Josefov (Sokolov District)

Josefov (German: Josefsdorf) is a municipality and village in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants.

Josefov
Municipality
Radvanov, a part of Josefov
Flag Coat of arms
Josefov Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°12′42″N 12°34′46″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Karlovy Vary
District	Sokolov
Founded	1833
Area
• Total	8.33 km2 (3.22 sq mi)
Elevation	525 m (1,722 ft)
Population  (2025-01-01)[1]
• Total	421
• Density	51/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	357 09
Website	www.obecjosefov.cz

Administrative division

Josefov consists of four municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):^[2]

• Josefov (242)
• Hřebeny (57)
• Luh nad Svatavou (56)
• Radvanov (26)

Etymology

The village was named in honour of its founder, Count Josef von Auersperg.^[3]

Geography

Josefov is located about 6 kilometres (4 mi) northwest of Sokolov and 19 km (12 mi) west of Karlovy Vary. It lies in the southwestern part of the Ore Mountains. The highest point is at 578 m (1,896 ft) above sea level. The municipality is situated on the right bank of the Svatava River, which forms the eastern municipal border.

History

History of the area is connected with the Hartenberg Castle, which was probably built in 1196. The village of Josefov was founded in 1833 by Count Josef von Auersperg.^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 732 —     1880 845 +15.4% 1890 822 −2.7% 1900 991 +20.6% 1910 971 −2.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 932 −4.0% 1930 1,012 +8.6% 1950 523 −48.3% 1961 531 +1.5% 1970 399 −24.9%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 298 −25.3% 1991 277 −7.0% 2001 305 +10.1% 2011 342 +12.1% 2021 381 +11.4%
Source: Censuses[4][5]

Transport

Josefov is located on the railway line Sokolov–Kraslice. There are two stations serving the municipality: Hřebeny and Luh nad Svatavou.

Sights

Ruins of the Hartenberg Castle

The most important monument of the municipality is the ruins of the Hartenberg Castle. It is open to the public.^[6]