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38-451: Polička is made up of the town parts of Polička-Město, Dolní Předměstí and Horní Předměstí, and the villages of Lezník, Modřec and Střítež. Polička was founded in the area of meadows and forests called Napolickach , which most likely meant "on the plains ", and the town's name was derived from this local name. Polička is located about 14 kilometres (9 mi) west of Svitavy and 49 km (30 mi) southeast of Pardubice . It lies in

76-560: A dowry town , administered by Bohemian queens. During the reign of Charles IV , the town streets were paved, stone houses built, and the town fortified. In 1421, Polička was taken by Jan Žižka and afterwards plundered by one of Hungarian armies of Sigismund . After the Hussite Wars , Germans were expelled and Polička became a purely Czech town. Polička enjoyed the favour of the Jagiellonian dynasty during their rule. Later,

114-428: A gap ). Coastal plains mostly rise from sea level until they run into elevated features such as mountains or plateaus. Plains can be formed from flowing lava ; from deposition of sediment by water, ice, or wind; or formed by erosion by the agents from hills or mountains. Biomes on plains include grassland ( temperate or subtropical ), steppe ( semi-arid ), savannah ( tropical ) or tundra ( polar ). In

152-538: A few instances, deserts and rainforests may also be considered plains. Plains in many areas are important for agriculture because where the soils were deposited as sediments they may be deep and fertile , and the flatness facilitates mechanization of crop production; or because they support grasslands which provide good grazing for livestock . The types of depositional plains include: Erosional plains have been leveled by various agents of denudation such as running water, rivers, wind and glacier which wear out

190-490: A former textile factory from 1926. It is a social centre with a theatre hall and a library. Svitavy is known for the basketball club Tuři Svitavy . Until the relegation in 2024, it played in the National Basketball League (top Czech league). The Svitavský stadion hosts football and athletics. The town is home to the football club TJ Svitavy, which plays in lower amateur tiers. Motorcycle speedway

228-523: A result of the Beneš decrees . After 1945, the town was resettled by immigrants from the whole Czechoslovakia . There are no major companies based in the town, only middle-sized employers. The largest employers in Svitavy with more than 250 employees are Fibertex Nonwovens (manufacturer and processor of industrial textiles) and Westrock Packaging Systems Svitavy (producer of cardboard packaging). Svitavy

266-490: Is twinned with: Plain In geography , a plain , commonly known as flatland , is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation , and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains , as coastal plains , and as plateaus or uplands . Plains are one of the major landforms on earth, being present on all continents and covering more than one-third of

304-647: Is a transport hub of the area. It is well-connected by rail to other parts of the Czech Republic as it is located on the Prague – Brno railway line. It also lies on a line of local importance from Česká Třebová to Skuteč . The town has an intercity bus station with services to various destinations. Two first class roads cross just north of Svitavy, the I/43 road (part of the European route E461 ), which connects

342-471: Is at 475 metres (1,558 ft) above sea level. The Svitava River originates in the municipal territory and flows through the town. Apart from a few small bodies of water, there are two significant fish ponds on the Svitava near the town, Svitavský and Rosnička. They are the remains of the original eleven water works around the town. Rosnička was founded in the first half of the 16th century and Svitavský

380-586: Is held in the western outskirts of the town at the Areál Chihelna Svitavy. The stadium held a final round of the Czechoslovak Individual Speedway Championship from 1967 to 1973 and continues to hold qualifying races for the event. Svitavy has a valuable historical core. Its centre includes the almost 500 metres (1,600 ft) long main square with architecturally noteworthy civic buildings, which

418-524: Is made up of the town parts of Lačnov, Lány, Město and Předměstí. Svitavy was named after the river Svitava . The river's name referred to its clear water and was derived from svítat , which meant "be clear" in Old Czech. Svitavy is located about 57 kilometres (35 mi) southeast of Pardubice and 60 km (37 mi) north of Brno . It lies in the Svitavy Uplands . The highest point

