History of coal mining and husk
The first mention of the village Mladějov In the 13th century, the Bohemian-Moravian border was colonized and the village of Mladějov formed, and from 1669 it belonged to the Liechtensteins, who in 1862 started mining of low-quality coal and later also husk – clay suitable for the production of refractory materials in Nová Ves, above Mladějov. Coal from the Hřebeč area was used for the development of local industry, for burning refractory clays and, later for the operation of a narrowgauge railway between Hřebeč and Mladějov, or as fuel in the Mladějov steam power plant.
The material was transported to Mladějov at first by horsedrawn carriages, to which a cable car connected Mladějov with the area of the current Veksl station from 1902 to 1920.
Ostrava mines high quality coal caused the demand for Hřebeč coal to decline and instead the production of fireclays was developed. There was rapid expansion and in 1945 there were already 104 furnaces for firing fireclay in Hřebeč.
In 1919, a 400V 50 Hz power plant with two steam locomotives from the Brno company Brand & Lhuillier was built, each with a power of 180 hp. which supplied the Mladějov plant as well as the Hřebeč mines and with low voltage power it illuminated the church, rectory, school and firehouse in the village. In 1965, the mining of local low-quality coal was discontinued
