Obsah
Senomaty
The oldest record on Senomaty dates back to the times under the rule of the Czech king Wenceslas I. In addition to discords with Fridrich of Austria he plundered during his campaigns across Moravia a great deal of the land and destroyed estates of the religious Order of German Knights. In order to compensate damage he gave them the village Senomaty by a deed of gift issued in 1233 in Sedlec.
At the beginning of the rule of Jan Luxembourg Senomaty became a small town, which acquired some city rights. It is sure to have happened before 1319. Up to then Senomaty was a serfdom town, coming under the royal dominion Křivoklát.
Under Hussite movement around Rakovník there was no battle done, but fights were several times run for the castle Křivoklát. Senomaty was in most part burnt down and lost even the privilege of the king Jan Luxembourg. Senomaty citizens got however its copy and submitted it in 1500 the king Vladislav II. Jagollonian to confirm their gained privileges. Inhabitants became Utraquists.
In 1562 there are recorded St.-Laurentius and ST. Stephan churches in Senomaty and both churches are likely to have been built before the privilege of the king Jan Luxembourg was issued.
In 1589 Senomaty was sold by Rudolf II. to Václav Hochhauzer at Pšovce. Hardships came on for the town with a new holder. On 31st March 1592 Senomaty was hit by fire. The town hall, brewery and corn ready for sowing burnt down. After fire there remained but 8 houses and a parish with the church. New holder hadn´t however made people´s life easier and everybody hated him. Many people didn´t build anything after the fire. They would rather move away to Rakovník and prepared resistance against their lord. After Hochhauzer had died the town was held by his wife Anna, followed by her daughter Johanka Doupovcová. Latter sold Senomaty in 1613 to the king´s town Rakovník.
The Thirty Years´War made both Rakovník and Senomaty, as well as most Czech cities take the Estates side. The Imperor´s troops settled around our town and took forays around surroundings plundering and burning houses. Senomaty was thereby burnt to the ground. People escaped before them mostly to find protection behind city walls of Rakovník. Both troops fought here the whole week. They meet at last in the battle at the White Mount on 8th November 1620.
In 1631 there lived only 11 inhabitants in Senomaty compared to 40 before the battle at the White Mount. Poverty was growing after the war, no sooner had people got over war hardships than the Swedes invaded our territory ravaging all standing in the way of them.
By end 19th century Senomaty was linked to the railway station and citizens began to care more for the look of the village.
Senomaty citizens had always problems with a local brook. Occurred floods caused enormous damage. In 1609 water broke through two ponds and washed away even one mill. Another big flood came in 1872 and hit all houses around.
In 1910 there were 158 houses and lived 972 inhabitants in Senomaty. Local school is first dated in the 2nd half of the 17th century. Senomaty school brought up three significant natives in 19th century – a prose writer Josef Veselý, musicologist and musician Maxmilián Konopásek and sculptor Celek Klouček. There lived also the first Czech working-class poet František Chládek and a famous Czech singer Karel Burian here.
In 1914 the World War I broke out. On 26th July there was ordered mobilization. Notices appeared also in Senomaty. Prices were rising quickly and ration cards for all sorts of food were introduced. Even innocent children begged for a piece of bread. In some farms and in the mill of Josef Ryba housewives boiled soups for hungry children. Some children took soup home for their parents. On 28th October 1918 Czechoslovak Republic was declared and a new life was coming slowly back to Senomaty.
In the 20ies electricity began to be launched in Senomaty. A cinema occurred here for the first time. First projection was realized in 1927 and the movie ws called "Josef Kajetán Tyl".
After World War II population number considerably sank. There was great damage left and it took plenty of years to recover this all. In 1945 total109 families moved away with 425 persons Former 1300 inhabitants were the past already. First election brought victory for the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in 1949 the unified farmers´cooperative was founded and building adaptations and embellishment of Senomaty took place.
In 1983 Senomaty citizens celebrated 750th anniversary of their village. Citizens love their village and they know well enough from the history that their ancestors´life hadn´t been easy either.
Referrences: Hajný, A. Senomaty 750 let. Rakovník 1983
