ZΜTY STOK IN THE 16TH CENTURY


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The oldest historical record of Z這ty Stok dates back the year 1273. Z這ty Stok got the municipal rights before 1344. From the very beginning it was the mining town. In 1428 Z這ty Stok was completely destroyed during the Hussite raid. The town began to develop again during the rule of Karol I, the duke of Zi瑿ice and Ole郾ica, in the first half of 16th century. Then, the largest amount of gold was extracted from the ore mined in the local mines. At that best period for Z這ty Stok, it was numbered among the biggest towns in Silesia. The architectonic arrangement was designed in the 16th century and survived till today. We can see it in the above drawing. Thanks to the mining charters the town was open for everyone who wanted to settle here, without obligatory taxes, and charges for going in and going out of the town. Thus Z這ty Stok did not need any town walls that would protect the town from its neighbours. The miners' self-government body exercised the authority. In 1467 the town acquired the lower judiciary rights, and in 1541 the higher judiciary rights. The court in Z這ty Stok functioned till the year 1945.
Karol I (1476-1536) on the double ducat coin minted in Z這ty Stok, in 1528.

The Duke rebuilt the castle in Z這ty Stok, built the mint and was a generous benefactor to the buildings of the parish church. He passed wise laws, and supported the building of the mines and foundries.
THE CISTERCIANS FROM KAMIENIEC
Between 1246 and 1810 this sweeping plain with the monastic church, easily seen on the horizon, belonged to the monastery of Cistercians from Kamieniec. They took over the estate that had previously, since the year 1210, belonged to the Augustinians. The Cistercians enlarged the estate, buying next villages: B這tnica Dolna and G鏎na. The plant seen on the right is situated on the land of the village. In the 16th century several foundries were located there.

The plan placed here depicts the property of the Cistercians in the 14th century. The lined land
had previously constituted the belt of the Silesian clearing that was a natural border between tribes. On the clearing the Cistercians founded several villages, and among them M彗olno.
Haniak Mountain with its deposit of gold-bearing ore, belonged to the village of M彗olno. In 1273 the Duke Henry IV Probus issued a document allowing the Cistercians to mine the ore. It
was the monastery in Kamieniec that was the owner of the first mines, in this area, mining the gold-bearing ore. The monks also received, from Karol I, the permission for hewing the drain
drift that later was called "Emanuel".



The Cistercians were given Z這ty Stok as a pledge and owned it from 1429 to 1503.The drawing shows the buildings of the monastery in Kamieniec. After the secularization of the monastery in 1810, its prior and abbot lived in Z這ty Stok. Their tombstone tablets are set in the wall of the cemetery chapel.