Lobendava

51°1′10″N 14°18′52″E / 51.01944°N 14.31444°E / 51.01944; 14.31444Country Czech RepublicRegionÚstí nad LabemDistrictDěčínFirst mentioned1449Area • Total19.57 km² (7.56 sq mi)Elevation344 m (1,129 ft)Population • Total256 • Density13/km² (34/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal codesWebsitewww.obeclobendava.cz

Lobendava (German: Lobendau) is a municipality and village in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants. It is the northernmost municipality of the country.

The village of Severní is an administrative part of Lobendava.

The initial name of the settlement was Lobodov. The name was derived from the Slavic surname Loboda, meaning "Loboda's (court)". The name was then distorted to Lobdov, and during the Germanization of the region, the village received the German name Lobedau. Another distortion evolved the name to Lobendau, from which the Czech name Lobendava was derived.^[2]

Lobendava is located about 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of Děčín and 44 km (27 mi) northeast of Ústí nad Labem. It lies in the Šluknov Hook area on the border with Germany and is adjacent to the German municipality Neustadt in Sachsen. Lobendava lies in the Lusatian Highlands. The highest point is the hill Buková hora at 512 m (1,680 ft) above sea level.

Lobendava is the northernmost municipality in the Czech Republic. The northernmost point is situated in the area of Severní, at 51°3′20″N 14°18′58″E / 51.05556°N 14.31611°E / 51.05556; 14.31611.

The first written mention of Lobendava is from 1449.^[3] According to the municipal chronicle, it was founded at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, according to regional historians it could be founded already around 1084. The village was located on the historic Imperial route from Prague to Dresden.^[4]

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 3,072 —     1880 3,222 +4.9% 1890 3,092 −4.0% 1900 3,050 −1.4% 1910 3,257 +6.8%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 2,971 −8.8% 1930 3,045 +2.5% 1950 701 −77.0% 1961 729 +4.0% 1970 595 −18.4%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 454 −23.7% 1991 315 −30.6% 2001 333 +5.7% 2011 329 −1.2% 2021 268 −18.5%
Source: Censuses[5][6]

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

The main landmark of Lobendava is the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the Baroque style in 1709–1712.^[7] Next to the church is a Baroque rectory dating from 1767.^[8]

On Annaberg hill is located the Chapel of Saint Anne. It is a Baroque pilgrimage chapel, built in 1775–1777. The Stations of the Cross lead to the chapel.^[9]

• Anton Drasche (1826–1904), Austrian physician