Horní Branná
village in Semily District of Liberec region
Horní Branná (German: Brennei) is a municipality and village in Semily District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,900 inhabitants.
Administrative division
Horní Branná consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
Horní Branná (1,298)
Valteřice (540)
Etymology
The name Branná is derived from the old Czech adjective brenná, meaning 'muddy (water)'. The prefix horní ('upper') distinguishes the village from neighbouring Dolní Branná ('lower Branná').
Geography
Horní Branná is located about 38 kilometres (24 mi) southeast of Liberec. It lies mostly in the Giant Mountains Foothills, only the northern part of the municipal territory extends into the Giant Mountains. The highest point is at 707 m (2,320 ft) above sea level. The built-up area is situated in the valley of the Sovinka Stream.
History
The first written mention of Horní Branná is in a document of the diocese of Prague, taken in the years 1344–1350. From 1387 to 1606, Horní Branná was owned by the Waldstein family.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Horní Branná” as village in Semily District of Liberec region. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as village in Semily District of Liberec region. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1628632. Authority coordinates are 50.608, 15.572. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2021, 1344, 1350 and 1387.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Horní Branná”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Horní Branná primary sources, Horní Branná archive and Horní research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Horní Branná”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Horní Branná” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.