Region of Liberec - Czech republic
REGION OF LIBEREC
Region of Liberec is situated in the North of Czech Republic. It is quite important area from the point of view of travel business and it is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
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Jablonné v Podještědí EN
Jablonné v Podještědí, one of oldest towns of North Bohemia, was always an administrative centre concentrating trade as well as handicrafts The town was founded in 1240 along merchant way from Prague to Lusitania. First notice comes of 1249, at the time, when the owner of local dominion was Havel, son of Markvart. He let to built a castle of Lemberk, a fortificated seat nearby. After 1250, Havel founded, together with his wife, Zdislava of Křižanov, a monastery, with new Order of Dominicans. Zdislava was known very well with her healing abilities as well as with her charitable heart. She self-sacrificingly looked after poor and ill people. Jablonné soon started to be a town, fortificated with walls including two gates, and even a mint-office was established here soon.
However, at the beginning of 14th century, the town started to change its owners. After Lemberk Parentage, the town obtained Berka of Dubá Family, and after 1418 Wartenberg Parentage bought the dominion. In the course of Hussite wars, the dominion-owner was Zikmund follower at first, so in 1425 the town was besieged with Hussite troops of Hynek Boček of Kunštát, and, the church with monastery were destroyed with fire. In 1428, Wartenberg came to Hussiten , so the town was protected against further war damages. Even in 1468, the town was besieged by Zittau troops. Later, the town was returned to Berka Family, and belonged to them till 1706. In 16th century, Jablonné became wealthy of several buildings, such as: St.Wolfgang hospital chapel, Renaissance castle New Falkenburg, brewery, school-building, and the construction of St.Lawrence church was started.
However, even Jablonné was not protected against cruel destiny shocks, when it suffered from big damages in the course of 30-years war. In 1623, hard recatolization process begun, the 
town suffered a lot with devastated invasions of military troops and so many culture monuments were taken away to Sweden. During 1680 and 1775, there happened to several farmers´ uprisings in the dominion. As far as further town-owners is concerned, so Pachta of Rájov Family came. They terminated church construction, and let to built small hunting chateau in Rococco style. Within Joseph´s II. reforms, there was closed Dominican monastery in 1788. In the same year, the town suffered from destructive fire, where 196 houses, including two churches were completely destroyed, and only 10 houses with suburbs remained undamaged. The foundation of post-office corresponded to importace of the town (to this purpose served hunting chateau from the beginning) Since 1737, there was station of driving post here, and since 1761 the seat of post-office. However, town-renovation was interfered 
with further military troops attacks, during Napoleon wars. Even Napoleon Bonaparte visited, on 19th August 1813, Jablonné personally. He expected the invasion of their enemies from Bohemia to Saxonia. From that reason, he concentrated his troops in Lusitania, and nearly 30 thousands of French and Polish soldiers marched into Bohemia on 19th August. Nevertheless, he returned soon with his escort back to Zittau. Anyway, his units stayed in the region for certain time but they left, without greater meeting, the country later.
At the beginning of 1st World War, there was established wooden captive´s camp. Since 1914, there were concentrated here war prisoners, mostly soldiers of Russian Czar Army, their 
quantity was nearly 12 thousands of persons. So, near to the community of Lada, there was established so called Russian cemetery. After 28th October 1918, the camp was closed, but at the end of May 1919, there were held in prison over 4500 members of Galizia Ucrainian Brigade (this unit was - within Polish-Ucrainian war - droven back to Bohemian territory and disarmed presently). Even in autumn of 1921, this brigade was definitively closed and their rests replaced to Josefov. When 2nd World War was over, the town noted a lot of big changes. Jablonné started to develop, and textile industry was substituted with glassware production. At present, Preciosa company employees many inhabitants of Jablonné. However, the agriculture production was deaden, and the tourist traffic started to move again.
As far as the sightseeings are concerned, Jablonné v Podještědí can offer to visitors as follows: It is, first of all, St.Lawrence and St.Zdislava Minor Basilica (it is first big work of John Lucas Hildebrandt - Master of Austrian Baroque). The basilica with its wealthy interior decorations belongs to important buildings of Baroque architecture in Central Europe. It is a place of last rest of St.Zdislava. In a crypt, there are placed twenty four painted picture with scenes of her life. In front of the church, we find three floors of 39 m deep catacombes. Here, there were buried, since 18th century, Dominican monks. The oldest preserved building in town, there is a chapel of St.Wolfgang, re-newed in Renaissance style within 16th century. It is worth to see former station of moving post-office, 
reconstructed to Rococco chateau of Pachta of Rájov Family in 1770, and Baroque column of Holy Trinity of 1682. We could not miss Peace square, with plague column of 1686, bearing St.Salvator plastic art, surrounded with stands of statues of Bohemian Saints. After interesting walk, we can have a rest at Zdislava spring, source of healing water, flowing from Neo-classical gloriet. We can visit also several castles in the outskirts or local swimming pool.
Text: Denisa Arvajová
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Daniel Baránek, č.2, Matěj Baťha, č.2, Zákupák, č.2, Bjoern Hoernitz, Trendy64
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