Create a detailed knowledge graph from the following: ## 2 Basic information about the village

### 2.1 Geographical location, natural conditions

    Želechovice nad Dřevnicí is located in a valley on the left bank of the Dřevnice River, 5.8 km east of Zlín and 8.4 km west of Vizovice, at an altitude of 242 m.2 In addition to the actual settlement core (the village square), the cadastre of the village also includes several local tracts - Dřínoví, Na Hrobech, Chmelinec, Kúty, Kněžské, Milenovy, Obůrky and Oslné (or Olsna). There are also several hamlets: Láze, Žleby, Vidova, Batolice and Paseky.²¹
    As for mineral resources, only three mentions can be found in sources and literature. A small occurrence of oil was detected in the past from an exploratory borehole on the cadastre of the village, but mining was not started because it would have been economically loss-making. However, whetstone was mined in the local quarry for a certain period of time. Only a legend spread among the local people is certainly the mention by the historian František Václav Peřinka about Lysá Hill, where "gold was allegedly mined in ancient times".²³
    The village is known in the wider area for its clean environment and the occurrence of some rare or endangered species of plants and animals. On the cadastre of the village there is the nature reserve "Na Želechovických pasekách", which was established in April 1949 to protect the endangered liverwort (Hepatica nobilis) growing there.²⁴ In 1973, the "Pod Drdolem" protected area was established to protect the military orchid (Orchis militaris). In the past, many other endangered or less common species of plants (e.g. deadly nightshade, Turk's cap lily) and animals (e.g. fire salamander or some bird species) were also found here.²⁶

### 2.2 Origin of the village name

    In written sources we find the name of the village in the following variants: Selichowicz (1494), z Zielichowicz (1518), Zielechowicze (1578), (1261), Zelithowicz (1361), Selythohowicz (1397), Zelechowicz (1437), Zylochowicze (1490), v Zelechowiczych Zielychowicze (1596), v Zielichowiczych (1618), Zielichowitz (1670), Zelechoviensis (1672), Zielechowitz (1751), Zelechowitz/Želechovice (1872), Želichovice (1881), Želechovice (1924).²⁷
    František Černý and Pavel Váša derive the name of the village from the Old Slavic personal name Želech or Želich.²⁸ Ladislav Hosák and Rudolf Šrámek confirm this opinion and further add.²⁹ Želechovice was therefore originally a village of Želech's people, respectively Želich's people. An interesting comparison is the comparison with other villages of the same or very similar name - Želechovice - in the Olomouc district, Želešice and Žilošice, Želovice, or Čelechovice after the personal name Čelech or Čěrad.³⁰ There is also a street called Želechov in nearby Vizovice.³¹
    Let us add two more minor remarks to the etymology. From the above, it is clear that the forms "Želechovice" and "Želichovice" were used in written sources. The latter variant was still used in the local dialect in the second half of the 20th century.³² In 1929, the name of the village was specified as "Želechovice nad Dřevnicí", which remains to this day.³³

### 2.3 Administrative development of the village

    Until 1849, the village was administratively divided into two parts, belonging to a lesser extent to the Vizovice estate and to a greater extent to the Zlín estate, the border was the Obůrek stream (also called Oselná or Suchá Oselná). Each part had its own village headman (rychtář/purkmistr), manager and mayor. The neighboring village of Lužkovice also used to have a joint village headman with the Zlín part of the village. There were often disputes between the two parts of Želechovice.³⁴
    From 1850 the village was part of the judicial district of Vizovice and the political district of Uherský Brod. During the temporary unification of the political and judicial administration, Želechovice became part of the mixed political and judicial district of Vizovice in the years 1855-68. From 1868, the village belonged to the judicial district of Zlín, politically to the District Captaincy in Holešov. From 1935 it was part of the newly established political district of Zlín. During the years 1949-60, the village was part of the Gottwaldov district and the superior Gottwaldov region. In 1960, the neighboring villages of Lípa and Lužkovice became part of "Greater Želechovice", in 1975 Želechovice, together with several surrounding villages, became a local part of Greater Gottwaldov. Between 1960 and 1990, the South Moravian Region existed with its seat in Brno. With the abolition of district offices in 2001, Želechovice, a local part of Zlín, became part of the Zlín Region. In 2009, Želechovice nad Dřevnicí broke away from the statutory city of Zlín and became an independent municipality again.

