Horní Police () is a municipality and village in

Česká Lípa District Česká Lípa District () is a Okres, district in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Česká Lípa. Administrative division Česká Lípa District is divided into two Districts of the Czech Republic#Municipalities ...

in the

Liberec Region Liberec Region () is an administrative unit (Czech language, Czech: ''kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located in the northernmost part of its historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Liberec. The region shares international bor ...

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 700 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Horní Police consists of five municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Horní Police (624) *Dvorsko (6) *Na Výšině (0) *Pod Školou (19) *Podlesí (63)

Etymology

The word ''police'' means 'shelf', 'board' in Czech. The name refers to the settlement's location in a flat place compared to the surrounding landscape. The attribute ''horní'' ('upper') serves to distinguish it from Dolní ('lower') Police (today part of

Žandov Žandov () is a town in Česká Lípa District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,900 inhabitants. Administrative division Žandov consists of seven municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): * ...

Geography

Horní Police is located about west of

Česká Lípa Česká Lípa (; ) is a town in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 37,000 inhabitants, making it the most populated Czech town without city status. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monume ...

and east of

Ústí nad Labem Ústí nad Labem (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants and is the capital of the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is a major industrial centre and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway junction. ...

. It lies in the

Central Bohemian Uplands The Central Bohemian Uplands (also known as Central Bohemian Highlands; , ) is a highland and Geomorphological division of the Czech Republic, geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located mostly in the Ústí nad Labem Region. ...

. The highest point is on the slopes of the hill Dvorský kopec at above sea level. The village of Horní Police is situated in a valley along the

Ploučnice The Ploučnice () is a river in the Czech Republic, a right tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Liberec Region, Liberec and Ústí nad Labem Region, Ústí nad Labem regions. It is long, making it the List of rivers of the Czech Repu ...

River.

History

The first written mention of Horní Police is in a deed of

Pope Gregory X Pope Gregory X (; – 10 January 1276), born Teobaldo Visconti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 September 1271 to his death and was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis. He was elected at the ...

from 15 May 1273, confirming its ownership by the

Doksany Doksany () is a municipality and village in Litoměřice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants. It is known for the Premonstratensians, Premonstratensian Doksany Convent. Geography Doksany is l ...

monastery. During the

Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...

, Horní Police was acquired by the

Berka of Dubá Berka of Dubá () was a cadet branch of a Bohemian noble family of Lords of Dubá established by Hynek Berka of Dubá (1249–1306). It held estates in what is today the Czech Republic and Saxony in Germany throughout the Middle Ages. Ancestors ...

family. They owned the estate until 1612, when they had to sell it due to debts. It was bought by the Novohradský branch of the

Kolowrat family The House of Kolowrat is a Czech noble familyHouse of Kolowrat history
kolowrat.cz/en. Citation: " < ...

. After 1628, Horní Police was inherited by Anna Magdalena of Lobkowicz and subsequently acquired by

Julius Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg Julius Henry (9 April 1586 – 20 November 1665) was duke of Saxe-Lauenburg between 1656 and 1665. Before ascending to the throne he served as Field Marshal in the imperial army. Life Before regency Born at Wolfenbüttel, he was a son of Duke ...

, who married her in 1632.

Demographics

Transport

Horní Police is located on the railway line

Liberec Liberec (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 108,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in the country. It lies on the Lusatian Neisse River, in a basin surrounded by mountains. The city centre is well preserved and is pr ...

–

Děčín Děčín (; ) is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 46,000 inhabitants. It is the seventth largest municipality in the country by area. Děčín is an important traffic junction. Administrative division Děč ...

Sights

The first written mention of a church in Horní Police is from 1291, but it was destroyed during the

. A new small church became a well-known pilgrimage destination and had to be expanded. The current Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary was built in the Baroque style by Giulio Broggio on the site of the older church in 1688–1701. Horní Police Castle was built after 1680 on the site of a former fortress by its owner, Duke

Julius Francis of Saxe-Lauenburg Julius Francis (16 September 1641 – 30 September 1689) was duke of Saxe-Lauenburg between 1666 and 1689. He was a son of Duke Julius Henry and his third wife Anna Magdalena of Lobkowicz (1606–1668), daughter of Baron William ''the Younger'' P ...

. The stone arch bridge which connects the church and the castle is one of the three most valuable buildings in Horní Police. It was built in 1840 and it is the third oldest bridge over the river Ploučnice, and the oldest original one.

Notable people

Julius Vincenz von Krombholz Julius Vincenz von Krombholz (19 December 1782 – 1 November 1843) was a physician and mycologist born in Oberpolitz (today Horní Police, Czech Republic), northern Bohemia. He studied medicine at the Charles University in Prague, University of P ...

(1782–1843), physician, mycologist and rector of the University of Prague

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Horni Police Villages in Česká Lípa District