Bzenec

Bzenec
Town
Flag
Coat of arms
Country Czech Republic
Region South Moravian
District Hodonín
Commune Kyjov
Municipality Bzenec
Elevation 183 m (600 ft)
Coordinates
Area 40.34 km2 (15.58 sq mi)
Population 4,315 (2005)
Density 107 / km2 (277 / sq mi)
First mentioned 1231
Mayor Pavel Čejka
Timezone CET (UTC+1)
 - summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 696 81
Location in the Czech Republic
Wikimedia Commons: Bzenec
Statistics: statnisprava.cz
Website: www.bzenec.cz

Bzenec (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbzɛnɛts]; German: Bisenz) is a town in the southeast of Moravia, in the Czech Republic. It lies in the South Moravian Region. The population is 4,305 (2005). Bzenec was first mentioned in 1015 (unofficial). In 1330 it became a town.

Contents

Districts

See also Mikroregion Bzenecko[1]

History

Jewish history

About the earliest history of its Jews nothing is known. Pesina, whose "Mars Moravicus" was published in 1677, calls it "nidus Judæorum".

In the time of the margraves (up to the 15th century) the Bisenz Jews must have enjoyed great privileges; for, according to the oldest "mountain-laws", they were permitted to own vineyards, it being a matter of great importance to the margraves to market their wine through the agency of Jewish traders. In the wars between George Podiebrad of Bohemia and Matthias of Hungary (c. 1458), Bisenz, and with it the Jewish quarter, was entirely devastated and came under constantly changing feudal proprietors.

According to the feudal "Urbarium" of 1604, the Jews even then possessed 32 houses, a hospital, and 17 smaller buildings, called "Hoferi Židovští." But only a year later (May 2, 1605) the Jewish community was totally destroyed by Stephen Bocskai; so that in 1655, when the new edition of the land-register was made out, 25 Jewish holdings still lay in ruins.

In the first Silesian war (Feb., 1742) the Jewish community suffered severely from the Prussian invasion, especially as its inhabitants had to bear their share of the general levies. At the close of this war the empress Maria Theresa in 1753 issued the so-called "Familien-Verordnung" (Family Ordinance), according to which only 5,442 Jewish families were allowed to live in Moravia; and of these 137 were allotted to Bisenz. On May 17, 1777, almost theentire Jewish ghetto, in which there were 93 houses, was burned. Up to 1782 the Jewish community was subject to the feudal lord; but in criminal matters they were under the jurisdiction of the city authorities.

Of recent events may be mentioned the organization of the Jewish congregation into a political community in 1852, and the building of a new synagogue in 1863. [5]

People

Residents

References