The original settlement with a church was founded by monks from and called after the flowing river Svitava. Later German settlers started to come here. They founded a new village with a church of St.Giles. Original Svitava slowly merged with the new village. The area around Svitavy became the subject of conflict between the bishop of Olomouc and a monastic manor from Litomyšl, 1256 conflict was settled in favour of the Bishop of Olomouc. So the year 1256 started the history of our town. In 2006 we celebrated 750 year from the foundation of town Svitavy.