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Bílý Potok
The valley of the river Smědá (former Wittige) was densely settled as early as in 15th and 16th century. By end of the 16th century part of settlers coming from Lusatia decided to ask the local lord Melchior of Redern to yield a forest area at the upper part of the valley Wittige to be settled. Lord of Redern satisfied their request and thus there was set up a village Bílý Potok on 13th July 1594. The village was given its name by the brook rising in the Smědava Mountain. Fifty years after the birth of the village there lived 58 inhabitants, about a half of whom lived on agriculture, the other half were woodcutters.
It was very hard and slow to cultivate forested areas. In addition people were occupied with forest works, picking and processing forest fruits, manufacture of variety of wooden ware and its sale. Not easy life of inhabitants in those times was in addition getting worse by disasters hit upon the whole region. There were periods of droughts, floods, in the years 1619 - 1622 people suffered from hunger, prior to have been decimated by plague, which broke out here in the years 1598- 1600. In the 17th century it was also the Thirty Years´ War, which affected the whole area. Troops passing through the region repeatedly plundered and looted. Even after the end of the war there was no rest here. There followed hard recatholicization, which forced people around the region to leave their homes. Hunger was rooted out only by growing potatoes.
People overcame any wrong and things turned out better as time went by. It is proved even in increase in the number of population - in 1773 here lived as many as 101 inhabitants. Of course it was due to domestication of the cotton and wool industry and other kinds of business, resulting in rise of employment rate, progress in growing agricultural fruits, laying paths and roads, building a railway and the like. In the period 1774 - 1775 there was built up a wooden chapel in the village Franzem Pragerem. At the turn of the century however broke out the Napoleon wars in Europe, affecting considerably life of the village.
In 1819 there was built the first school in Bílý Potok. In 1838 the region was hit by a devastating flood, after which wood floating stopped. That´s why other industrial fields began to gain ground. In the 50ies there was built up a spinning mill, by end of the 60ies boomed also glass industry, early in the 70ies there was built up a steam sawmill for planks in Zadní Studánka and in the following decade a large weaving mill for woolware using water power of the former mill as well as the steam machine. This development of industry and business brought new jobs and source of living for a lot of local people.
Building new factories went on even in the years to come. A corn mill turned thus into the cotton factory, another mill changed into a spinning mill, other two mills into planks, together with the wood sawdust mill, turned into cotton tearing mill. Also three glass-cutting works turned into the cotton tearing mill, the fourth glass-cutting works turned first into the paper mill and later also into tearing mill with a part of the glass-cutting works. In the half of the 19th century Bílý Potok had already 277 houses with 1800 inhabitants, who, in addition, since 1848 hadn´t been plagued by manorial labour and in 1850 villages became independent self-governing units. In 1858 and 30 years later the village was hit again by devastating floods, not even these floods didn´t manage to stop development of Bílý Potok. In 1881 there was built a new school here, which was 11 years later extended to a four-class one. Due to unsufficient school space capacity one class had to be established in the old school. On the site of the wooden chapel there was by the village and citizens voluntary contributions built up a new church in the years 1888 thru 1890. It was consecrated on 28th September 1890. Three years later there was rebuilt fire house with a watch point. In the 2nd half of the 19th century there was also set up a cemetery and due to citizens´contributions there was built a road in the period 1893 - 1895 from Zadní Studánka to Smědava. Also all actual bridges were built those days.
At the turn of 19th and 20th century population number of Bílý Potok reached its maximum. Those days there were 410 houses in the village with about 2340 inhabitants. Practically all of them were of the German nationality. Also state of livestock in Bílý Potok – as of 1890 there were 68 horses, 268 heads of beef cattle, 307 goats, 33 pigs and 16 bee colonies is worth mentioning. There was a gendarme post in the village, in addition also a post office and a railway stop, 4 mixed goods shops, a car repair service, a chemist´s, poultry shop, a cinema, a grocer´s, a confectioner´s , a shopkeeper, a toy shop, a drapery, a mill, 5 sawmills, 17 pubs and a newspaper shop. There were trading 4 bakers, 3 butter makers, a roofer, 14 turners, a cooper, 3 butchers, 4 hauliers, 2 hairdressers – stylists, a gardener, a tanner, a greengrocer, a hawker, a midwife, 9 wood dealers, 5 woodware manufacturers, a varnisher, a cutler, a saddler, a locksmith, 2 blacksmiths, a taylor, 4 shoemakers, 2 tobacconists, 3 joiners and a wheelwright. Life in the village was quiet and happy, which was backed by development of social and cultural life – by end of the 19th century there were voluntary active firemen, a veterans club, the German gymnastics club, the Workers gymnastics club, the Singers club, the Cycling and Beekeeper´s club.
