The story
The first written mention of Holešov is from 1141 in a deed of Jindřich Zdík, when the settlement was a fief of the bishops of Olomouc. Between 1300 and 1322, the market village transformed into a town.
In the second half of the 14th century, Holešov was acquired by the lords of Sternberg. In the late 16th century, the town was held by Karel Sr. of Zierotin and later by Ladislav IV Popel of Lobkowicz. In 1574, the local Gothic fortress was rebuilt into a Renaissance residence. Holešov suffered during the Thirty Years' War and in 1643, the castle and two thirds of the town were burned down. From 1650 to 1762, Holešov was owned by the Rottal family. During their rule, the town was reconstructed, and a large castle with a Baroque French-style garden and the Church of Assumption of the Virgin Mary were built.
The last noble owners of Holešov were the Vrbna family. After 1848, Holešov became a district town and the economic centre of the region. The town began to industrialise and the main industries were the woodworking, furniture, knitting and food industries. In 1960, the district of Holešov was dissolved.
Jewish presence
The first mention of Jewish presence in the town is from 1391. The Jewish community began to form here after 1454, when the Jews were expelled from royal towns. During the 17th century, Rabbi Shach served as a rabbi in Holešov until his death. From 1849 until 1918, the Jewish community had its own administration separated from the town. In these times, the community participated on the town's industrialisation and included successful entrepreneurs. The Jews almost disappeared from Holešov during World War II as a result of the Holocaust.
The Old Synagogue was built after the local wooden synagogue was destroyed by a fire in 1560. The New Synagogue was built in 1893 and destroyed by the Nazis in 1941.
From Wikipedia’s article on Holešov, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5