Branná (until 1949 Kolštejn; ) is a municipality and village in

Šumperk District Šumperk District () is a Okres, district in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Šumperk. Administrative division Šumperk District is divided into three Districts of the Czech Republic#Municipalities with extende ...

in the

Olomouc Region Olomouc Region (; , ; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the north-western and central part of its historical region of Moravia (''Morava'') and in a small part of the historical region of Czech Silesia (''České Sl ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It has about 300 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.

Geography

Branná is located about north of

Šumperk Šumperk (; ) is a town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 25,000 inhabitants. It is an industrial town, but it also contains valuable historical and architectural monuments. The historic town centre is well preserved and i ...

and north of

Olomouc Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region. Located on the Morava (rive ...

. It lies in the northern part of the

Hanušovice Highlands Hanušovice Highlands (, ) are highlands within the Eastern Sudetes mountain range that runs between Poland and the Czech Republic. It is named after Hanušovice town. The area is 793 km² and its average elevation is 527.2 meters. The hig ...

. The highest point is a hill at above sea level. The village of Branná is situated on a rocky cliff above the Branná River.

History

Branná (that time known under the name ''Goldenstein/Kolštejn'') was founded around 1282 as a settlement on an old trade route to

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

. The first written mention of the Kolštejn Castle is from 1325. The castle was probably built in 1308–1310. After the

Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain (; ) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the next three hundred years. It was fought on 8 November 16 ...

, Kolštejn was confiscated from its owners and acquired by the

House of Liechtenstein The House of Liechtenstein (), from which the principality takes its name, is the family which reigns by hereditary right over the principality of Liechtenstein. Only Dynasty#Dynast, dynastic members of the family are eligible to inherit the thro ...

. During their rule, the town and the castle lost their importance. In 1918, the municipality acquired the castle. From 1938 to 1945, Kolštejn was annexed by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

and administered as part of the

Reichsgau Sudetenland The Reichsgau Sudetenland was an administrative division of Nazi Germany from 1939 to 1945. It comprised the northern part of the ''Sudetenland'' territory, which was annexed from Czechoslovakia according to the 30 September 1938 Munich Agreement. ...

. In 1949, the name of the municipality was changed to Branná.

Demographics

Transport

Branná is located on the railway line

Zábřeh Zábřeh (; ) is a town in Šumperk District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Zábřeh consists of five municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): ...

–

Jeseník Jeseník (; until 1947 Frývaldov (); , ) is a spa town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 10,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Jeseník consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 202 ...

Sights

The complex of the Kolštejn Castle and Kolštejn Chateau is the main landmark. The castle complex gained its today's appearance in the 15th century, when extensive fortifications were built, and in the early 17th century, when Renaissance chateau buildings and the entrance tower were built. Today the castle complex is in private ownership. The Gothic castle is a ruin open to the public, and the chateau serves as a hotel with restaurant. A valuable monument is the ''

Advocatus An , sometimes simply advocate, (German, ), or (French, ), was a type of medieval office holder, particularly important in the Holy Roman Empire, who was delegated some of the powers and functions of a major feudal lord, or for an institutio ...

seat. It is a Renaissance building, dating from the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. Today it is unused. The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel was built in the late Renaissance style in 1612–1614. Next to the church are a Neoclassical rectory from 1784 and Baroque statues.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Branna Villages in Šumperk District