| Božanov | |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Hradec Králové |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Náchod |
| Pushpin Map: | Czech Republic |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the Czech Republic |
| Coordinates: | 50.5269°N 16.1514°W |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1256 |
| Area Total Km2: | 19.23 |
| Elevation M: | 405 |
| Population As Of: | 2024-01-01 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 389 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 549 74 |
Božanov (German: Barzdorf) is a municipality and village in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants.
The hamlet of Studená Voda is an administrative part of Božanov.
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.[2]
Božanov is located about 19km (12miles) northeast of Náchod and 26km (16miles) south of the Polish city of Wałbrzych, on the border with Poland. It lies in the Broumov Highlands, in the Broumovsko Protected Landscape Area. The highest point is the Koruna hill at 769m (2,523feet) above sea level. The village of Božanov is situated in the valley of the stream Božanovský potok.
The first written mention of Božanov is from 1256. It belonged to the Broumov estate, owned by the Benedictines. 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.[3]
About 95% of the population was German-speaking in 1930. In 1938, Božanov was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of Reichsgau Sudetenland. After World War II, the German-speaking population was expelled and the municipality was resettled by Czechs from inland.[3]
There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality. In the municipality is the pedestrian border crossing Studená Voda / Radków with Poland.
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. For its value it has been protected as a national cultural monument since 2022.[4]