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456-463: Is the 4th longest square in the Czech Republic and has the 2nd longest arcade in the country. The Renaissance houses from the 16th century were reconstructed in the Baroque style after the fire in 1781. In the middle of the square is a Baroque Marian column from 1703. The column is surrounded by the three patron saints of the town – St. Sebastian, St. Florian and St. John of Nepomuk. In the grotto of

494-432: Is used for commercial purposes. The adjacent Renaissance "U Mouřenína" House is one of the oldest preserved burgher house in Svitavy, built in 1554. The tourist information centre is now located in the building. Ottendorfer House is a red-brick historicist building with a tower, it is one of the symbols of the town, built in 1892 by the local native Oswald Ottendorfer on the site of his birthplace. It originally housed

532-546: The Esperanto Museum in Svitavy . Since 2011, Svitavy hosts the annual music festival Rosnička. The Town Museum and Gallery was founded in 1894 and it is based in its current premises since 1947. It includes permanent exhibition "From the History of Washing Technology" and an exhibition about the life of local native Oskar Schindler . The multifunctional cultural centre Fabrika was created by reconstruction of

570-560: The Svitavy Uplands . The highest point is at 650 m (2,130 ft) above sea level. It is situated on the borderline of historical lands of Bohemia and Moravia . The brook Bílý potok flows through the town and supplies Synský pond in the centre of the town. 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

608-573: The Thirty Years' War . In 1645, the town was looted. In 1781, a large fire destroyed most of the town. During the Napoleonic and Austro-Prussian wars, the town suffered as armies passed through the town. In 1849, the railway was built, which contributed to the development of the town, especially the textile industry. Gradually, over a hundred textile factories were established. Svitavy has retained its industrial character to this day, although

646-565: 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. Until the end of the 17th century, Polička recovered. In the 18th century, it again prospered and baroque reconstructions were made all over

684-751: The Earth's surface. Svitavy Svitavy ( Czech pronunciation: [ˈsvɪtavɪ] ; German : Zwittau ) is a town in Svitavy District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic . It has about 16,000 inhabitants. It is the birthplace of Oskar Schindler and the centre of the Czech Esperanto movement. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone . Svitavy

722-619: The Ottendorfer House. The house belonged to one of the richest families in Svitavy, local businesspeople. During the Depression, it was rented out to the town treasury, which in turn in 1933 rented the house to the town authorities, who bought the house and transferred the town hall to it. Budig's Villa was built in German Renaissance style in 1892 for the former mayor and businessman Johann Budig. Nowadays houses

760-661: The Town Museum and Gallery. Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary is located on the main square. It was probably originally a Romanesque structure built in around 1250. After the fire in 1781, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style. It has an accessible tower with a panoramic view. Church of Saint Giles was originally a Romanesque basilica built in around 1150. It was rebuilt in the early Baroque style in 1689 and includes preserved original interior equipment. In

798-463: The column there is a statue of St. Rosalie. On the square there is also the Fountain of St. Florian from 1783. The town walls from 1389 were demolished during the 19th century. A semi-circular bastion is the only remnant. Old Town Hall is originally a Renaissance building with a tower, extensively rebuilt after the fire of 1781 and again in 1849. It served as the town hall until 1933 and now it

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836-498: 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 first decades of its existence, the town was administered from the Svojanov Castle. In 1307, Polička was donated to Queen Elizabeth Richeza by her husband King Rudolf I and for next centuries became

874-566: The largest public and most modern German-language library in Moravia, later a town cultural centre. Since 2008 the Esperanto Museum and a tea room are located on the ground floor, the ornate hall on the floor above continues to serve as a concert hall. Langer's Villa houses the present town hall. It is historicist building with rich stucco ornamentation, built in 1892. It was designed by architect Germano Wanderley, who also designed

912-402: The major landforms on earth, where they are present on all continents, and cover more than one-third of the world's land area. In a valley, a plain is enclosed on two sides, but in other cases a plain may be delineated by a complete or partial ring of hills, by mountains, or by cliffs . Where a geological region contains more than one plain, they may be connected by a pass (sometimes termed

