Božanov () is a municipality and village in

Náchod District Náchod District () is a district in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Náchod. Administrative division Náchod District is divided into four administrative districts of municipalities with extended ...

in the

Hradec Králové Region Hradec Králové Region (, ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic located in the north-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Hradec Králové. The region neighbours the Pardubice Region in t ...

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 400 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Božanov consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Božanov (331) *Studená Voda (1)

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.

Geography

Božanov is located about northeast of

Náchod Náchod (; ) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. It is known both as a tourist destination and centre of industry. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and i ...

and south of the Polish city of

Wałbrzych Wałbrzych (; ; or ''Walmbrich''; or ) is a city located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland, seat of Wałbrzych County. Wałbrzych lies approximately southwest of the voivodeship capital Wrocław and about from the Czec ...

, on the border with Poland. It lies in the

Broumov Highlands Broumov (; ) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,100 inhabitants. There are three important historic buildings, protected as national cultural monuments: the Benedictine monastery, the ...

, in the

Broumovsko Protected Landscape Area The Broumovsko Protected Landscape Area (, abbreviated CHKO Broumovsko) is a protected landscape area in Hradec Králové Region in the Czech Republic, on the border with Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in ...

. The highest point is the Koruna hill at 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 Broumov (; ) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,100 inhabitants. There are three important historic buildings, protected as national cultural monuments: the Benedictine monastery, the ...

estate, owned by the

Benedictines The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...

. 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. About 95% of the population was German-speaking in 1930. In 1938, Božanov 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. ...

. After World War II, the German-speaking population was expelled and the municipality was resettled by Czechs from inland.

Demographics

Transport

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

Radków Radków () is a town in Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Radków, close to the Czech border. As at 2019, the town has a population of 2,406. ...

'' with Poland.

Sights

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 Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer (; 1 September 1689 – 18 December 1751) was a German Bohemians, German Bohemian architect of the Baroque architecture, Baroque era. He is among the most prolific and renowned architects of his era in Bohemia. He was bo ...

. For its value it has been protected as a national cultural monument since 2022.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bozanov Villages in Náchod District