### 2.4 Religious conditions in the village

    A parish with a church and a rectory was established in the village by the abbot of the Vizovice monastery by the end of the 14th century at the latest.³ The original patronage of the church of St. Peter and Paul has survived to this day, but the originally Gothic building has been rebuilt several times. During the 16th century, Utraquism prevailed in the region, and Utraquist priests are documented in Želechovice for this period. Around 1570, when the Vizovice monastery is considered to have ceased to exist, the Zlín lordship took over the patronage right to the Želechovice church. However, at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, the Protestant parish ceased to exist, in 1632 a Catholic priest, Jiří Kolací, is again mentioned, but soon after the village was subordinated to the Zlín parish. During the 17th century, the affiliation of the Želechovice parish fluctuated between Zlín and Vizovice. From 1784, the local chaplain ceased to be dependent on the Zlín priest, but the Želechovice parish was not restored until 1843. In 1950, three deaneries were abolished (Napajedla, Pozlovice and Vizovice). Thirty parishes, including the parish of Želechovice, were then administered from the Zlín deanery. After the restoration of the Vizovice deanery in 1974, Želechovice again became a part of it. Currently, some surrounding villages are affiliated to Želechovice - Příluky, Lužkovice, Klečůvka and Lípa. The parish in nearby Provodov, which is a well-known and frequently visited Marian pilgrimage site, is also administered from Želechovice.³⁶

### 2.5 Economy

    The traditional source of livelihood for the inhabitants of the village was agriculture, fruit growing and cattle breeding (especially horse breeding). Allegedly, hops were also grown here in the past.³⁹ In the first half of the 20th century, there were up to 3 mills operating here.⁴⁰ The paper mill, founded at the end of the 18th century, had a long tradition in the village, but it ceased to exist in 1903. In the first half of the 20th century, the local quarry (whetstone) was also used. In 1949, the Unified Agricultural Cooperative was established in the village, and it ceased to exist in 1993. Significant economic development of the village did not occur until the 1990s, when some private companies began operating in the village.

### 2.5 Ethnographic classification

    Želechovice nad Dřevnicí is usually classified as belonging to the ethnographic region of the so-called Podřevnicko, which is a border area between Slovakia and Wallachia. Since the folk costume disappeared a long time ago, older ethnographers approached the regionalization based on the analysis of the local dialect. In the 1880s, František Bartoš counted Kudlov, Příluky and Želechovice to Wallachia, mentioning Slovak influences.42 On the other hand, Antonín Václavík includes the village in the Luhačovice Highlands.⁴³

## 3 An outline of the history of the village until 1848

### 3.1 The beginnings of settlement in the Podřevnicko region

    The Podřevnicko region was settled by humans as early as prehistoric times. In the Dřevnice river valley, bordered by Otrokovice to the west and Vizovice to the east, we have documented the first traces of man from the Upper Paleolithic period, i.e. approximately 40,000 years BC. However, the continuity of human presence in this area is evident, especially from the end of the Neolithic period.⁴⁴
    The oldest settlement of the area of today's Želechovice is evidenced by isolated finds made here, currently mostly stored in the collections of the archaeological department of the Museum of Southeastern Moravia in Zlín, less numerous finds are also stored in the current Moravian Museum in Brno or the Regional Museum in Olomouc.⁴⁶
    For example, fragments of polished stone tools were found on the cadastre of the village in the past, which can be attributed to the Neolithic Linear Pottery culture. According to the local⁴⁶ teacher and village chronicler Ferdinand Filipi, there are allegedly "archival records" about the discovery of seven iron smelting furnaces from the Roman period. However, the author did not manage to47 find these records. The question remains whether Filipi did not come across literature that deals with the discovery of Old Slavic iron smelting furnaces, which were uncovered during archaeological research in the early 1950s in Želechovice near Uničov. However, some other finds from Želechovice nad Dřevnicí prove at least the Great Moravian settlement of this place, as evidenced by two found spindle whorls dated to the 9th to 11th centuries.
    Based on the archaeological finds to date, it is not possible to speak of any locality on the cadastre of the monitored village that would be inhabited for a longer period of time. However, a possible more complex archaeological exploration of the site would certainly bring more significant findings than those we have at our disposal today.

