Holýšov (; ) is a town in

Plzeň-South District Plzeň-South District () is a Okres, district in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Plzeň. The most populated town of the district is Přeštice. Administrative division Plzeň-South District is divided into four ...

in the

Plzeň Region Plzeň Region or Plzeňský Region (also known as Pilsen Region; ) is an Regions of the Czech Republic, administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the western part of the historical land of Bohemia and named after the capital, Plz ...

of the

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

. It has about 5,600 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Holýšov consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Holýšov (4,902) *Dolní Kamenice (123)

Geography

Holýšov is located about southwest of

Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...

. 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 an ...

, only the western part of the municipal territory lies in the

Plasy Uplands Plasy (; ) is a town in Plzeň-North District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,900 inhabitants. It is known for its former monastery of the same name, which is protected as a national cultural monument. Administrative di ...

. The highest point is a nameless hill at above sea level. The town is situated on the right bank of the

Radbuza The Radbuza (; ) is a river in the Czech Republic, the secondary source river of the Berounka River. It flows through the Plzeň Region. It is long, making it the List of rivers of the Czech Republic, 17th longest river in the Czech Republic. Et ...

River.

History

The first written mention of Holýšov is in a deed of

Pope Gregory X Pope Gregory 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 Third Order of St. Francis. He was elected at the ...

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

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 Flos ...

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 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 Domažlice District () is a Okres, district in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Domažlice. Administrative division Domažlice District is divided into two Districts of the Czech Republic#Municipalities with exte ...

and belongs to Plzeň-South District.

Demographics

Transport

Holýšov is located on the railway line Prague–

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

via Plzeň.

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, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, 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 Hamburg, Manch ...

, Switzerland

References

External links

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