Mladá Boleslav is an ancient royal town in the Central Bohemia Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated on the left bank of the Jizera River, at the confluence with the river Klenice. It has approximately 45,000 inhabitants and forms a bi-city with the neighbouring small town of Kosmonosy. The city is home to the famous Škoda car. History of Mladá Boleslav In 10th century, Bohemian Duke Boleslav II founded a wooden castle he called Mladá Boleslav (“The Young Boleslav”)--after his own name. The main purpose was probably to build an administrative center for newly acquired territories of the Bohemian Crown. At that time, a settlement was set up under the castle on the bank of the Jizera river. By the end of the 13th century, the castle had been completely destroyed by the invasion. After the extinction of the royal branch of the Přemyslids in 1306, the town was under the possession of the Michalovice noble family. In 1334, Ješek of Michalovice issued a document in which he equipped Mladá Boleslav with many city rights. During the 14th century, most of the buildings (predominantly wooden) centered around the triangular market. During the Hussite wars the city was repeatedly devastated and all monasteries were destroyed. In 1600 Emperor Rudolph II promoted Mladá Boleslav to a royal city. However, Mladá Boleslav soon became bankrupt. The reason was the Thirty Years' War which devastated the town entirely, due to the troops trotting through the town. The suburb received the worst damage as it was not protected by the walls. In 1648, the castle of Mladá Boleslav was destroyed. The Renewal The boom restarted with the development of industries. In the 18th and 19th centuries, many factories were built in Mladá Boleslav, most of which concentrated on the banks of the Jizera River. Distilleries, the brewery, the textile factory or the sugar factory were among these. An important milestone for the city was the connection to the Austrian railroad in 1865, connecting the town to the Empire. At the beginning of the 20th century, a new quarter was quickly created and the city expanded significantly beyond the boundaries of its original development. In 1895,the Slavia bicycle factory was founded. It soon became a motorcycle factory and then the car manufacturer in 1905 run by Laurin & Klement Co. – today's Škoda Auto. An architectural plan was drawn by architect František Janda and brought a urban planning concept of a modern industrial town. In 1927, the Border Exhibition of the Czech North was held in the town. The exhibition was a stimulus for the establishment of a number of clubs in all of Northern Bohemia. At that time, the Municipal Museum was established in Mladá Boleslav. Was There A Jewish Community? The Jewish community in Mlada Boleslav, which the Jews called Bumsla, was one of the oldest communities in Bohemia. For many years the rabbis of the community were renowned Torah scholars, whose reputation and influence exceeded their boundaries. This makes it one tourist spot worth visiting when taking a Jewish vacation in the Czech Republic. We shall learn more about this community in the second part of this discussion. Below is the Part II of this article: Part II: The Old Royal Town Of Mladá Boleslav
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