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Fates of Many
Úsov
The Usov synagogue was built in 1784 and was used for religious purposes until 1938. During the Kristallnacht Nazis burnt down its furnishings and also library and archives. Synagogue is now open for public.
Individual families begun to settle in Usov probably throughout the 14th century, but Jewish community was not established here before 1454. Based on a royal decree in that year, which expelled Jews from Olomouc, Unicov and other Moravian towns owned by the king, the Jews sought shelter and protection in small towns, which belonged to feudal landowners. At that time the town of Usov was the center of a large feudal estate and the first Jewish community was most likely formed by refugees from the nearby royal towns of Unicov and Olomouc.
Examples of Oral History Recordings and Letters
The oldest preserved tombstones date from the 2nd half of the 17th century. There are about a thousand tombstones, including valuable examples of baroque and classicist types. The old Jewish cemetery was established after 1450 in the area north of the Usov castle. This cemetery was destroyed during the Thirty Years War. Around 1645 a new cemetery was founded near the ghetto. Graves of important figures and learned rabbis still attract well-informed visitors from our country and from abroad.