Holíč

Holíč (until 1946 "Holič", , ) is a town in western Slovakia.

==History== The oldest archaeological findings in the area date from the Neolithic, and there are findings from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and the Roman time. The town was first mentioned in 1205 as Wywar, meaning "New Castle". The Árpád dynasty built a stone castle after the Mongol invasion in 1241. From the 13th century until 1296, Holíč was the seat of a border comitatus. Among the owners of the town were Matthias Csák and Stibor of Stiborice. In the 15th century the town's development was slowed by the Hussite raids. In 1736 the town was bought by Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor, husband of Maria Theresa and manufactures were built, leading to the town's growth. Maria Theresa also rebuilt the Holíč Castle from a fortress into a summer château of the Habsburgs. Holíč's once thriving Jewish community was completely decimated by the Holocaust.