Turnov

Turnov lies on the Jizera in northern Bohemia. Founded around the middle of the thirteenth century, it is first mentioned in a royal deed of 1272. The town passed through the hands of noble families including the Wartenbergs and Smiřický, and suffered destructive fires in 1468, 1643 and 1707.

Turnov became known for working gemstones, including Bohemian garnets. By the sixteenth century local workshops polished both local and imported stones; glassworks later produced imitations. The town's Jewish community was documented in 1527, and new settlers were invited there in 1623 after an interruption in its history.