Horní Bříza | |||
Town | |||
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Country | Czech Republic | ||
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Region | Plzeň | ||
District | Plzeň-sever | ||
Commune | Nýřany | ||
Municipality | Třemošná | ||
Elevation | 367 m (1,204 ft) | ||
Coordinates | 49°50′39″N 13°21′48″E / 49.84417°N 13.36333°ECoordinates: 49°50′39″N 13°21′48″E / 49.84417°N 13.36333°E | ||
Area | 14.54 km2 (5.61 sq mi) | ||
Population | 4,340 (2012-01-01) | ||
Density | 298/km2 (772/sq mi) | ||
First mentioned | 1180 | ||
Mayor | Vojtěch Šedivec | ||
Timezone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
- summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
Postal code | 330 12 | ||
Website: www.hornibriza.eu | |||
Horní Bříza (German: Ober Birken) is a village in the town of Třemošná and in the municipality of Nýřany, Czech Republic.
Some death trains taking Jewish people, other outspoken people, gypsies, intellectuals, communists, Russian prisoners travelled through Horni Briza in the Second World War. It was on the route to Mathausen Extermination camp, further south on the Danube River. On 21 April 1945 a death train stopped here as the line was blocked. The station master intervened and organized the townspeople to cook food and bread for the about 1,000 women being taken to Mathausen - this was in the dying days of the Third Reich. The station master was Antonin Pavlicek, a devout Catholic. He asked the SS to leave the people there so the town could care for them - they refused. A townswoman gave one of the women who had just given birth her own hand-sown layette planned for her baby. This town was a source of Kaolin (clay). The prisoners were in open wagons and it was very cold and wet.
Development of population of Horní Bříza: