Březová (Sokolov District) Explained

Březová
Settlement Type:Town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Karlovy Vary
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Sokolov
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:50.1461°N 12.6478°W
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Jaroslav Bělíček
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1353
Area Total Km2:59.59
Elevation M:487
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:2604
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal codes
Postal Code:356 01, 358 03

Březová (German: Prösau) is a town in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,600 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The villages of Arnoltov, Kamenice, Kostelní Bříza, Lobzy, Rudolec and Tisová are administrative parts of Březová.

Etymology

The name is derived from the Czech word bříza, i.e. 'birch'.[2]

Geography

Březová is located about 3km (02miles) south of Sokolov and 17km (11miles) southwest of Karlovy Vary. It lies mostly in the Slavkov Forest, only the northern part of the municipal territory with half of the town proper lies in the Sokolov Basin. The highest point is near the top of the Lazský vrch hill at 847m (2,779feet) above sea level. North of the town is Lake Silvestr, created by reclaiming a mine dump.

History

The first written mention of Březová is from 1353. The most significant owners of the settlement were the Nostitz family, who acquired it in the first half of the 17th century. Part of the population was ethnic German, but after World War II most of them were expelled.[2]

From 1939 to 1979, lignite was mined next to the town. In 1954, the municipalities of Kamenice and Lobzy and the area of the extinct village of Paseka were annexed to Březová. In 1960, Tisová was annexed to Březová and the municipality obtained the title of a town. In 1976, Kostelní Bříza (including its parts of Arnoltov and Rudolec) were annexed to the town.[2]

Transport

The D6 motorway (the section from Karlovy Vary to Cheb and the Czech-German border, here part of the European routes E48 and E49) runs north of the town.

Sights

The most important monument is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, located in Kostelní Bříza. It was built in the late Baroque style in 1802 on the site of an older church.[3]

In Kostelní Bříza is a Baroque castle, rebuilt to its present form in 1767. Today it is dilapidated and unused. Next to the castle is a dendrologically significant park.[4]

A valuable building, also located in Kostelní Bříza, is a manor house from the second half of the 18th century. It is one of the best-preserved half-timbered buildings in the region.[5]

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic. Březová is twinned with:[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Web site: Historie. Město Březová. cs. 2023-11-09.
  3. Web site: Kostel sv. Petra a Pavla. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-11-09.
  4. Web site: Zámek. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-11-09.
  5. Web site: Jiná správní stavba – panský dům. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-11-09.
  6. Web site: Partnerschaften. Pausa-Mühltroff. de. 2020-07-25.