Slavonice was founded in the 12th century when an older settlement was turned into a fortified town that expanded in the 14th century. During this time, the Eastern Market Square, today called Horní náměstí (Upper Square), and the larger Western Market (Peace Square) were established. Both squares gradually began to be lined with burgher houses built on long plots with thin courtyards.

Slavonice owes its current appearance to several renowned builders and architects from the 16th century, a time when Slavonice flourished and the houses lining both squares were rebuilt. One of the most important builders was Leopold Esteraich, whose stonemason mark bearing the initials "L E" can be found on the most beautiful buildings in town. He not only limited the Renaissance elements just to the exterior features on the facades, but also focused on the interior spaces. Thanks to his ideas and efforts, we can find unique vaulted ceilings in the cellars, which are some of the most historically significant Renaissance architectural vestiges.

Since the Thirty Years' War, the town went through a difficult period, during which many houses fell into disrepair or were destroyed during the fires that broke out in the middle of the 18th and 19th centuries. In the 1950s, cultural conservationists finally began to work on Slavonice's monuments and uncovered hidden facades. Thanks to their work, visitors can admire the late Gothic and Renaissance buildings and their richly decorated facades with sgraffito, figures, and sculptures. The town was recognized as a protected monument zone on August 31st, 1961.

Museum of
the 20th Century

The museum's permanent exhibition centers on events that took place on the state border from the 1930s to 1989. Its collection includes the equipment and weapons of the Czechoslovak Army, the contents of bunkers, models, photographs, documents, a First Republic kitchen, or an exhibit of prams and uniforms.

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