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Turnov is a town in Semily District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. It is a traditional centre for gemstone polishing, glass craftsmanship and arts. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Turnov lies near the Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Area which makes it a place for tourists and summer residents. The town is also an important traffic crossroads of three railways and the Prague–Liberec highway. Turnov has a large museum, three galleries, six churches and a synagogue. The small old town of Middle Ages urbanism is surrounded by modern garden neighbourhoods and large parks representing an organic connection between urban areas and nature.
[edit] History
Turnov was founded as a Bohemian town around 1250 by Jaroslav and Havel of Markvartice on a spur of rock overlooking the Jizera River. A Dominican cloister was founded by Saint Zdislava, wife of Sir Havel. During the Middle Ages, Turnov came into the possession of the Wartenberg and Smiřický noble houses. The medieval town was frequently vulnerable to fires – it was burnt by Lusatian crusaders in 1468 and during the Thirty Years' War by Swedes in 1643, as well as a conflagration in 1707. Turnov has long been known for its expertise with gemstones. It attracted many medieval craftsmen and artisans who produced jewelry out the local Bohemian garnet. The first European technical school for the processing of gemstones, metals, and jewelry, nowadays the Applied Arts Secondary School, was founded in Turnov in 1884 and still exists as one of the best schools of this type in the world.[1] [edit] Jewish settlementThe Turnov Jewish community is of Middle Ages origin. The relationship between Jews and Christians here was not bad thus there was no strict urban separation (ghetto). The community spoke Czech and has had its own rabbi until 1916. After the Shoah there were only small number of people practicing religion left and the synagogue was not used. Today, the number of people of Jewish origin is relatively high in the region but only few are practicing religion. Between 1950 and 2006 the synagogue has been used as a warehouse and will be restored to become a concert place and a memorial. The old Jewish cemetery is in a relatively good condition. [edit] Historical populations
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