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

Šumperk District Šumperk District ( cs, okres Šumperk) is a district ('' okres'') within the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic Its administrative centre is the town of Šumperk. Šumperk District shares border with the districts of Olomouc (to the south), Svi ...

in the

Olomouc Region Olomouc Region ( cs, Olomoucký kraj; , ; pl, Kraj ołomuniecki) is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) 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 t ...

of the

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

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

Geography

Branná lies approximately north of

Šumperk Šumperk (; german: Mährisch Schönberg) is a town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 26,000 inhabitants. It is the centre of the north of Moravia and, due to its location, is known as "The Gate to the Jeseníky mountains. ...

and north of

Olomouc Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019). Located on th ...

. It lies in the northern part of the

Hanušovice Highlands Hanušovice Highlands ( cs, Hanušovická vrchovina, german: Hannsdorfer Bergland) 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 ...

. The highest point is a hill at above sea level. The village of Branná is located 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 (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

. 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 ), near Prague, Bohemian Confederation(present-day Czech Republic) , coordinates = , territory = , result = Imperial-Spanish victory , status = , combatants_header = , combatant1 = Catholic L ...

, 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 dynastic members of the family are eligible to inherit the throne. The dynasty's m ...

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

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

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. ...

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. The ''

Advocatus During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...

seat is a historic monument from the late 16th century. The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel comes from 1612–1614.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Branna Villages in Šumperk District