THE TOWN OF BRUNTÁL - FOUNDED IN 1213

…The Oldest Town in the Crown Lands of Bohemia

The area in the foothills of the Jeseníky Mountains became a focus of attention as early as the 12^th century. Resources of noble metals were discovered here. A Slavonic settlement was established by the trade path from Olomouc to Silesia – present Old Town (reconstruction of a late Romanesque church stronghold is preserved) – which formed grounds for further colonisation settlement of the region in the 13^th century. Natives as well as foreigners were attracted by the vision of noble metals. At that time, Bruntál was founded – according to the declaration of King Přemysl Otakar II, called Uničovská, as early as 1213. According to this document, the town of Bruntál is the very first place in the Czech Crown Lands that was granted the Magdeburg municipal right. The town founder was a Moravian margrave Vladislav Jindřich. Initial rapid growth of the town was temporarily halted by invasion of Tatars in 1241. The town acted as an appellate court for all towns with a Magdeburg municipal right founded in northern Moravia, among others also for the royal town of Olomouc, until 1352. The reason for its foundation was the necessity to secure the north border of Morava against colonisation endeavours of Vratislav’s bishopric in a nearly deserted area of mountainous Jeseníky massif and also the ore resources of these mountains.

For a long time, the main resource of the town prosperity was mining of noble metals. This fact was also reflected in the municipal coat-of-arms; its very first depiction in the document from 1287 portrays a figure of a miner. As a mining town, Bruntál was a landlordly property – first of Moravian margraves, then dukes of Opava and was granted a range of privileges. The town that served as a base for further colonisation of its broad surroundings also became a centre of guild craftsmanship and it also figured as a significant market place with the right to hold 4 fairs a year and a weekly market. In the beginning of 16^th century, Bruntál changed hands and was owned by governors from Vrbno until the Battle of White Mountain (Bílá hora). In 1577 Bruntál even held a feast for Emperor Rudolf II. During the Thirty Years War, the most critical period for Czechs, Jan junior of Bruntál from Vrbno, the governor of the town, sided with the Czech king Fridrich Falcký, also nicknamed the Winter King. On 17^th and 18^th of February 1620 he paid homage to him at the head of Czech aristocracy at Castle of Bruntál where he stopped by after he had fled Olomouc for Vratislav. The defeat of Czech nobles in the Battle of White Mountain meant that the whole dominion of Bruntál was confiscated. Only a small part of the confiscated property remained in the emperor’s hands; most of it was given away or sold to the emperor’s supporters. After gaining the dominion of Bruntál, Emperor Ferdinand II seized an opportunity to pay off his debts to the Teutonic Knights. On 17^th July 1621, a deed of donation was executed in Vienna, giving the Bruntál Dominion to the Order of Teutonic Knights.

During the Thirty Years War Bruntál was repeatedly plundered by Swedes and after that plague epidemics would deliver a blow to it. In 1748, a great part of the town was destroyed by fire and another fire in 1764 wreaked havoc on the whole town. In connection with industrial production, especially textiles, the town experienced a boom from the 18^th century. As early as 1758, a leather factory operated in Bruntál, from 1786 chemical works and from 1807 a factory specialising in rugs was founded. In 1828, a plant for flax and cotton goods was founded. From 1850, Bruntál became the most significant centre of linen industry in the whole of Czech Silesia at that time. In 1885, the very first public hospital in Czech Silesia was opened. The booming town became a district town in the mid 19^th century. When World War One ended, Czechoslovakian state power was installed in the town. During the occupation of the Sudetenland, Czech inhabitants were forced to leave the town. Hitler himself visited Bruntál as the very first place in all Silesia. Bruntál was liberated by the Soviet army on 7^th May. After the post-war transfer of Germans, Bruntál was resettled by Czech inhabitants.

Visit also official town website on www.mubruntal.cz/en_welcome.asp