The wooded hill near the little church of St Prokop has, since ancient times, been a source of timber for Březové Hory. It was also the site where miners’ devotions and celebrations were held for many centuries. This tradition has been preserved to this day, and on the weekend closest to 4 July (the feast day of St Prokop), processions of miners’ associations in ceremonial uniforms make their way to the church, where Mass is celebrated.
There are several interpretations of the name ‘Koráb’. The forest, with its trees, may have reminded someone of a large ship; however, in old forestry parlance, a ‘koráb’ is also the term for an old, hollowed-out tree. So the name may have been intended more as a description of a forest full of old, hollowed-out trees.
In some places, the forest is less accessible and in many areas it has been left to develop naturally. The forest consists of maples, spruces and birches, after which Březové Hory was named. On the hillock surrounding the little church, a row of lime trees has been growing for over a hundred years, whilst the two lime trees in front of the entrance – which have been designated as memorable trees – are even slightly older. Some people have already named these memorial trees after the patron saints of miners and students: Kateřina (closer to the church) and Barborka.
Text and photo: Ing. Petr Bílek, 2009
Sources:
Fryš, J. and Podlaha, J.: Příbram, the Present Past, self-published in Příbram, 2004
Valta, K.: In the Footsteps of the Suffering and Glory of Mining in the Příbram Region, published by the staff of the State Mining Directorate in Příbram, 1936
Doležal, D.: ‘Names of Příbram (14)’, Kahan – Newsletter of the Příbram Municipal Authority, July 2004
