Boží Dar
Boží Dar | |
|---|---|
 View from the west | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Boží Dar Location in the Czech Republic | |
| Coordinates:50°24′35″N12°55′28″E/ 50.40972°N 12.92444°E | |
| Country |  Czech Republic |
| Region | Karlovy Vary |
| District | Karlovy Vary |
| Founded | 1533 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jan Horník (STAN) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 37.91 km2(14.64 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,028 m (3,373 ft) |
| Population (2024-01-01)[1] | |
| • Total | 263 |
| • Density | 6.9/km2(18/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2(CEST) |
| Postal code | 362 62 |
| Website | www |
Boží Dar(German:Gottesgab) is a town inKarlovy Vary Districtin theKarlovy Vary Regionof theCzech Republic.It has about 300 inhabitants. Situated in theOre Mountainsat 1,028 m (3,373 ft) above sea level, it is considered the highest town in the Czech Republic. The town is part of the Abertamy – Boží Dar Mining Landscape, which is aUNESCOWorld Heritage Siteas part ofOre Mountain Mining Region.
Administrative parts
[edit]The villages of Ryžovna and Zlatý Kopec are administrative parts of Boží Dar.
Etymology
[edit]The original German nameGottesgaband the Czech name Boží Dar both literally means 'Gift of God'. The name is said to have come from the statement of the founder of the village,John Frederick I,in which he described the local silver in this way.[2]
Geography
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Boží Dar is located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north ofKarlovy Vary,on the border with Germany. It lies in theOre Mountains.The highest point is theBožídarský Špičákmountain at 1,116 m (3,661 ft) above sea level. The area around Božídarský Špičák with peat bogs is protected as the Božídarské rašeliniště National Nature Reserve.[3]
TheČernácreek flows across the municipal territory. TheMyslivnyReservoir is supplied by the creek.
History
[edit]The remote area in the SaxonBarony of Schwarzenbergwas settled aftersilverandtin miningbegan about 1517. Boží Dar was founded as amining townby decree ofJohn Frederick I, Elector of Saxony,who acquired the lordship in 1533. Together with neighbouringHorní Blatná,John Frederick had to cede the town to theHabsburglands of theBohemian Crownin 1547 after theSchmalkaldic Warand his defeat in theBattle of Mühlberg.[2]
The peak of mining dates back to the 1550s and 1560s, when the town had over 2,000 inhabitants. In 1580, EmperorRudolf IIpromoted Boží Dar to the royal mining town. During theThirty Years' War,the town was looted several times. In 1643, it was plundered by theSwedish army.After the decline of mining in the 17th and 18th centuries, the original important mining town gradually turned into a mountain town, whose inhabitants subsisted on various domestic productions.[2]
AfterWorld War I,Boží Dar became part of theFirst Czechoslovak Republic.It was mainly settled bySudeten Germansand was one of themunicipalities in Sudetenlandannexed during theGerman occupation of Czechoslovakiain 1938. AfterWorld War IIthe German population wasexpelled.[2]The historic town privileges were lost in the 1950s, but restored in 2006.
Demographics
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| Source: Censuses[4][5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Transport
[edit]The I/25 road connects Boží Dar withOstrov.Boží Dar is the site of a road border crossing toOberwiesenthalin Germany.
Sport
[edit]Boží Dar lies in one of the most importantwinter sportregions in the Czech Republic.The town is known for two ski resorts with several downhill runs and four ski lifts.[6]
Sights
[edit]
The town belongs to the so-called Abertamy – Boží Dar – Horní Blatná Mining Landscape, which is aUNESCOWorld Heritage Siteas part ofOre Mountain Mining Region.[7]The most valuable remnant of former mining in the area is the Blatenský water ditch. It is a technical monument, protected as anational cultural monument.It was built in 1540–1544 and was used for mining tin ore and for transporting wood. It is 11.6 km (7.2 mi) long and runs across the municipal territory. An educational trail runs along the ditch.[8][9]
The main landmark of the town is the Church of Saint Anne. It was built in the Baroque style in 1771, when it replaced an older Renaissance church.[10]
The lateEmpiretown hall was built in 1844–1845 and together with the church belongs to the landmarks of the town square.[11]
Notable people
[edit]- Kaspar Eberhard(1523–1575), Lutheran theologian; local pastor in 1554
- Nikos Kazantzakis(1883–1957), Greek writer; spent several months in Myslivny in 1929–1932
- Lukáš Bauer(born 1977), cross country skier; lives here
References
[edit]- ^"Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024".Czech Statistical Office.2024-05-17.
- ^abcd"Historie Božího Daru"(in Czech). Město Boží Dar.Retrieved2023-07-18.
- ^"Božídarský Špičák"(in Czech). Město Boží Dar.Retrieved2022-06-07.
- ^"Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011"(in Czech).Czech Statistical Office.2015-12-21.
- ^"Population Census 2021: Population by sex".Public Database.Czech Statistical Office.2021-03-27.
- ^"Ski resort".Skiareál Boží Dar.Retrieved2022-06-07.
- ^"Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region".UNESCO.Retrieved2023-07-18.
- ^"Blatenský vodní příkop"(in Czech). National Heritage Institute.Retrieved2023-07-18.
- ^"Naučná stezka kolem Blatenského vodního příkopu"(in Czech). CzechTourism.Retrieved2023-07-18.
- ^"Kostel sv. Anny"(in Czech). National Heritage Institute.Retrieved2023-07-18.
- ^"Radnice"(in Czech). National Heritage Institute.Retrieved2023-07-18.
External links
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