> History of the town

History of the town

History of the town

The history of the town Vrchlabi is connected with the settlement history of the Giant Mountains - the highest Czech mountains. Czech (originally Werchlab, Wrchlab) and the German name (Hohenelbe from about 1518) of the town is linked to its location on the upper flow of the Elbe, the oldest Latin name of the town - Albipolis is connected with Elbe and its Latin name Albis (White) as well.

First settlement called Wrchlab is in the territory of the town probably before the year 1300 of the English accompanied by a written source of 1359, later (in 1365) the German village Goswinsdorf, named according to its founder, locator Goswina, later called Giesdorf. Perhaps before the year 1241 so called „Vrchlabi provost residence“ with monastery called "Virgin Mary Cell " - a branch of Benedictine monastery was near Klášterská Lhota.

Hasek of Vrchlabi, holder of Vrchlabi estate built a castle near the present water fortress, in the half of the 14th century. He administered Vrchlabi from 1359 to 1363, after his death fief inherited to his under-age son Peter, in whose name ruled Hašek’s widow until 1370. Peter's son, Hasek is mentioned in 1437, in 1470 are as holders of state Vrchlabi mentioned Cenek, Peter and Vácslav. In 1488 Vácslav as an only holder died childless. Dispute about Vrchlabi property arose between Vácslav’s brother Cenek, sister Barbara, who acted on behalf of the deceased Peter and Henik of Wallenstein and Stepanice,. The court decided in 1493 in favour of Cenek, Barbara sued him again, and finally Vrchlabi property is handed to Peter‘s orphans. They sold Vrchlabi property to John and  Hynek Kordula’s of Sloupno. Jan Kordula subscribed Vrchlabi property to the share of his wife Mandalena of Sanov. Daughter of John Kordula then subscribed half of Vrchlabi property to her husband Jan Tetaur of Tetov. They owned fief together until 1525. This year John succeeded to force King Louis to release from the fief. Jan, with the permission of his wife put their exclusive right to Provincial Boards. Their right contained  Vrchlabi fortress, court and village, the court in Branna (Upper), the village Knezice, Zdar, Holenice a part of village Lhota.

Most important figure in history of our city is undoubtedly Christopher Gendorf of Gendorf, Corinthian mining expert and the Royal Councillor. He purchased Vrchlabi in 1533 from Tetaur for 1750 threescores of Czech groschens and he earned about the promotion of village to the city on the 6th October 1533. Since then, the city boasts by crest character privilege of two annual markets. Gendorf of Vrchlabi undoubtedly created one of the most important centres of iron, the most productive in the Czech lands. The work brought  large number of new people to Vrchlabi. Gendorf gave them in 1558 grazing and part of forest for logging on the right bank of the Elbe River north of the town. In return, Vrchlabi citizens had to make hay on Gendorf’s meadows. Eustachie of Gendorf, daughter of Christopher, got Vrchlabi from his father in 1561. Their daughters Barbara, Katherine and Rozina, married to William Mirkovsky of Stropnice held Vrchlabi after her death. Estate was divided among them, but Rozina with her husband got it the whole finally . Albrecht of Wallenstein bought Vrchlabi in 1624 from their son and Gendorf’s grandson, William Mirkovsky of Stropnice under pressure. Agreed price: 110 000 threescores of Meissen groschen. Deal said, that Mirkovsky family would manage the estate until Wallenstein pays. He broke his word and after the death of William Mirkovsky he took possession of Vrchlabi by violence and instead of the money he paid by goods in the foothills. Thanks to advanced metallurgy and iron industry Vrchlabi is registered in the history of the Thirty Years' War as a major supplier of sword and fire arms. After the death of Albrecht of Waldstein Rudolf Morzine received Vrchlabi as a gift from the Emperor Ferdinand the Second for military merit and financial assistance.