### 3.2 The first written mention of the village

    As early as 1957, Milena Smolková believed that the oldest mention of the village could be attributed to the years 1252 or 1255.⁴⁹ On two different sheets of decayed material, a certain Pavel and his unnamed brother from "Selechowiz" and Přibyslav "de three people Selchwicz" are named.⁵⁰ However, it is more than likely that the named persons derived their origin from other Želechovice (probably near Uničov).
    Therefore, we find the first documented written mention of the village in the founding charter of the Vizovice monastery Smilheim from 1261, on the basis of which Vilém of Hustopeče, at that time the owner of the Zlín estate, donated part of Zádveřice, Lípa and the eastern part of Želechovice (Selechowitz) to the newly established monastery.⁵¹ From that time until the middle of the 19th century, Želechovice remained divided into two territorial units - the Zlín estate and the Vizovice estate. The border between the two estates became the Obůrek stream, formerly also called Oselná. The first written mention of the western, i.e. Zlín, part of Želechovice dates back to 1397, when this part of the village is mentioned as part of the Zlín fief.⁵²

### 3.3 From the Middle Ages to the Modern Era

    The Podřevnicko region in the Middle Ages was more densely populated, especially in its western part,⁵³ in the fertile valley locations (Tlumačov, Otrokovice, Tečovice). According to Jiří Kohoutek, the settlement of the lower reaches of the Dřevnice has been continuous from the 12th century to the present day.³³ Ladislav Hosák sees the beginnings of settlements with the suffix "-ice", including Želechovice, as early as the period between the 9th and 11th centuries, but in some cases he does not rule out an even older origin.⁵⁴
    More extensive colonization of south-eastern Moravia was carried out from the middle of the 13th century, when the Moravian-Hungarian border was firmly secured (Brumov Castle played an important role here) and was completed at the end of the 14th century. It was mostly Czech colonization, but German influences were also exceptional (e.g.55 Fryšták/Freystat, Sehradice/Engelsberg). The foundation of the monastery in Vizovice, also called Smilheim after its founder Smil of Střílky, was also significant in 1261. German Cistercians, originally residing in Velehrad, worked here.
    The proximity of the border with the Kingdom of Hungary posed a constant threat and relative danger to the Podřevnicko region. We have documented several armed incursions from the Hungarian side in the Middle Ages. When the Přemyslids died out at the beginning of the 14th century, the Hungarian magnate Matthew III Csák of Trencsén took advantage of the unclear situation in the Czech lands and invaded southeastern Moravia. He conquered Kunovice, Veselí nad Moravou and threatened the fortified Uherský Brod.56 In 1314, however, he also plundered the Vizovice monastery and its surrounding estates.57 It is more than likely that Želechovice was not spared at this time either.⁵⁸
    Less than fifty years later, disagreements arose between the brothers Alšík and Vilém of Šternberk, members of the Zlín-Světlov branch of the family, with the Vizovice monastery. The aforementioned Šternberks, residing in Lukov, joined forces with the powerful lords of Kravaře and seized 8 villages (possibly including Želechovice) from the Vizovice monastery. In 1361, this dispute was even dealt with by the Pope in Avignon.⁵⁹ Two years later, the guilty brothers were excommunicated, but the dispute was not settled until 1367 by a compromise agreement."⁶⁰
    The Hussite Wars also significantly affected the history of southeastern Moravia. As early as 1418 to 1420, a popular movement was formed in the area around the renegade Cistercian Tomáš of Vizovice. In 1418 he attacked and plundered the monastery in Vizovice, two years later he is mentioned together with Bedřich of Strážnice as the founder of the "New Tabor", founded near Nedakonice. After the capture and destruction of the New Tabor by the army of Sigismund of Luxembourg in 1421, Tomáš of Vizovice left for Bohemia.
    Boček of Kunštát took advantage of the restless situation at the beginning of the 1420s, when in 1421 he conquered the Vizovice monastery and fortified its buildings. The Bishop of Olomouc, Jan XII, nicknamed Iron, then intervened powerfully against the expansive Boček. At an unknown location near Slušovice (perhaps near Želechovice), the army of Jan Železný was defeated by Boček's troops in 1424 and pursued them all the way to Vizovice. There they besieged, captured and plundered the monastery. Boček meanwhile escaped to the safety of Brumov Castle." Podřevnicko became a battleground again in 1427, when the Hussites arrived here from Bohemia. At that time, they seized the fortresses in Malenovice and Napajedla.6 62 63 The so-called Hungarian wars waged between the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus and the Czech king George of Poděbrady (later his successor Vladislaus II Jagiellon) had a far more devastating character than the Hussite wars for the region of southeastern Moravia. Most of the fighting took place on the territory of the Margraviate of Moravia and the eastern part of the country was most affected. Several villages disappeared in the Podřevnicko region during the war years, and the region became depopulated.⁶⁴

