Obec Slatina

The municipality of Slatina is located southwest of the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, approximately 1.5–2 hours by car in the direction of Strakonice, Blatná and Horažďovice. Slatina u Horažďovic was founded in the mid-12th century, around 1150, and is one of the oldest settlements in the surrounding area. During the construction of an ecclesiastical estate by St. George’s Convent, a wooden church was built here around 1220 — the first in the area. St. George’s Convent owned the estate in Slatina until 1254. The church in Slatina was burned down by Hussite troops in 1421, when the Hussite leader Žižka marched with his army towards Rabí Castle. A total of 11 owners succeeded one another in Slatina. The last were the Lords of Chanovice, specifically Baron Goldegg.

The municipality of Slatina is also significant from a cultural perspective. An inseparable part of the municipality is its Jewish history, dating back to the 17th century, when the owner of Slatina, Kunáš of Machovice, began the gradual settlement of Jews in Slatina. He offered them land for sale on which they could build their own houses, which later formed the basis of the Slatina ghetto. In 1723, a Jewish cemetery was established near the village. The original small wooden synagogue was replaced by a new building in 1868. A new masonry synagogue was built — listed as a cultural monument since 1958 — and was a very impressive structure by rural standards. Thanks to their extent, the remains of the Jewish ghetto, synagogue and cemetery form a unique complex of Jewish settlement. More detailed information can be found in the sections History of the Municipality of Slatina and Monuments of the Jewish Past.