Stopping at the Humpolecký Mill invites more reflection than most other places. While the historical core of the town was once aggressively and thoughtlessly destroyed under the short-sighted leadership of the local ruling communist regime, places like this old mill remain a steady and unchanged reminder of continuity. Even more critical, they symbolize the enduring presence of people who have not forgotten the value of character, spirit, humility, and human friendship. Here, at the Humpolecký Mill—passed down through generations for nearly three hundred years by the distinguished Jelínek family of Nové Město—you are reminded that life can be lived with dignity even without dependence on shifting external circumstances, so often referred to as “the system.” For it was precisely “the system,” in its recent form as socialism, that managed to entangle everything—including the life path of the last miller of Nové Město.

The days when the town’s seven mills clattered in turn are long gone. Each of those mills was naturally and harmoniously integrated into the surrounding landscape, just like a stream flowing through a cove. The anonymous builders of these mills may not have had formal training in architecture or urban planning. Still, they inherited something far more valuable: an ability to unite functionality with beauty. They had a strong sense of aesthetic value and passed it down through their work. Their respect for what had been created by previous generations ran just as deep as their respect for the soil, bread, and clean water. They understood these values as constant, non-negotiable, and that without them, everything else could be called into question.

It was in this spirit that all seven mills of Nové Město were built in harmony with the surrounding landscape. In addition to the oldest Humpolecký Mill “on the bright water,” there was the Mlynaříkovský Mill, once located beneath the castle. Another mill, initially owned by the knight Jan Rozmdorfský, was sold in 1561 by Václav Jednuška to the nobleman Jiřík Rudolf of Rudolec and his wife, Kateřina. However, by 1563, they had sold it to Václav Horálek. A 1554 record refers to Kuba Bezděkovský and his Bezděkovský Mill. The urbarium from 1587 mentions Škrob’s Mill, built near Kazimír’s pond. Brewers Jan Vavřinec and Pavel Štraf established two mills: one by Zich’s pond and another by Klečkovec.

All of these mills have disappeared over time—except for one: the oldest, the Humpolecký Mill. It stands as the last physical reminder of the town’s milling past. The name “Humpolecký Mill” dates back to the Thirty Years’ War, when it was operated by Jiří Humpolecký of Rybensk, a member of the local nobility. Historical records suggest that the first known miller here was Šarla, which gave the mill the name “Šarlovský Mill.” In 1490, a man named Molenda—occasionally a town councillor—took over the mill, likely by marrying the widow of the previous miller. In 1531, Molenda’s son Mikuláš sold the “late Šarla’s Mill” to a miller named Šimek. After his death, Šimek’s son Václav acquired the shares of his brothers, Pavel and Tobiáš. Václav married Anna, the daughter of glassworks owner Mates Švancar. Pavel married the daughter of Matouš Zujek and bought a house on the square (No. 100). In 1574, the brothers exchanged properties. After Pavel’s death, his widow sold the mill in 1584 to Matouš Hubka. In 1592, the mill—“together with the hop garden”—was purchased by the noble Jiří Humpolecký of Rybensk, who owned House No. 11 on the town square.

After selling that house to the Pernštejn estate’s steward, Zikmund Šitenpergar of Sentál, Jiří Humpolecký lived in the mill until his old age. In 1636, he sold the now dilapidated mill to Cardinal Prince Franz of Dietrichstein, the owner of the Nové Město estate. With that sale, the once bourgeois mill came under noble control, where it remained until 1761—or truly, until 1848.

According to a 1646 estate record, after the death of Šimon Kratzer von Schensberg, the Humpolecký Mill had two grinding mechanisms, each with four millstones. The tenant at the time was an orphan of miller Václav Cepl. From 1686, the miller was Jan.

In 1711, Matěj Jelínek—son of the Fryšava miller, also named Matěj—entered the Humpolecký Mill. This Matěj was the founder of the Jelínek family’s milling dynasty in Nové Město. He had previously gained experience at the Slavkovice mill and leased the Hán’s Mill in 1704. In 1725, Matěj was succeeded by Josef, the son of Matěj’s brother František, also a miller in Fryšava. In 1728, the mill passed to Jan Jelínek, Matěj’s younger son.

When Jan Jelínek moved to the Petrovice Mill in 1746, Matyáš Míča from Hodíškov took over. In 1750, Míča traded the Humpolecký Mill to Jan, son of František Jelínek of Vříšť, in exchange for the Podmedlovský Mill. In 1761, Jan Jelínek was able to purchase the mill from the nobility, marking the end of the feudal tenancy era. However, full private ownership was only formalized in 1848, when new laws abolished all feudal obligations—finally making the Jelínek family the actual owners of the Humpolecký Mill.

After Jan Jelínek died in 1799, the mill passed to his son Karel (1762–1822). Jan’s other son, also named Jan, bought the Klečkovec Mill (later known as the Ráček Mill). Karel’s son Václav (1788–1860) inherited the Humpolecký Mill and married Anna, daughter of the town syndic Matouš Hofman, in 1824. After the 1848 reforms, he became the mill’s first fully independent owner. Known as a skilled and innovative farmer, he passed the mill down to his son Karel in excellent condition and further improved it. When Karel Jelínek died in 1877, his widow, Františka (née Benešová), managed the mill for 20 years before passing it to their eldest son, Karel Jelínek Jr. (born 1863). Exceptionally gifted in science and technology, Karel taught himself foreign languages and remained informed about developments in physics and chemistry—particularly in the field of photography. He built his own camera and darkroom, and thanks to his photographs, we now have a vivid visual record of the town’s life at the turn of the 20th century.

After Karel Jelínek died in 1929, his second son, Augustin (born 1913), took over the mill and the family farm. He ran it until the communist era forced the last mill of Nové Město to fall silent. Augustin not only inherited his father’s talent but also his character and discipline. This became especially clear in 1936 when lightning struck and burned the mill. Augustin successfully restored the building and machinery. Passionate about botany, he applied his knowledge as a gifted landscape architect—something still evident today in the carefully chosen plants and trees he left behind throughout the town. When Augustin Jelínek passed away on December 24, 1992, Nové Město lost not just a remarkable man but also its last miller.

Standing before the now silent Humpolecký Mill—so intimately connected with generations of the Jelínek family—we feel a quiet reverence. The same reverence and pride come over us whenever we find ourselves face-to-face with something that stands as a silent monument to honest, meaningful human effort.