The turbulent events of the 15th century foreshadowed the gradual end of the Vizovice monastery.

    Its power gradually declined and its estates were frequent targets of attacks from various sides (Hussites, local nobility, even military detachments of the Bishop of Olomouc). The monastery finally ceased to exist in 1481 and the Kunštát family took possession of the Vizovice estate. The eastern side of Želechovice continued to be a part of this estate. Some of the monastery estates were acquired earlier by the knight Petr Roman of Vítovice, who bought the Zlín estate from the brothers Jiří and Lacek of Šternberk at the end of the Hussite Wars. In 1478, Vilém Tetour of Tetov acquired the Zlín estate, who had served King Matthias Corvinus for a long time. The Tetours of Tetov later also acquired the neighboring Světlov estate, and thus an extensive dominion of this ancient Czech family was created in southeastern Moravia.⁶⁵
    With the creation of a personal union between the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Kingdom of Hungary during the reign of the Jagiellons, the situation on the Moravian-Hungarian border stabilized after 1490, and for more than a century there were no conflicts here. Not long after, the Czech king relinquished his ownership rights to the Brumov estate (1503) and Napajedla (1511). All royal estates in the region thus became the hereditary property of the nobility. Over the following decades, the Zlín region experienced an economic boom and new settlements were also founded, e.g. Podhradí (1563), Pradlisko (1594) and Kudlov (1571). At this time, the so-called Wallachian pastoralism also spread further south. Based on this, this region was called Wallachia from the first half of the 17th century.⁶⁶
    As early as the second half of the 16th century, the first armed rebellions broke out in the region. At that time, two holders of the Vizovice estate became the target of rebellious subjects - Zdeněk Kavka Říčanský of Říčany and Emerich Doczi of Netluč, both known for their cruel treatment of the local population. The first mentioned was killed under unclear circumstances on the way from Olomouc near Zádveřice, the second was driven by an angry mob from Jasenná to the Vizovice castle, which was built on the site of the former monastery. It should be emphasized that in the years 1621-44, elemental uprisings were directly characteristic of Wallachia.⁶⁷
    In the second half of the 16th century, the Reformation penetrated into southeastern Moravia, especially the so-called Utraquism, but the Unity of the Brethren also played an important role here, with centers in Malenovice, Napajedla and Zlín. At the same time, some parishes in the area were occupied by Lutheran priests, e.g. in Napajedla, Tlumačov, Malenovice, Pohořelice, Zlín, Březnice, Fryšták, Slušovice, Vizovice, but also in Želechovice.⁶⁸
    In May 1605, Hungarian rebels under the leadership of Stephen Bocskai invaded Moravia. Between May 9 and 10, they plundered the Podřevnicko region, and Želechovice was also affected. During their second raid on May 31, they attacked Zlín again and burned the town down.⁶⁹
    During the turbulent years of the Bohemian Revolt (1618-20), most of the Protestant nobles of eastern Moravia joined the side of the rebels. For example, the knight Václav Bartodějský, the owner of Luhačovice, actively participated in the resistance. Jan Adam Prusinovský of Víckov, also known as the leader of the later Wallachian uprising of 1627, took over the rule of the Lukov estate. Over the following decades, a large number of soldiers of both imperial and anti-Habsburg forces passed through Podřevnicko, and the local villages quickly depopulated.⁷⁰
    During the Thirty Years' War, the Wallachians intervened significantly in the fighting in central and eastern Moravia. Between 1626 and 1627, the Danish army marched into northeastern Moravia and continued on to the central regions of Moravia. At that time, the Protestant Wallachians, led by the aforementioned Jan Adam Prusinovský of Víckov, also joined the Danish side.⁷¹
