Mírov (German: Mürau) is a village located in the southern part of the Šumperk district, about 4 km northwest of Mohelnice. It currently has about 410 inhabitants. The dominant feature of the village is the medieval castle, which houses the high-security Mírov prison.
After the Bishop of Olomouc, Bruno of Schauenburg, founded Mírov Castle in 1256, the surrounding sparse population grew and gained importance. Over time, a small town and the headquarters of the administration of the northern regions of the Olomouc diocese were established here. Among other things, ecclesiastical courts were also held here, and a small prison was also established during them.
Over time, the military importance of the castle declined, during the Hussite Wars it still resisted the Hussites' attempt to conquer it, but during the Thirty Years' War it was burned by the Swedes (it must be added that they did not conquer the castle by running away, but by starvation). At the same time, the town was burned and looted, which fell to the level of an average village.
With the decline of the military function, the castle was increasingly used as a prison, since the end of the Thirty Years' War, this was its main function. Currently, it is an infamous prison that houses the most dangerous criminals. During the protectorate and communist dictatorships, political prisoners were imprisoned here, many of whom died as a result of cruel treatment and denial of medical care. In 2000, Jiří Kajínek escaped from Mírov, probably its most famous prisoner at the moment.