950-400: The rugged surface and smoothens them. Plain resulting from the action of these agents of denudation are called peneplains (almost plain) while plains formed from wind action are called pediplains . Structural plains are relatively undisturbed horizontal surfaces of the Earth. They are structurally depressed areas of the world that make up some of the most extensive natural lowlands on

988-534: The structure has changed significantly. Svitavy was historically a German-speaking town with a Czech minority. At the beginning of the 20th century the town saw tensions between Czech and German speaking people. In October 1938, the town was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of the Reichsgau Sudetenland . After the end of World War II in 1945, the German population was expelled as

1026-406: The town actively participated in the fight against Ferdinand I . In 1547 after Ferdinand I got to power, Polička was punished by suspension of its rights, fined, and its real estate was confiscated. Twelve years later, the town had to purchase the property for additional money. In the second half of the 16th century, the town prospered and Renaissance -style buildings started to be built. including

1064-586: The town hall and the Marian column were probably designed by the architect František Maxmilián Kaňka . Massive stone walls with 19 bastions are among the best-preserved fortifications in Central Europe. They are 1,220 metres (4,000 ft) long and surround the entire historic town centre. The original Church of Saint James the Great was built in 1265. It was replaced by new church in the 1360s–1380s, which

1102-591: The town with Brno, and the I/35 road (part of the European route E442 ), which replaces the unfinished section of the D35 motorway from Olomouc to the Hradec Králové Region . The Czech Esperanto Association is based in the town. It is a follower of several clubs from the first half of the 20th century, re-established in 1969. It co-organizes regional Esperanto meetings, organizes Children's Days, and manages

1140-408: The town. Polička is located on the railway line heading from Česká Třebová and Svitavy to Skuteč . The historic centre is formed by Palackého Square and adjacentr streets. The square includes one of the most notable Baroque town halls in the country. It replaced an old Gothic town hall and was built in 1739–1744. The baroque 22-metre (72 ft) high Marian column was built in 1727–1731. Both

1178-420: The town. 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

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1216-572: The vicinity is the valuable Roman Catholic parish house, rebuilt in the Broque style in 1626–1636. Church of Saint Joseph is a three-nave Neo-Romanesque basilica built in 1894–1896 with valuable decoration. Today the building is owned by a hospital. Convent of the Sisters of Grace of the St. Vincent de Paul order, founded in 1871, served as a hospital and later became a social care facility. It include

1254-426: The world's land area. Plains in many areas are important for agriculture . There are various types of plains and biomes on them. A plain or flatland is a flat expanse of land with a layer of grass that generally does not change much in elevation , and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains , as coastal plains , and as plateaus or uplands . Plains are one of

1292-523: 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 or the building of the current secondary grammar school. Until 1918, Polička was part of Austria-Hungary , in the district of the same name, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia . In October and November 1938 Polička

1330-463: Was established in 1953. In addition to fish farming, they form a suburban recreational area. Svitavy was founded during the colonization by Premonstratensian monks from nearby Litomyšl around 1150. They built the Church of Saint Giles and founded a settlement called Stará Svitava near an old trade route. During the second wave of colonization in around 1250, mostly German-speaking settlers came and founded another settlement called Nová Svitava. Svitavy

1368-414: Was first mentioned in 1256 when it was taken over by the bishop of Olomouc , Bruno von Schauenburg , and this year is considered to be the year of foundation of the town. In 1389, the town walls were built. They protected the town during the Hussite Wars , however the town was conquered. Svitavy often changed owners. In the 16th century, the town flourished economically. The prosperity was interrupted by

1406-480: Was later baroquely rocenstructed. After the fire in 1845, a new Neo-Gothic church was built on its site in 1853–1865. The tower of the church serves as a lookout point and contains the room in which the composer Bohuslav Martinů , the most notable person born in Polička, was born. It is open to the public. The Church of Saint Michael was built before 1580. It is a Renaissance cemetery church with Gothic elements. Polička

1444-509: 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 thousand inhabitants which left to the abandoned areas from where the original German population was expelled . The largest employer based in the town is Ravensburger Karton , manufacturer of toys and games. The I/34 road (the section from Svitavy to Havlíčkův Brod passes through

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