    Larger unrest broke out in Wallachia again in 1642, when the local population joined forces with the advancing Swedish army in Moravia, led by General Lennart Torstensson. Among the Wallachians who helped the Swedes were many inhabitants of Vizovice and the surrounding area, and certainly some originally from Želechovice. The period of three extensive Wallachian uprisings during the Thirty Years' War was then definitively ended in 1644 by the siege and capture of Vsetín by the imperial army led by Count Johann von Rothtal." During the Wallachian uprisings of 1621-44, many inhabitants of both the Zlín and Vizovice parts of Želechovice also rebelled. From the Vizovice side, one rebel was hanged, from the Zlín side, three rebels."⁷²
    The fateful Battle of White Mountain in November 1620 decided that Catholicism became the only tolerated religion in the lands ruled by the Habsburgs. Strict re-Catholicization also took place in southeastern Moravia in quick succession. In 1624, the last non-Catholic clergy in the area (e.g. from Napajedla, Otrokovice, Malenovice and Vizovice) were expelled by imperial mandate, the following year towns became the target of re-Catholicization pressure, and in 1628 the nobility. The vast majority of nobles renounced the non-Catholic faith, and those who did not want to betray the old faith had to go into forced exile. The restless Wallachians were also subjected to harsh re-Catholicization after 1644. During the second half of the 17th and the first half of the 18th century, elements of Baroque culture, strongly connected with contemporary Catholicism, penetrated into Moravia.⁷⁴ The Marian cult was also relatively strong in the Zlín region, let us mention in particular the pilgrimage sites in Provodov (1734) and Štípa (1762).⁷⁵
    In the 1760s, another uprising of the population against the authorities broke out in Wallachia, known as the "fight for the undivided mountains of Vizovice". The owners of four neighboring estates, whose borders intersected in the deep forests of the Vizovice Hills, then agreed to firmly define the borders. However, preparations for planting boundary stones aroused the displeasure of the population, which drew raw materials for their livelihood from the forests. Until then, the forests of the Vizovice Hills were also considered to be the property of individual municipalities, which meant that the delimitation of the estates was to be annulled. During the planting of boundary stones near Želechovice, in the area of today's bridge over the Obůrek stream at Paseky, a conflict broke out on December 15, 1767 between the population and the executors of the lord's order. A crowd of several hundred people began to gather at the boundary stones and began to physically threaten the lord's officials. The officer present gave the order to fire into the crowd, which, however, rushed at the soldiers. They quickly turned to flee towards Želechovice. However, 4 people were killed and 10 seriously injured in the shooting. The incident in Želechovice naturally had its consequences - arrests of the rebels, interrogations and imprisonment followed. The forest boundary between the estates was eventually demarcated. According to Ladislav Hosák, the tragic events of the end of 1767 are "a beautiful document illustrating the class nature of the state in the feudal era".⁷⁶
    However, as a result of Joseph II's reforms, just thirteen years after the punishment of the Želechovice rebels, the atmosphere in southeastern Moravia changed noticeably. The announcement of the Patent of Toleration on October 13, 1781 was a significant milestone in the history of Podřevnicko. As a result of the Patent of Toleration, the Crypto-Protestants, living scattered in numerous villages of eastern Moravia, could publicly profess their true faith without punishment. In this respect, let us mention in particular Zádveřice, where the vast majority of the inhabitants professed themselves to be Protestant. However, not a very high number of inhabitants converted to Protestantism in Želechovice. Therefore, the local Protestants could not establish their own religious community and had to go to Zádveřice, which became a symbolic center of Protestantism in Podřevnicko.⁷⁷
    The Napoleonic Wars fortunately bypassed southeastern Moravia, and for the following decades, relative peace and quiet reigned in the area. It was not until the middle of the 19th century, in the years 1848-49, when Europe was shaken by a wave of revolutions, that events became highly significant for the local population. 
    
