The iron ore was mined in the area from 1543. The first written mention of Rotava is from 1552, when there was a hamlet with a hammer mill. Until 1628, the area was owned by the Schlick family. For the next centuries, it was property of the Nostitz family. The municipality of Rotava was created in the 19th century by merger of several settlements. The establishment of a bar ironrolling mill in 1861 brought significant development in Rotava.
Transport
There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.