Polná

Founded in the second half of the 12th century, it is first mentioned in a written document in 1242. At that time, there had already been a church in Polná. Originally, Polná was a forest collier settlement, and not far from it there was built a castle called Polná, originally Polmna. The town lies on the line between two historic Czech lands – Bohemia and Moravia, therefore the town became an important mercantil and tactical point.[2]

Polná became the centre of Polná (later Polná-Přibyslav) domain. During its existence, Polná was, most of the time, part of significant aristocrat families' property. After the lords of Polná, the lords of Lipá owned the town, from the half of the 14th century Polná was owned by the lords of Pirkenštejn. During the Hussite Wars, Hynek Ptáček of Pirkenštejn, a hussite nobleman, ruled over Polná and bought also the nearby town of Přibyslav. Victor, son of the Czech king George of Poděbrady who bestowed Polná significant town rights and the coat of arms, got Polná by marriage with Žofie Ptáčková (daughter of Hynek Ptáček).[2]

In the 15th century, Trčeks of Lípa owned the town followed by the Wallensteins, lords of Hradec and Žejdlices of Šenfeld. In 1623 Rudolf Žejdlic's property was confiscated because of his revolt against the Emperor. All the domain was bought by cardinal František of Ditrichštejn who changed the town's privileges and the coat of arms. Polná belonged to the Ditrichštejns' property almost 300 years.[2]

In the 17th century a Jewish community settled in Polná.[2]

In 1794 the castle (rebuilt to a chateau) burned down and was never completely restored again.[2]

In the 19th century Polná was the centre of Czech culture for large locality and formed a counterbalance to the German-speaking city of Jihlava. In the half of the 19th century 6,500 people lived in Polná, which made it the third largest town in the Vysočina Region (after Jihlava and Třebíč).

In August 1863, a tragedy took place in Polná. A giant fire destroyed 189 houses and 456 families lost their homes. Many baroque and renaissance houses were ruined. Many people moved from the town. The fact that the Northwest Railroad were built 6 kilometers far from Polná caused another economical decline of the town. Railroad Dobronín-Polná was built in 1903 but since 1982 the passenger traffic does not carry on.[2]

The most significant incident of the 19th century was the murder of 19-year-old Anežka Hrůzová in the Březina forest. A Polná Jew, Leopold Hilsner, was wrongfully accused of the crime. Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, later the first president of Czechoslovakia, engaged himself in this affair.

In 1906, the telephone network were installed in Polná. A power plant was built in 1911. During the World War II most of the Jewish community died in concentration camps. Only three Polná Jews survived the war. In 1949 Polná became part of the Havlíčkův Brod District. In 1960, after another territorial reorganization it became part of the Jihlava District.