Svitavy (ˈsvɪtavɪ; German: Zwittau) is a town in the Svitavy District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. The town has a population of 18,000 and is also the district administrative centre.

History

The town was founded in around 1150, when monks set up the church and nearby village. A century later German speaking colonists were moved into the area. From 1256 Svitavy was owned by bishops of Olomouc. The city has been destroyed twice, during the Thirty Years' War the town was devastated and in 1781 it was burned down by accident. In 1866, a cease-fire between Prussia and Austria was arranged here. In 1930, 88.4 % of the population was German. In the beginning of the 20th century the town saw tensions between Czech and German speaking people, resulting in the expulsion of Germans following World War II.

Famous people

• Martin Doktor (born 1974), canoeing World and Olympic champion (born in nearby Polička)
• Viktor Felber (1880 - 1942), professor of engineering, in 1930-31 head of Czech Technical University
• Alexander Makowsky (1833 - 1908), geologist
• Valentin Oswald Ottendorfer (1826 - 1900), anarchist, entrepreneur, philanthropist
• Oskar Schindler (28 April 1908 – 9 October 1974), Sudeten German industrialist credited with saving almost 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust

External links

• Official website
• City Museum
• Brief History