Velké Meziříčí (; ) is a town in Žďár nad Sázavou District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administrative parts Villages of Dolní Radslavice, Hrbov, Kúsky, Lhotky, Mostiště, Olší nad Oslavou and Svařenov are administrative parts of Velké Meziříčí. Etymology The name Meziříčí literally means "between the rivers" and is related to its location on the confluence of rivers. The attribute Velké (i.e. "Great") was added later to distinguish from places with the same name. Geography Velké Meziříčí is located about east of Jihlava. It is situated in a valley framed by the hills of the Křižanov Highlands. It lies on the confluence of the Oslava and Balinka rivers. A set of ponds is located on the Lovíčský Stream, which flows into the Balinka in the town. Part of the Mostiště reservoir is located in the municipal territory and is the largest water body of the territory. History The settlement of Meziříčí was founded during the colonization of the Oslava valley in the 12th century. The first written credible mention of Meziříčí is from 1281. A counterfeit documented existence of Meziříčí in 1236, however, the estimated foundation of the castle above Meziříčí is actually around 1236 and is on the oldest aristocratic castles in Moravia. The palisade and then the stone walls were built in the 14th century. The Church of Saint Nicholas is first mentioned in 1317. The village was located on crossroards of two trade routes and developed into a town. The settlement obtained full town privileges in 1408. During the Hussite Wars, Meziříčí was a military base of the Hussites. Around 1434, the castle was fortified. In 1464, the castle was conquered by King George of Poděbrady, and in 1468, the town was ransacked by the army of Matthias Corvinus. Meziříčí experienced the greatest boom during the Renaissance period. The first Jews came into the town in the late 15th century and the Jewish community was established in the 17th century. The prosperity of the town was interrupted by the Thirty Years' War, during which the town was burned down several times. In the 18th century, the town prospered again. In the 19th century, first factories were built, and the development of the town's industry was also helped by