Horní Blatná Explained

Horní Blatná
Settlement Type:Town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Karlovy Vary
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Karlovy Vary
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:50.3897°N 12.7675°W
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Robert Petro
Established Title:Founded
Established Date:1532
Area Total Km2:5.63
Elevation M:888
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:382
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:362 37

Horní Blatná (German: Bergstadt Platten) is a town in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants. The town is historically associated with tin mining and is located in the Ore Mountain Mining Region, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Geography

Horní Blatná is located about 18km (11miles) north of Karlovy Vary. It lies in the Ore Mountains. The highest point is at 1002m (3,287feet) above sea level.

History

The settlement of the area was closely connected with tin mining, the origins of which date back to the end of the 15th century. Horní Blatná was founded as a mining town in 1532. In 1548, it was promoted to a royal mining town by Emperor Ferdinand I and obtained various privileges.[2]

The railway was opened in 1898.[2] According to the census of 1921, the town had the population of 2,090 Germans, 14 Czechoslovaks and 58 foreigners. Vast majority of the inhabitants were Roman Catholics, complemented by 62 Protestants and two people without religion.[3]

From 1938 to 1945, Horní Blatná was occupied by Nazi Germany and administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland. After World War II, the town was returned to Czechoslovakia and the local German population was expelled.

Transport

Horní Blatná is located on the Karlovy Vary–Johanngeorgenstadt railway line.[4]

Sights

The town belongs to the so-called Abertamy – Boží Dar – Horní Blatná Mining Landscape, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of Ore Mountain Mining Region.[5] The most valuable remnant of former mining in the area is the Blatenský water ditch. It is a technical monument, protected as a national cultural monument. It was built in 1540–1544 and was used for mining tin ore and for transporting wood. It is long and runs from Horní Blatná to Boží Dar. An educational trail runs along the ditch.[6] [7]

The main landmark of the town is the Church of Saint Lawrence. It was built in the Saxon Renaissance style in 1594, originally as a Protestant church. In 1686, it was consecrated as a Catholic church. In 1754, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style and sculptural decoration was added.[8]

The Chapel of the Holy Cross is a large Baroque cemetery chapel from the first half of the 18th century.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Web site: Horní Blatná. Město Horní Blatná. cs. 2022-06-15.
  3. Book: Statistický lexikon obcí v Republice Československé. Státní úřad statistický. Prague. 1924. 2nd. 235.
  4. Web site: Detail stanice Horní Blatná. České dráhy. cs. 2023-08-23.
  5. Web site: Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region. UNESCO. 2023-08-23.
  6. Web site: Blatenský vodní příkop. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-08-23.
  7. Web site: Naučná stezka kolem Blatenského vodního příkopu. CzechTourism. cs. 2023-08-23.
  8. Web site: Kostel sv. Vavřince. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-08-23.
  9. Web site: Kaple sv. Kříže. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-08-23.