In 1900 a local railway from Hejnice to Bílý Potok, linking up to line from Liberec, was put into operation. To the same time refers first record on the „wonder water“ spring in site of today´s mineral water spring behind the boarding house Krakonoš. Six years later a local authority was moved to the local school building. In 1913 began the construction of the road from Smědava through Bílý Potok to Hejnice and Raspenava. Prosperity and quiet was, however, ended by the First World War in 1914. People were lacking, food and other goods were distributed only upon cards, various perquisites were delivered for needs of the army, the same as horses. In addition local men were leaving to front and there was soon reported about first fallen. Situation with deliveries got worse and worse as months went on, people experienced hunger not for the first time, in winter they suffered in addition from lack of fuel and thus from cold … The year 1918 and end of war was a real relief for everybody. Not even after war all problems were over. Troubles with deliveries went on for months, there rose even a new problem after proclamation of the independent Czechoslovakia – a national one. Majority of the German population in the border areas didn´t agree with the formation of Czechoslovakia and there was illegally declared an autonomous area Deutsch – Böhmen in November 1918, which boycotted the Czechoslovak government. Only arrival of the Czechoslovak Army to the border solved this situation.
Life in the village was thus slowly, but surely getting back on the rails. Early in the 20ies industry and business were getting to surge up again, e.g. in 1920 rose an enterprise Rudolf Klamt – woodworking industry and a sawmill, giving a job to a lot of local people. As of 1921 there lived 1875 people here. In time of the First Republic the village covered also the settlement Jizerka. The 30ies brought a world economic crisis affecting local life considerably. In addition Hitler got into power in neighbouring Germany and tension in Czechia went on increasing. After the Munich treason the Sudeten were annexed by the German Army and soon thereafter the World War II broke out.. This war passed here similarly as the preceeding one – everywhere nothing but fright, poverty and lack. End of war came as late as in May 1945. After the war German population was evacuated, with the exception of anti-fascists. This brought about a considerable depopulation, not compensated even by new settlers coming from inland. As of 1947 there lived only 827 people in the village.
Bílý potok was slowly recovering from war hardships. There were again some enterprises giving people so much needed job. For example the factory Florian Kraus - son, making man-made cotton, employed those times 20 workers, leading merger manufacturing wood were after war companies Rudolf Klamt and František Rohn, employing a few tens of workers. In the 50ies development and progress went on in the village, until 1970 population even slightly rose to 945, those times there were 244 houses. Until 1991 however number of inhabitants sank again to as few as 597, also number of houses decreased to 183. Since 1992, after 10 years, a local authority has operated again.
Bílý Potok is today a calmly living village with a certainly great future ahead. Due to its geographic location it is predestined to become an attractive site for both winter and summer holiday – all year round there are marked tourist tracks available, even nature lovers will come into their own, in winter you can use cross-country skiing line tracks to enjoy wonderful ski tours.
References: Vaňková, I. Slavnostní spis 400 let založení obce Bílý Potok. Bílý Potok 1994
The valley of the river Smědá (former Wittige) was densely settled as early as in 15th and 16th century. By end of the 16th century part of settlers coming from Lusatia decided to ask the local lord Melchior of Redern to yield a forest area at the upper part of the valley Wittige to be settled. Lord of Redern satisfied their request and thus there was set up a village Bílý Potok on 13th July 1594. The village was given its name by the brook rising in the Smědava Mountain. Fifty years after the birth of the village there lived 58 inhabitants, about a half of whom lived on agriculture, the other half were woodcutters.
It was very hard and slow to cultivate forested areas. In addition people were occupied with forest works, picking and processing forest fruits, manufacture of variety of wooden ware and its sale. Not easy life of inhabitants in those times was in addition getting worse by disasters hit upon the whole region. There were periods of droughts, floods, in the years 1619 - 1622 people suffered from hunger, prior to have been decimated by plague, which broke out here in the years 1598- 1600. In the 17th century it was also the Thirty Years´ War, which affected the whole area. Troops passing through the region repeatedly plundered and looted. Even after the end of the war there was no rest here. There followed hard recatholicization, which forced people around the region to leave their homes. Hunger was rooted out only by growing potatoes.
People overcame any wrong and things turned out better as time went by. It is proved even in increase in the number of population - in 1773 here lived as many as 101 inhabitants. Of course it was due to domestication of the cotton and wool industry and other kinds of business, resulting in rise of employment rate, progress in growing agricultural fruits, laying paths and roads, building a railway and the like. In the period 1774 - 1775 there was built up a wooden chapel in the village Franzem Pragerem. At the turn of the century however broke out the Napoleon wars in Europe, affecting considerably life of the village.
In 1819 there was built the first school in Bílý Potok. In 1838 the region was hit by a devastating flood, after which wood floating stopped. That´s why other industrial fields began to gain ground. In the 50ies there was built up a spinning mill, by end of the 60ies boomed also glass industry, early in the 70ies there was built up a steam sawmill for planks in Zadní Studánka and in the following decade a large weaving mill for woolware using water power of the former mill as well as the steam machine. This development of industry and business brought new jobs and source of living for a lot of local people.
