Bruntál

The first written mention of Bruntál is in the Uničov Charter issued by King Ottokar I of Bohemia in 1223. According to the charter, Bruntál was founded probably by Vladislaus Henry around 1213 and granted Magdeburg rights. Being the first settlement in Czech lands to be granted Magdeburg rights, Bruntál was an appellate court for all cities endowed with Magdeburg rights in Northern Moravia (including Olomouc and Opava) until 1352. The reasons behind the founding of the city probably included utilising mineral ore deposits in the region, as well as thwarting colonization by the Bishops of Wrocław.[6][7]

Bruntál was founded as a mining town and the mining of precious metals and later iron ore in its vicinity was the main source of its prosperity until the 17th century. This fact was also reflected in the coat of arms, which already contains the figure of a miner in its oldest known image on a document from 1287. In addition to mining the town's economic growth was aided by its location on a trade route and the development of crafts.[6]

Bruntál was owned by various branches of the Přemyslid dynasty almost continuously until 1474. It was owned by the Margraves of Moravia in 1213–1318, by the Dukes of Opava in 1318–1377, and by the Dukes of Krnov in 1377–1474 except for the years 1384–1390, when it was owned by Vladislaus II of Opole.[6][8]

In 1474, during the Bohemian–Hungarian War (1468–1478), Bruntál was occupied by the armed forces of Matthias Corvinus who gave the town as a pledge to his supporter, Jan of Vrbno. Despite being only a possessor of the town, Jan of Vrbno started to style himself of Vrbno and Bruntál from 1476 onwards.[8]

Bruntál Castle

Sons of Jan of Vrbno and Bruntál (Bernard, Hynek, and Mikuláš) managed to secure an allodial title (ownership) to the town together with neighbouring villages and mines from the Dukes of Krnov in 1506 and established the Bruntál estate. The Lords of Vrbno and Bruntál were steadily stripping the town of its privileges and forced local inhabitants into corvée labour and religious conversion to Lutheranism. These encroachments upon town privileges and the liberties of its citizens resulted in an unsuccessful rebellion against Jan the Elder of Vrbno and Bruntál in 1556.[6][8]

Despite political decline Bruntál's economy flourished under the reigns of the Lords of Vrbno and Bruntál. Thank to the privileges granted by Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria in 1535 and 1558, and by Rudolf II in 1577, the town hosted several markets each year and new guilds emerged.[6][8]

The expanded mining industry, backed by the Lords of Vrbno, led to the founding of several neighbouring towns, including Andělská Hora around 1550, and Vrbno pod Pradědem in 1611.[8] During the 16th century, the character of the town changed as it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style and better fortified by building new bastions.[6]

In 1621, the estate was confiscated from Jan IV of Vrbno and Bruntál for his participation in the Bohemian Revolt and given to the Teutonic Order. Forced re-Catholicization took place in the following years. During the Thirty Years' War, the town was repeatedly looted and severely damaged, and was also hit by a fire in 1643 and by plague epidemics in 1633 and 1647. Bruntál recovered economically from the war damage during the rule of Johann Caspar von Ampringen, but lost its former importance and wealth.[6][9]

During the 18th century several disasters befell the town, such as the plagues of 1714 and 1739, and the great fires of 1748 and 1764. Nevertheless, many new baroque buildings were built during this period and a new post office was established in 1748.[6]

During the 19th century, industrialisation took place. In 1823–1826, the town fortifications were demolished, new public buildings were built, and many textile factories were established. Bruntál became the centre of textile industry of Czech Silesia. The railway was opened in 1872.[6]

Míru Square in the first half of the 20th century

According to the Austrian census of 1910 the town had 8,066 inhabitants, out of which 7,939 (99.7%) were German-speaking. Jews were not allowed to declare Yiddish as their native language, thus most of them professed the German language. The most populous religious group was the Roman Catholics with 7,725 (95.8%), followed by the Protestants with 229 (2.8%), and the Jews with 97 (1.2%).[10]

Until 1918, Bruntál was part of Austria-Hungary, in a district by the same name, one of the eight Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Austrian Silesia.[11]

After World War I, Bruntál became part of the newly established Czechoslovakia, which led to riots by the German majority. Czech families began to come to the town and a large minority was gradually formed. German nationalism gained many sympathizers among German inhabitants of Bruntál, which was reflected in an attempted uprising in September 1938. After signing the Munich Agreement on 29 September 1938, Bruntál was occupied by Nazi Germany. From 1938 to 1945, it was part of Reichsgau Sudetenland.[6]

During World War II, the Germans operated a Gestapo prison in the town,[12] the E339 and E352 forced labour subcamps of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner-of-war camp,[13] a forced labour camp for Jews,[14] and a subcamp of the Auschwitz concentration camp for women.[15]

The town was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on 7 May 1945, and then restored to Czechoslovakia. The German population was expelled in accordance to the Potsdam Agreement and resettled by Czechs. In the 1950s, the textile industry ended and was replaced by new industrial enterprises.[6]