Vrchlabi burghers enjoyed until the end of the Thirty Years War religious freedom offered by the Protestant (Lutheran) religion. With the advent of Morzines started violent re-catholicization. After Rudolf’s death his brother Paul Morzine was turning Lutherans to the right faith so zealously that it is the 15th March 1651 Vrchlabi citizens rebelled. Fifty musketeers under command of Commissioner Schoenfeld settled rebellion in favour of the Lords of Morzine. The main culprits of the resistance were arrested and thrown into prison in Prague. Others got a deadline for the transgression of the Catholic faith until the end of March the following year. Many local families followed the example of JA Comenius and left the city forever.

Together with the processing of iron the most important artisanal sector became flax. In addition to traditional urban guilds  weaver’s guild arose in a town in 1590 and spinning and weaving of flax begun to develop. Nuremberg department store of Bartholomew Viatis and Martin Peller was intermediating sales of Vrchlabi linen until the middle of the 18th century. Giant Mountain cloth was sold in Italy and Spain, was exported to North Africa, the Orient and overseas. Count Paul Morzine included harvest and processing of flax grown on his land among corvee obligations. In 1675 was direct obligation to its subjects repealed and replaced by cash payments. Two weavers’ guilds paid to the nobles more than half of their incomes. At the end of 17th century more than 200 weavers worked in Vrchlabi region.

Paul’s successor became his son John Rudolf. Because Rudolf‘s oldest male descendant Maxmilian died, second son Vaclav held Vrchlabi property from 1706 until his death in 1737. His genus disappeared after the death of his grandson Francis and property acquired youngest branch of the family. Rudolf Morzine and his son held up Vrchlabi until 1881. Since Rudolf Jr. hadn’t any son, the estate passed to his daughter Aloisie married to Herman Cernin of Chudenice and they created a new genus: Cernin-Morzine.

Construction of the new town hall, completed in 1737, foreshadowed the next economic upswing in the 18th century. Two hundred fifty years ago (about 1750) about fifteen hundred people in more than 250 houses lived in the town. Arable land belonged roughly to the half of the houses, so great importance for the livelihood of the population had craft. In Theresian land, the city was evaluated as a so-called classified, crafts, therefore, was assessed a higher rate. According to land work in Vrchlabi 109 craftsmen: bricklayer, tailors, traders of yarns, shoemakers, weavers, drapers, dyer, furriers, seal engraver, wheelwright, butchers, stocking-maker, belt-maker, soap-boiler, potter, shopkeeper, hatter, watchmaker, saddler, gunsmith and rope-maker. Local yarns traders founded Trutnov Mountain Company in order to get rid of competition and attract new customers. Two Vrchlabi burghers Works there too. A significant share of trade with the linen remained to the nobles, which supported it by the construction of bleach and mangle. The processing of flax is closely linked with the founding of  weavers and spinning school in 1770 by John Mittelholzer. He was Swiss expert, who came to Vrchlabi the year before, set up in the cellar of one of the local home workshop, which equipped with five states. Misty substances for dyeing was weaved there. They called them sangalety the place, which were exported - Switzerland Sankt Gallen. The school (the third of its kind in the Czech Republic) unfortunately, after five years disappeared.

From the forties years of the 18th century Vrchlabi often was close to the wars of Silesia, which led Maria Theresa against the Prussian king Friedrich II. Danger threatened to Vrchlabi people mainly in the form of requisitions of food and money. Even occasional habitation of the troops brought to the city nothing good, except of new blood of unwanted offspring. Co emperor of Maria Theresa was from 1865 her son Joseph II. "People's Emperor" several visited Vrchlabi during his missions. In 1778 introduced into the city as the army chief who had prevented entry to the Czech Republic in the Prussian War of Bavarian heritage. Three years before Joseph visit - in 1775 - Vrchlabi estate subjects join to the riot for regulating the corvee obligations that outbreak in the northern and north-eastern Bohemia, and spoke against the local ruler. They  invaded 23rd March to the castle, and slew seigniorial officials, drink beer and brandy in nobles’ brewery  and took up the bread and pastry from municipal bakers. 1781 with the abolition of serfdom patent count Xaver Josef Morzine transferred corvee obligations to cash payments. In 1790 the Vrchlabi got its own municipality - Magistrate. It consisted of three non-payment officials - mayor and two municipal councillors, paid employees were: tested councillor, official and the servant. Municipality from the beginning had the powers of an independent court of first instance.

