Bělá pod Pradědem

Bělá pod Pradědem (Waldenburg) is a municipality in Jeseník District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,700 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The municipality is made up of the villages of Adolfovice, Bělá, Domašov and Filipovice.

Etymology
The municipality gained its name after the Bělá river and the nearby Praděd mountain.

Geography
Bělá pod Pradědem is located about 6 km south of Jeseník and 60 km north of Olomouc. It lies in the Hrubý Jeseník mountains. The highest point is the peak of Malý Děd at 1368 m above sea level; Praděd is located outside the municipal territory. The Bělá River flows through the municipality; the villages are located in the valley of the river.

History
Both villages of Adolfovice and Domašov were first mentioned in 1284. Both villages were founded in the second half of the 13th century, during the colonization by the bishops of Wrocław, who owned the area. The villages were included within the ecclesiastical Duchy of Nysa, which, later on, passed under suzerainty of the Bohemian Crown. In 1772, the hamlet of Filipov/Philippsdorf was founded by bishop Philipp Gotthard von Schaffgotsch, and in 1796 the hamlet of Bělá/Waldenburg was founded by bishop Josepf Christian Franz zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein. Both hamlets were joined to Domašov in 1848.

In 1850, the duchy was secularized and dissolved, and the villages were incorporated directly to Bohemia. After World War I, since 1918, the area formed part of Czechoslovakia.

During World War II, the area was occupied by Germany. On 9 October 1939, Luftwaffe military Junkers F 13 (designation R 37/2) on its way from Opole to Olomouc crashed into the forest in Bělá pod Pradědem. All seven soldiers died in the accident and were buried at the cemetery in Domašov.

In Adolfovice, the occupiers operated three forced labour subcamps (E250, E334, E595) of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner-of-war camp. After the war, in 1945, the German population was expelled in accordance with the Beneš decrees, and the area was restored to Czechoslovakia.

The municipality of Bělá pod Pradědem was established in 1961 by merger of municipalities of Adolfovice and Domašov, including the villages of Bělá and Filipovice.

Transport
The I/44 road from Šumperk to Jeseník passes through the municipality.

Sights
There are two churches in Domašov. The Church of Saint Thomas was built in the Baroque style in 1726–1730. The Church of Saint John the Baptist is a Neoclassical building with late Baroque elements.

Notable people

 * Josef Odložil (1938–1993), athlete, Olympic medalist; lived here

Twin towns – sister cities
Bělá pod Pradědem is twinned with:
 * 🇵🇱 Tułowice, Poland