Osečná
Osečná (; ) is a town in Liberec District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,200 inhabitants. Administrative parts. Villages of Chrastná, Druzcov, Kotel, Lázně Kundratice, Vlachové and Zábrdí are administrative parts of Osečná. Geography. Osečná lies on the Ploučnice River, which begins here. It lies southwest from Liberec. Etymology. The name of the town is derived from the word "osekávat" ("truncate"), which people had to do before they could build the town – truncate the forest. History. Osečná was most likely founded in the first half of the 13th century, along the trade route which led  from the town of Český Dub to Děvín Castle. The founders of Osečná was probably the Wartenberg noble family. In 1234, Osečná area became property of King Ottokar II, then after his death, his son, Wenceslaus II, inherited his property. In 1306, Osečná returned to the Wartenbergs. The first written mention of a wooden church in Osečná is from 1350 and the first written mention of the settlement is from 1352. 16th–18th centuries. In 1516, the Bieberstein family bought Osečná and Děvín Castle. On 8 April 1565, Charles the Bieberstein laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new  stone church. Construction took three years. In 1548, the town chronicle was developed. At the end of the 16th century, Charles Bieberstein sold Osečná and other villages to Jan Oppersdorf. The year 1576 was very important, when Emperor Rudolf II promoted Osečná to a town and it got the law to use an urban character and the seal. The griffin with the golden crown and with the golden armor on the red background is on the Osečná's urban character. On the bottom there was a phrase, ""Sigillum oppidum ossensis 1576"". Osečná had the right to brew beer too and  could perform executions until 1769. The executions were held on the hill, which was called "Galgenberg / Šibeničák" ("Gallows Hill)". Today, the monument of Friedrich Schiller is located here and it is called Schiller's Height. Zikmund Smiřický, who bought Osečná in 1591, donated the brewery to the town in 1598 so that Osečná could brew its own beer. In 1618, Albrecht Jan Smiřický protested against Emperor Ferdinand II, and this had serious consequences. After the Battle of White Mountain, Albrecht von Wallenstein, who had the Duchy of Frýdlant, got this property. The inhabitants of Osečná had to accept Catholicism and  they had to pay for a parson from Český Dub too, but they refused. In 1653, the people from Osečná announced the recatholisation, what means they converted back to the Roman Catholic faith. In 1634, when Albrecht von Wallenstein was killed, his property reverted to Emperor Ferdinand II, who bequeathed it to General Jan Ludvík Hektor in recognition of his military service. When he died, his daughter Regina inherited his property, and she went to Vienna's Saint Jacob Convent in 1643, where she became Mother Superior, and donated her manor to this monastery. Therefore, Osečná belonged for the next  130 years to this convent in Vienna. On 5 November 1643, the Swedish army arrived to the Osečná and it destroyed much of the town. They destroyed the town hall, robbed the church, and burned the brewery. It never has been restored. A new town hall was opened in the middle of the square in 1704. 19th–21st centuries. Osečná suffered many fires during its history. The largest fire broke in the town on 11 June 1825 when almost the entire town burnt. 25 houses, town hall and the tower of church succumbed to the fire, and five bells in the  tower completely melted. Nowadays, two bells are located here. On 6 August 1838, a duke from Sychrov Kamil Rohan bought manor of Český Dub. In 1870, he had the family blazon installed above the entryway to the church, which is still on the same place. On this blazon is written one of the main mottos of the Rohans: ""Potius mori quam foedar"", what means: "Is better to die than to betray". On 17 October 2006, the town status was returned to Osečná. Twin towns – sister cities. Osečná is twinned with: