Jablonec nad Nisou : Czech Republic

Jablonec nad Nisou (German: Gablonz an der Neiße) is a town in northern Bohemia, second largest town of Liberec Region. Population (2001) about 45,000. Known as a mountain resort in Jizera Mountains, education centre, and a centre of world-production of glass and jewellery.
Village Jablonec (in English means ‘place with apple-trees’) was founded in 14th century; first written document dates back to 1356. In august of 1496, village was burnt to the ground by troops of rebelling Lusatian Towns Group in war between them and Bohemian king George of Podebrady. In the 18th century, first artificial jewellery was produced and first exporteur J. F. Schwan spread its name throughout Europe. The village Jablonec was promoted to township by Bohemian king Francis I on April 21, 1808 and to town by king Francis Joseph on March 28, 1866.
In the 19th century the town became prosperous and wealthy: French-Prussian war between 1870-1871 pushed the most dangerous competition in glass and artificial jewellery manufacture out of business. Jablonec traders seized the foreign markets and they did not give them up any longer. A steadily flow of glass and artificial jewellery products of an incredibly wide range was flowing out of the town for next 60 years. Prosperity and wealth walked hand in hand with demographic advancements; Jablonec’s appearance was changing dramatically. Deep decline of glass and jewellery industry followed the Black Friday in 1929 and crisis of 1930s. In October of 1938, Jablonec was occupated by Hitler’s Germany. New freedom came after 50 years, in 1989 with fall of communist dictature in Czechoslovakia.
Famous personalities: Josef Zasche (b. 1871 d. 1957), architect, Gustave Leutelt (b. 1860 d. 1947), writer, Josef Schindler (b. 1814 d. 1890), collaborator of Vincenz Priessnitz, Josef Vaclav Scheybal (b. 1928 d. 2001), etnographer.
Today’s Jablonec is centre of active-holiday tourism and sport (swimming pool, 3 soccer and athletic stadiums, hockey stadium, 13 gyms and 16 playgrounds). Well-known is also for its modern architecture of 1900s, 1920s and 1930s. Jablonec valley dam is the northest intra-urban valley dam in Europe.