## 4 The New Era (1848–1918)

### 4.1 The Revolutionary Years of 1848-49

    The year 1848 was undoubtedly a significant historical milestone and at the same time the beginning of the modern epoch of European history. During the years 1848–49, a series of revolutions swept across the European continent. In many countries, the first parliaments representing a significant part of the population were convened in these years, and fundamental reform laws were passed, ending the long period of the patrimonial system and enabling the emergence of modern civil society. The revolutionary movement also affected the hitherto highly conservatively ruled and traditionally Catholic state of the Austrian Empire.⁷⁸
    The conditions of the pre-March period, i.e. before March 1848, when Austria was hit by the first wave of revolutionary storms, had their roots in traditional Habsburg absolutism. Based on the Congress of Vienna of 1815, a system ruled in Europe, the foundations of which were laid by the Austrian Chancellor Metternich. Society in Austria at that time was controlled by significant means, for example, the secret police established during the reign of Emperor Francis I. Prominent representatives of the Czech National Revival were also restricted by state power in the first half of the 19th century. However, the oppressive atmosphere of pre-March Austria changed in an instant with the rapid succession of events in 1848.⁷⁹
    Revolution broke out in Vienna on March 13, 1848, and in July of the same year, the newly elected Imperial Parliament began its deliberations. In Moravia, the Constituent Diet was convened on May 31, which, due to the high number of deputies of peasant origin, was also referred to as the "Peasant Diet." While the Peasant Diet adopted the law abolishing robot (corvée) and tithes in Moravia on June 9, 1848, the Imperial Parliament adopted the law abolishing serfdom in September of the same year.  As a result of the abolition of serfdom, people could now freely marry and get married, but also move to other estates without the previously obligatory consent of the estate owner. The abolition of serfdom was also closely linked to the question of the abolition of robot, which was heatedly debated by the members of the Imperial Parliament. In the end, it was decided that robot would be abolished in return for financial compensation.
    In 1848, Stadion's Municipal Order (the so-called Municipal Law) was promulgated, which established a system of self-government in the territory of the Habsburg Monarchy. Municipal self-governments were to take over part of the powers of public administration. The municipal committee was elected by all citizens for a period of three years, and the committee thus elected then elected from among its members the board of the municipality (1 municipal representative and 1 municipal councilor). Želechovice also elected its first municipal committee and council in 1849. In the early post-revolutionary years, the head of the municipality was still traditionally called the "fojt" (reeve), but after 1860 the term "starosta" (mayor) was used.
    However, let us return to the events in the then capital of the empire, where the political atmosphere gradually became more and more acute. For security reasons, the deliberations of the Imperial Parliament were moved to Kroměříž in November 1848 (on the proposal of MP František Palacký). The parliament sat there until the fateful March 7, 1949, when it was dispersed by the military. It was then that the revolution in Austria was suppressed and its last tremors were liquidated. However, in many respects, it was no longer possible to return society to the state of the pre-March period after the revolutionary experiences.⁸⁰

### 4.2 The Years of the So-Called Bach Absolutism

    The atmosphere of the 1850s in the Danube Monarchy essentially resembled a return to the pre-March period. However, certain revolutionary achievements, such as the abolition of serfdom, the redemption from robot duty and the creation of a new administrative system, persisted. Within the framework of the so-called Bach absolutism or neo-absolutism, the March imposed constitution was revoked and the so-called New Year's Eve patents were promulgated at the end of 1951.81 However, it should be noted that the so-called Bach absolutism manifested itself more significantly in the cities, while in the countryside, including Želechovice, life continued at almost the same pace. However, during Bach's absolutism, the scope of municipal self-government was curtailed - the election of the head of the municipality had to be approved by the relevant district (or sub-regional) office, and meetings of the municipal committee became closed to the public.
    Probably the only more significant event worth recording from the 1850s is known from Želechovice. Since the promulgation of the Patent of Toleration in 1871, the new confessional composition of the population had unleashed a number of disputes between Catholics and Protestants. What bothered the local Catholics the most was that Protestants were burying their dead in the Catholic cemetery. At the beginning of the 1850s, the situation worsened to such an extent that a commission from Uherské Hradiště arrived at the site to assess the situation. In 1856, a decision was finally made to establish a separate burial ground for Protestants south of the existing cemetery towards Paseky. The Protestants of Želechovice then buried their dead at this site for almost the next 100 years, and the religious disputes in the village were thus put to an end.

