Polička

Sister cities

• Meilen

History

Until 1200, the area was under the administration of the Praemonstratensian monastery in Litomyšl. Polička was founded in 1265 by King Ottokar II of Bohemia to defend the country's trading route from Moravia to Bohemia through dense forests. On 27 September 1265, Ottokar II issued a decree in which he ordered the lokator Conrad of Lewendorf to take care of setting up the new town. In the second half of the 16th century, the town prospered and Renaissance-style buildings started to be built. including the Church of Saint Michael. In 1613, Polička was devastated by fire. Only the southwestern part of the town the Gothic town hall, church, rectory and school were spared. Polička did not prosper well during the Thirty Years' War either and was conquered and looted several times. The town subsequently depopulated. Polička kept its Baroque appearance until 1845 when it was hit by another fire, which destroyed most of the houses and the Church of Saint James the Great. The fire has considerably slowed development of the town and therefore the town walls were not torn down and are preserved to this day. During the second half of the 19th century the town experienced a significant cultural development. In 1896, Polička was connected to the national railway network. This started the industrial development of the town. In the first half of the 20th century a number of significant building were built in the town, for example Tyl House, Sokol Gymnasium and the building of the current secondary grammar school. Until 1918, Polička was part of Austria-Hungary. In October and November 1938, Polička was occupied by Nazi Germany. Between 1939 and 1945, the town belonged to the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. After World War II, the town lost about one thousand inhabitants to the…

Geography

Polička is located about west of Svitavy and southeast of Pardubice. It lies in the Svitavy Uplands. The highest point is at above sea level. It is situated on the borderline of the historical lands of Bohemia and Moravia. The stream Bílý potok flows through the town and supplies the fishpond Synský rybník in the centre of the town.

Most recent

• M 3 — 2006-03-21
  1 km NNW of Bystré, Czechia
• M 2.6 — 2005-12-31
  5 km ENE of Šternberk, Czechia
• M 3.4 — 2005-10-25
  0 km N of ?ervený Kostelec, Czechia
• M 2.9 — 2005-08-10
  2 km WSW of ?ervený Kostelec, Czechia