Textile production dominated the last quarter of the 18th century until the thirties of the 20th century and determined the industrial and handicraft development of the town. Vienna Branch Wholesale Jenny Aebly & Comp. worked in Vrchlabi from 1788. Brothers Kiesling Company  production of the veil expanded about the same time. Area own city began to be so small and new industrial equipment based in Upper  and Lower Vrchlabi and Podhuri (Harta). Since the beginning of the 19th century first cloth printing house worked in the Podhuri, in 1803 there Wenzel Zirm founded the first of many bleachery and cloth treatment house - later Leutzendorf and Waengler company The products of local weavers were refined by seven similar companies in the thirties of last century

Competition from England and imported machine-produced cotton yarn demanded construction of laundry linen sought. As a the fifth in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was established in Upper Vrchlabi machinery flax spinning mill, built by a consortium of four partners (later F.A. Rotter and children Co.). Vilibald Jerie of Mrklov  founded a second Vrchlabi laundry three years later. A century ago the local laundries employed 1,660 workers, which will guarantee the hallmark largest industrial enterprises in the city. Formation of smaller and larger firms is related to the development of cotton. The first weaving mill was founded by Eugene and Victor Cypers in Podhuri. Hundred and fifty years ago eleven hundred workers earned a livelihood in seven weaving mills in the city. Their products could be bought not only inside the territory of the Habsburg monarchy, but also elsewhere in Europe. Complete Vrchlabi products provided printing houses and dyeing agents. Hartmann Kleining factory was specialized in the production bandage materials.

Other engineering production in Vrchlabi developed slowly. At the end of the 19th century began production of building materials: lime, bricks, stoneware and cement products, and artificial stone.  Period of industrial development of the city culminated by Grand first industrial exhibition of north-eastern Bohemia in 1896, prepared by Vrchlabi Magistrate with local industrialists,
Integral part of the city became since 1867 the activity of different societies. Besides of Jilemnice, considered as birthplace of the Czech skiing, can also Vrchlabi be boldly described as one of the birthplace of winter sports in Central Europe. A pioneer, organizer and benefactor ski sport in and around the Vrchlabi was Guido Rotter Sr., manufacturer from Upper Vrchlabi.

Viewed in detail on the demographic situation in Vrchlabi almost one hundred years ago, we find that the population is reported mainly for German nationality. In 1913 lived in our town of 7,048 people in nearly six hundred houses. Just less than a tenth of them were Czechs, others spoke German. About two decades later it counts over twelve hundred Czechs, while the total number of people decreased slightly at the 6984.  Life in the Czech Republic after the post-war economic and national crisis in the first half of 20^th century returned to normal conditions. There are new industries: Petera Company - the production of automobile bodies, Löwit Company - production of cables.

Job opportunities and strong earnings have allowed many citizens to build houses, so the number of them increased at the beginning of the thirties to 707. The city boundaries extend to the south. Economic crisis (crash on the stock exchange in New York) reflected particularly in large unemployment in Vrchlabi textile industry.

In 1938 after the Munich betrayal Vrchlabi became part of the Sudeten County, therefore German Empire. Vrchlabi industry underwent a rapid development and all production was focused on the products of war. In Vrchlabi factories worked totally deployed Czechs, while the majority of German men fought and died on battlefields of World War II against their will. In many labor camps in Vrchlabi lived Russian, French and English prisoners of war who worked here in industry and agriculture. In Upper Vrchlabi was placed female camp for Polish and Ukraine Jude women. Displacement in German-speaking population after the war (1945-1946) meant a radical change of relations. New people came to Vrchlabi, old traditions disappeared and much possession was stolen and destroyed. Another shock fell on the town with a communist coup in February 1948, natural development stopped, talent, ability and energy of inhabitants remained seized in the circumstances of the totalitarian regime. New rise of the city started after the fall of the totalitarian regime which naturally became one of the most important tourist crossroads of the country. National automobile factory SKODA   became a part of VW concern, and its branch, built in Vrchlabi after the Wold War II from former Petera Company, developed its production and became the biggest employer of the region; mountains and countryside has opened for thousands of tourists from whole world.