### 4.3 Restoration of Constitutionalism

    In 1859, Austria fought with the Kingdom of Sardinia. The conflict ended for the Habsburg Monarchy with a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Solferino (June 24, 1859).
    Following this military failure, it was clear to Emperor Franz Joseph I that significant reforms were needed. The so-called Bach absolutism did not bring the expected results, and therefore the Minister of the Interior Alexander Bach, together with other protagonists of the rigid neo-absolutist regime, was forced to resign. With the October Diploma of October 20, 1860, the Austrian emperor solemnly renounced absolutism. The so-called February Constitution of February 21, 1861 established a bicameral legislative body. With this document, constitutionalism, one of the pillars of modern civil society, was restored in the Habsburg Monarchy.⁸³
    In the period between 1860 and 1914, there was also a slight development of Želechovice. A paper mill had been operating in the village since 1755, which experienced an unprecedented boom in the second half of the 19th century. At that time it was owned by the Hald family and mainly wrapping and writing paper was produced there. However, from 1881, when the paper mill acquired a new owner, it went into decline. Roofing cardboard began to be produced there, but in 1903 production was stopped due to the owner's financial difficulties. A steam-powered basket weaving workshop was then established on the premises of the abolished paper mill. However, in the 1860s, the level of education in the village improved significantly. Between 1867 and 1868, a new building was built for the needs of the elementary school.⁸⁴

### 4.4 The Phenomenon of Emigration

    People from southeastern Moravia often left in the second half of the 19th century to seek a livelihood beyond the borders of Moravia, especially to the Austrian lands and Vienna, but many headed overseas to the United States of America. However, emigration to North America was not only a phenomenon of the Czech and Moravian population, other inhabitants of Austria also went there for a new life. In the 1880s, approximately 750,000 immigrants originally from the Danube Monarchy lived in the USA.⁸⁵
    Economic hardship forced many natives of Želechovice to leave as well. Several families from here headed to the US state of Kansas. Many families from Zádveřice emigrated to Oregon. However, immigrants from the Czech lands lived rather in other states of the USA, especially in larger cities. For example, in Chicago, Czech immigrants formed a separate district.⁸⁸

### 4.5 Connection with the World

    With the development of the city of Zlín at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the insufficient infrastructure of the area became more and more apparent. The inhabitants of Vizovice, a town on the eastern edge of Podřevnicko, also strongly felt the lack of transport links with the world. Therefore, the possibility of laying a railway line connecting to the Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway, which had been running from Vienna to Přerov and further to Olomouc since 1841, offered itself. However, the nearest stops on this railway were originally located only in Napajedla and Tlumačov. The stop in Otrokovice was not opened until July 1, 1882.  It was to Otrokovice that the new line leading east could eventually be connected.⁸⁹
    At the instigation of the Zlín and especially the Vizovice burghers, the construction of a railway line connecting Otrokovice, Zlín and Vizovice actually began at the end of the 19th century. The line was also to pass through Želechovice, and therefore negotiations began on the location of the stop. However, there were significant differences of opinion among the citizens of Želechovice. The cause of these disputes was the question of whether the stop would be built on the original Zlín or Vizovice side of the village. The representatives of the nearby village of Lužkovice, also located in the vicinity of the railway line, took advantage of this disagreement among the inhabitants of Želechovice. Opposite the Bobál pub, they therefore quickly built their own railway stop called "Lužkovice", even though it stood on the Želechovice cadastre.⁹¹