Březová nad Svitavou

History

Březová was founded in around 1300. In 1497, it was promoted to a town by King Vladislaus II. From the end of the 15th century, cloth production developed. In the 16th century, other crafts flourished and Březová developed rapidly. From 1784, flax production developed. In the middle of the 18th century, a road was built through the town that connected Prague with Brno and Vienna, which helped the success of local manufactures. The greatest development of the industry occurred after 1849, when the railway was built. The town was mainly focused on the textile industry. New residents, mainly of German ethnicity, came to work in the factories. In the 20th century, there was an outflow of inhabitants to the surrounding villages. In 1938, the town was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland. After World War II, the Germans were expelled and the population continued to decline.