The Earliest Inhabitants of Luhačovice — From Prehistory to the First Registers
Thirty thousand years of human presence
The valley of the Olšava River and its tributaries is one of the areas with the oldest documented settlements in southeastern Moravia. Archaeological finds from the Upper Olšava River basin attest to the presence of hunters and gatherers as early as the Upper Paleolithic period—roughly 30,000 years ago. Flint tools found in the area indicate that the local landscape provided favorable conditions for the nomadic groups of that time.
However, permanent settlement did not occur until much later. For centuries, the area on the border between Moravia and Slovakia was a sparsely populated borderland plagued by enemy incursions—first by the Avars, later by the Hungarians and Cumans.
The Slavs and the Obora Fortified Settlement
The first traces of Slavic settlement in the Luhačovice region date back to the 7th and 8th centuries. This is evidenced by archaeological finds in Obora near Luhačovice, where the remains of a fortified settlement—a hillfort—were discovered. Obora was situated at a strategic location above the valley and likely served as a guard post on the route from Moravia to Hungary.
During the Great Moravian Empire (9th century), the area around Luhačovice was part of a broader settlement network, although we have no direct evidence of a permanent settlement in the Luhačovice valley itself from this period. The region was more of a periphery—a forested area between the Moravian and Hungarian centers of power.
First Written Mentions
The oldest written mention of a settlement in the immediate vicinity of Luhačovice can be found in documents from 1287, when the name Pozlovice (in the Latin form Pozlovicensem) first appears. The neighboring village thus entered written history more than a century before Luhačovice itself.
We first learn of Luhačovice from a charter dated 1412. At that time, a fortress—a fortified residence of the minor nobility—already stood there. The village was then acquired by the Šternberk family, who resided in nearby Lukov. The fortress served as the administrative center of a small estate.
Between 1412 and 1517, Luhačovice was part of the Světlov estate. During the wars between Matthias Corvinus and George of Poděbrady in the second half of the 15th century, the fortress likely ceased to exist—it stopped serving as a noble residence and fell into oblivion.
The Bartoděj family of Bartoděj and Renaissance Luhačovice
A new chapter in Luhačovice’s history began in 1590, when the estate passed into the hands of the Bartoděj family of Bartoděj. This Moravian noble family brought a degree of stability to the region. The first detailed accounts of economic life on the estate date from their era.
However, the Bartoděj family held Luhačovice only briefly. The turbulent events of the early 17th century—the Estates Uprising and the Battle of White Mountain (1620)—brought about a fundamental change in property relations throughout Moravia.
The Serényis—A New Era Beginning in 1629
Following the confiscations that took place after the Battle of White Mountain, the Luhačovice estate was purchased in 1629 by the Hungarian nobleman Gabriel Serényi for 12,000 gold coins. This marked the beginning of the three-century-long Serényi era, which fundamentally shaped the character of Luhačovice.
The 1640 Land Register — the first names of Luhačovice’s serfs
One of the most valuable historical sources for learning about the earliest inhabitants are the land registers—lists of serfs and their obligations. The oldest surviving land register of the Luhačovice estate dates from 1640. It records the names of dozens of serf families, their lands, taxes, and labor obligations.
Thanks to the land registers from 1640, 1656–1659, and 1664, we can track how the composition of the population changed during and after the Thirty Years’ War. Michaela Varaďová conducted a detailed analysis of these sources in her master’s thesis on the economic development of the Luhačovice estate.
Land registers 1669–1679
Another key source is the land registers—a nationwide census of land and its owners, compiled in Moravia between 1669 and 1679. For the Luhačovice estate, they contain the names of farmers, the size and quality of their fields, and—which is particularly valuable for genealogists—the names of previous farmstead owners.
The land registers are stored at the Moravian Provincial Archives in Brno (collection D1) and are available online. For anyone tracing their roots in the Luhačovice region, they represent an irreplaceable source of information.
Oldest Registers
Church registers—records of births, marriages, and deaths—have been kept in the Luhačovice parish since the first half of the 17th century. The oldest surviving registry entry dates from 1641 and records the baptism of Mikuláš, son of the miller Martinec of Pozlovice. From this date, we can trace an unbroken line of Luhačovice families up to the present day.
The parish registers of Pozlovice (to which Luhačovice belonged ecclesiastically) have been digitized and are accessible on the Acta Publica portal of the Moravian Provincial Archives. They offer fascinating reading for anyone interested in the history of this region.
The story of Luhačovice’s inhabitants is one of resilience—from prehistoric hunters through medieval serfs to spa guests and entrepreneurs. Each social class left its mark, which can still be read today thanks to preserved sources.
Other articles in the series: The Prehistoric Sea Beneath Luhačovice · Surnames That Have Lived Here for Centuries · The Serényi Family