Building new factories went on even in the years to come. A corn mill turned thus into the cotton factory, another mill changed into a spinning mill, other two mills into planks, together with the wood sawdust mill, turned into cotton tearing mill. Also three glass-cutting works turned into the cotton tearing mill, the fourth glass-cutting works turned first into the paper mill and later also into tearing mill with a part of the glass-cutting works. In the half of the 19th century Bílý Potok had already 277 houses with 1800 inhabitants, who, in addition, since 1848 hadn´t been plagued by manorial labour and in 1850 villages became independent self-governing units. In 1858 and 30 years later the village was hit again by devastating floods, not even these floods didn´t manage to stop development of Bílý Potok. In 1881 there was built a new school here, which was 11 years later extended to a four-class one. Due to unsufficient school space capacity one class had to be established in the old school. On the site of the wooden chapel there was by the village and citizens voluntary contributions built up a new church in the years 1888 thru 1890. It was consecrated on 28th September 1890. Three years later there was rebuilt fire house with a watch point. In the 2nd half of the 19th century there was also set up a cemetery and due to citizens´contributions there was built a road in the period 1893 - 1895 from Zadní Studánka to Smědava. Also all actual bridges were built those days.
At the turn of 19th and 20th century population number of Bílý Potok reached its maximum. Those days there were 410 houses in the village with about 2340 inhabitants. Practically all of them were of the German nationality. Also state of livestock in Bílý Potok – as of 1890 there were 68 horses, 268 heads of beef cattle, 307 goats, 33 pigs and 16 bee colonies is worth mentioning. There was a gendarme post in the village, in addition also a post office and a railway stop, 4 mixed goods shops, a car repair service, a chemist´s, poultry shop, a cinema, a grocer´s, a confectioner´s , a shopkeeper, a toy shop, a drapery, a mill, 5 sawmills, 17 pubs and a newspaper shop. There were trading 4 bakers, 3 butter makers, a roofer, 14 turners, a cooper, 3 butchers, 4 hauliers, 2 hairdressers – stylists, a gardener, a tanner, a greengrocer, a hawker, a midwife, 9 wood dealers, 5 woodware manufacturers, a varnisher, a cutler, a saddler, a locksmith, 2 blacksmiths, a taylor, 4 shoemakers, 2 tobacconists, 3 joiners and a wheelwright. Life in the village was quiet and happy, which was backed by development of social and cultural life – by end of the 19th century there were voluntary active firemen, a veterans club, the German gymnastics club, the Workers gymnastics club, the Singers club, the Cycling and Beekeeper´s club.
In 1900 a local railway from Hejnice to Bílý Potok, linking up to line from Liberec, was put into operation. To the same time refers first record on the „wonder water“ spring in site of today´s mineral water spring behind the boarding house Krakonoš. Six years later a local authority was moved to the local school building. In 1913 began the construction of the road from Smědava through Bílý Potok to Hejnice and Raspenava. Prosperity and quiet was, however, ended by the First World War in 1914. People were lacking, food and other goods were distributed only upon cards, various perquisites were delivered for needs of the army, the same as horses. In addition local men were leaving to front and there was soon reported about first fallen. Situation with deliveries got worse and worse as months went on, people experienced hunger not for the first time, in winter they suffered in addition from lack of fuel and thus from cold … The year 1918 and end of war was a real relief for everybody. Not even after war all problems were over. Troubles with deliveries went on for months, there rose even a new problem after proclamation of the independent Czechoslovakia – a national one. Majority of the German population in the border areas didn´t agree with the formation of Czechoslovakia and there was illegally declared an autonomous area Deutsch – Böhmen in November 1918, which boycotted the Czechoslovak government. Only arrival of the Czechoslovak Army to the border solved this situation.
Life in the village was thus slowly, but surely getting back on the rails. Early in the 20ies industry and business were getting to surge up again, e.g. in 1920 rose an enterprise Rudolf Klamt – woodworking industry and a sawmill, giving a job to a lot of local people. As of 1921 there lived 1875 people here. In time of the First Republic the village covered also the settlement Jizerka. The 30ies brought a world economic crisis affecting local life considerably. In addition Hitler got into power in neighbouring Germany and tension in Czechia went on increasing. After the Munich treason the Sudeten were annexed by the German Army and soon thereafter the World War II broke out.. This war passed here similarly as the preceeding one – everywhere nothing but fright, poverty and lack. End of war came as late as in May 1945. After the war German population was evacuated, with the exception of anti-fascists. This brought about a considerable depopulation, not compensated even by new settlers coming from inland. As of 1947 there lived only 827 people in the village.
Bílý potok was slowly recovering from war hardships. There were again some enterprises giving people so much needed job. For example the factory Florian Kraus - son, making man-made cotton, employed those times 20 workers, leading merger manufacturing wood were after war companies Rudolf Klamt and František Rohn, employing a few tens of workers. In the 50ies development and progress went on in the village, until 1970 population even slightly rose to 945, those times there were 244 houses. Until 1991 however number of inhabitants sank again to as few as 597, also number of houses decreased to 183. Since 1992, after 10 years, a local authority has operated again.
Bílý Potok is today a calmly living village with a certainly great future ahead. Due to its geographic location it is predestined to become an attractive site for both winter and summer holiday – all year round there are marked tourist tracks available, even nature lovers will come into their own, in winter you can use cross-country skiing line tracks to enjoy wonderful ski tours.
References: Vaňková, I. Slavnostní spis 400 let založení obce Bílý Potok. Bílý Potok 1994
