Mladá Boleslav (German: Jungbunzlau) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, on the left bank of Jizera river about 50 km northwest of Prague by a poor-quality motorway. Population: 43,399 (2002).

Founded in the second half of the 10th century by king Boleslav as a royal castle - Mladá means young to distinguish it from the older Boleslav, since the 15th century known as Stará Boleslav (i. e. Old Boleslav) nearer Prague. Later, town privilege was established and Mladá Boleslav became an important place on road from Prague to northern Bohemia, Lusatia and Brandenburg. In 16th century town was leading centre of Unity of the Brethren church (Unitas fratrum, Moravians) with the Brethren bishop, Renaissance cathedral and Brethren printing house. After recatholisation in 17th century, population declined.

In 19th century new prosperity came, the town became important centre of its region and new schools, theatre, museum and especially Laurin & Klement (today Škoda) automobile factory were founded. After the communist revolution in 1948, town declined horribly; however it has been improving since the 1990es as the factory is making it one of the richest Czech towns.

Visitors sights

• Templ Municipal History Museum - new holographic exhibition in gothic town-palace;
• Škoda Museum - Car museum;
• Brethren renaissance cathedral - public open gallery;
• Regional Museum - Historical, cultural and social history collections

Important personalities

• Ctibor Tovačovský z Cimburka (1437 - 1494), important law theorist
• Lucas of Prague (1460 - 1528), Brethren bishop, theologist and writer
• Jiří Kezelius-Bydžovský (1576 - 1655), historian
• Jan Norbert z Neuberka (1796 - 1859), polititian, co-founder of Bohemian National Museum , historian
• Vincenc Zahradník (1790 - 1836), writer
• Alois Vojtěch Šmilovský (1837 - 1883), writer
• Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879), writer
• František Gellner (1881 - after 1914), important poet

External links

• Article at BohemiaNet.com
• Article at guide.travel.cz
• Regional Museum (English pages)
• Information about the town at the town council's website (in Czech)