svoboda nad Úpou was founded in 1009; the date is however unsubstantiated. The first written trustworthy mention of Svoboda nad Úpou is from 1546, when the settlement was granted the status of market town by Emperor Ferdinand I, receiving all the privileges of a mining town. In 1580, Svoboda nad Úpou was promoted to a town by Emperor Rudolf II.[3]

Later the mining stopped in the area, but in Svoboda nad Úpou became an important industrial town when paper mills were built in the 19th century. The railway was brought here in 1871. From 1938 to 1945, it was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland. The local German population was expelled after World War II.[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 2,223 —     1880 3,321 +49.4% 1890 3,290 −0.9% 1900 3,424 +4.1% 1910 3,173 −7.3%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 2,759 −13.0% 1930 2,816 +2.1% 1950 2,009 −28.7% 1961 2,366 +17.8% 1970 2,180 −7.9%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 2,499 +14.6% 1991 2,436 −2.5% 2001 2,259 −7.3% 2011 2,119 −6.2% 2021 1,937 −8.6%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Transport

Svoboda nad Úpou is the start of a short railway line to Trutnov, further continuing to Hradec Králové.[6]

Sights

Church of Saint John of Nepomuk

The main landmark is the Church of Saint John of Nepomuk. The old Church of Saint Adalbert from 1584 was replaced by the new Church of Saint John of Nepomuk in 1777 at the behest of Prince Joseph I Adam of Schwarzenberg.[7]

The Church of Saint Joseph in the local part of Dolní Maršov was built in 1927–1928.[8]

Notable people

• Franz Wende (1904–1968), ski jumper and nordic combined skier

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 17 May 2024.
2. Profous, Antonín (1957). Místní jména v Čechách IV: S–Ž (in Czech). pp. 258–259.
3. "Historie Svobody nad Úpou" (in Czech). Město Svoboda nad Úpou. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
4. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 21 December 2015.
5. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 27 March 2021.
6. "Svoboda n.Úpou" (in Czech). České dráhy. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
7. "Dějiny svobodského kostela" (in Czech). Město Svoboda nad Úpou. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
8. "Lázeňský výlet 2" (in Czech). HoryČesko.cz. Retrieved 24 September 2021.

External links

• Official website