Place:Břeclav, Hodonín, Morava, Czechoslovakia

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source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Břeclav is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

6th–10th centuries

The area was settled by first Slavic tribes already in the 6th century. In the late 8th century, a large Slavic gord, today called Pohansko (meaning "a paganish place"), was established southeast of the today's town. In the 9th century, it became a significant centre of Great Moravia. An agricultural settlement probably existed in the area of Old Břeclav, and the gord served as a hiding place for its inhabitants. In the 10th century it was abandoned.

11th–15th centuries

After 1041, a border castle was established here by Duke Bretislav I. The first written mention of Břeclav is from 1046, when it was referred by its Latin name Bretyzlawe. In the second half of the 13th century, the castle was rebuilt to a massive Romanesque fortress. The castle often changed owners. At the beginning of the 15th century, it was acquired by the House of Liechtenstein.^[1][2]

During the Hussite Wars the castle became a military base of the Hussites and the nearby settlement was looted. The inhabitants had to flee and founded a new market town below the castle on the other side of the Thaya river, called Nová Břeclav ("New Břeclav"). The original spot has been called Stará Břeclav ("Old Břeclav") since that time.^[2]

16th–19th centuries

In 1534, the Břeclav manor was acquired by the Zierotins. The family rebuilt the castle to a Renaissance residence, which also retained its military function. In the 16th century, the prosperity with flourishing agriculture, crafts and science occurred. The development ended with the Thirty Years' War. After the Battle of White Mountain, the Břeclav manor was confiscated to Zierotins. In 1638, the Liechtensteins bought the devastated manor.^[1]

The Jewish community was first documented in the 16th century, however, the first Jews came here probably in the 14th or early 15th century. The Jewish population became extinct during the Thirty Years' War. New Jewish settlers came in 1650.

The post-war recovery was slow. In 1742, Břeclav was destroyed by a large fire. Until the 1830s, both Břeclav and Old Břeclav were insignificant agricultural small market towns and together had about 3,000 inhabitants. In 1836–1839, the railway from Brno to Vienna was built and the economic development started. Lumber and food factories were established, and the population began to grow. In 1872, Břeclav was promoted to a town.^[1]

Modern history

In 1919, three original municipalities merged (Břeclav, Old Břeclav and Jewish Municipality of Břeclav). In 1938–1945, Břeclav was a part of Nazi Germany, although the town's population was mostly Czech-speaking. The Jewish community disappeared as a result of the Holocaust. The German population was expelled after World War II. In 1974, Poštorná and Charvátská Nová Ves, which were parts of Lower Austria until the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, were joined.

Northern edge of Břeclav was heavily damaged by the 2021 South Moravia tornado.

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