Bělotín

Bělotín
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Bělotín
Coordinates: 49°35′20″N 17°48′2″E / 49.58889°N 17.80056°ECoordinates: 49°35′20″N 17°48′2″E / 49.58889°N 17.80056°E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Olomouc
District	Přerov
Area
• Total	33.38 km^2 (12.89 sq mi)
Elevation	297 m (974 ft)
Population (2006)
• Total	1,693
• Density	51/km^2 (130/sq mi)
Postal code	753 64
Website	http://www.belotin.cz

Bělotín (German: Bölten ^[1]) is a village and municipality (obec) in Přerov District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic.

The municipality covers an area of 33.38 square kilometres (12.89 sq mi), and has a population of 1,693 (as at 3 July 2006).

Bělotín, first mentioned in 1201, lies approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) north-east of Přerov, 40 km (25 mi) east of Olomouc, and 249 km (155 mi) east of Prague.

During the Second World War the village of Bělotín, then known as Bölten, was the base for a detached Work Camp E540 (Arbeitskommando E540) for British and Commonwealth prisoners of war, under the administration of Stalag VIIIB/344 at Łambinowice (then known as Lamsdorf) in Poland. In January 1945, as the Soviet armies resumed their offensive and advanced from the east, the prisoners of the whole POW Camp Lamsdorf were marched westward in the so-called Long March or Death March. Many of them died from the bitter cold and exhaustion. The lucky ones got far enough to the west to be liberated by the allied armies after some four months of travelling on foot in appalling conditions.^[2]

References

1. see the private website about the former preponderant german village Bölten: http://members.aon.at/boelten
2. http://www.lamsdorf.com/history.html

• Olomouc Regional Statistical Office: Municipalities of Přerov District