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The story
According to the 16th century chronicler Wenceslaus Hajek, the mining settlement in the Duchy of Bohemia was founded by the Přemyslid duke Soběslav I in 1131. The first written mention of Stříbro is in a deed of Duke Frederick from 1183. It was a mining settlement located on an important trade route (Zlatá cesta, "Golden Road") from Prague to Nuremberg. Silver and later mainly lead were mined here, which accelerated the growth of the settlement.
Between 1240 and 1250, the foundations of the new royal town were laid on a rocky promontory above the old settlement. Stříbro received town privileges in 1263.
During the Hussite Wars, the town was besieged by the troops of Jan Žižka in 1421, though it was not occupied until 1426. Shortly afterwards, the Hussite forces under Prokop the Great could repel an attack by the Crusaders in the Battle of Tachov. In 1541 the citizens turned Protestant. Silver mining was resumed under the King Ferdinand I in 1554. Upon the Battle of White Mountain, the town was subdued to the measures of the Counter-Reformation.
Until 1918, the town was part of Austria-Hungary. From 1918, Stříbro belonged to Czechoslovakia. After World War II, the remaining German-speaking population was expelled.
From Wikipedia’s article on Stříbro, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5