Holýšov (; german: Holleischen) is a town in Plzeň-South District in the

Plzeň Region Plzeň Region ( cs, Plzeňský kraj; german: Pilsner Region) is an administrative unit (''kraj'') in the western part of Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It is named after its capital Plzeň (English, german: Pilsen). In terms of area, Plzeň R ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. It has about 5,100 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The village of Dolní Kamenice is an administrative part of Holýšov.

Geography

Holýšov is located about southwest of Plzeň. It lies mostly in the

Švihov Highlands Švihov may refer to places in the Czech Republic: * Švihov (Klatovy District), a town in the Plzeň Region ** Švihov Castle in the town * Švihov (Rakovník District), a municipality and village in the Central Bohemian Region *Švihov, a village ...

, the western part of the municipal territory lies in the

Plasy Uplands Plasy (; german: Plass) is a town in Plzeň-North District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,800 inhabitants. It is known for its former monastery. Administrative parts Villages of Babina, Horní Hradiště, Lomnička, Neb ...

. The highest point is a hill with an altitude of . The town is situated on the right bank of the

Radbuza The Radbuza (; ) is a river in the Czech Republic, the right source river of the Berounka. Its source is situated at the foot of Lysá mountain (869 metres) near the village of Závist, near Domažlice. It passes through the villages and towns of ...

River.

History

The first written mention of Holýšov is in a deed of

Pope Gregory X Pope Gregory X ( la, Gregorius X; – 10 January 1276), born Teobaldo Visconti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 September 1271 to his death and was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order. He was ...

from 1273. Transformation from a small village to a town began after 1897, when one of the biggest glassworks in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

were founded and the population significantly increased. The glassworks went bankrupt due to the world crisis in the 1930s. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Holýšov was occupied by Germany. The glassworks building was rebuilt to an ammunition factory. In 1944, two subcamps of the

Flossenbürg concentration camp Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office. Unlike other concentration camps, it was located in a remote area, in the Fichtel Mountains of Bavaria, adjacent to the town of Flo ...

were founded: one for French, Polish, Russian and Jewish women, and one for Polish, Jewish, Czech and Russian men. The men's subcamp was presumably dissolved in January 1945, whereas the women's subcamp was liberated by

Polish partisans Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

in May 1945. After the German occupation, the town was restored to Czechoslovakia. In 1960, Holýšov obtained the town status. From 1 January 2021, Holýšov is no longer a part of Domažlice District and belongs to Plzeň-South District.

Demographics

Transport

Holýšov is located on the international railway line Prague–Plzeň–

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

Sights

The oldest building in Holýšov is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. It was first mentioned in 1352 and in 1384, it was referred to as a parish church. During the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

, it was partly demolished. It was completely rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1743 and a three-story tower was also built, which is 39 tall and topped with a tall slender spire. Exposition dedicated to the history of Holýšov and the history of World War II in Holýšov are in the town museum named ''Dům dějin Holýšovska'' ("House of history of the Holýšov region").

Twin towns – sister cities

Holýšov is twinned with: * Kümmersbruck, Germany *

Port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

, Switzerland

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Holysov Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Plzeň-South District