Divišov
Divišov () is the market town in Benešov District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,800 inhabitants. It lies near the rivers Sázava and Blanice, southeast of Prague. Administrative parts. Villages of Dalovy, Křešice, Lbosín, Měchnov, Radonice, Šternov and Zdebuzeves are administrative parts of Divišov. Radonice and Zdebuzeves form an exclave of the municipal territory. Geography. Divišov is located on the edge of a mountainous region Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, which influences the local climate. Large parts of the area are covered with forests. The highest points of the municipality are the hills Březák (near  Lbosín) and Vrchy, both with above sea level. The confluence of the rivers Sázava and Blanice is located in Radonice part of Divišov. History. The first written mention of Divišov is from 1130. The settlement was probably founded during reign of Bretislav I (1034–1055) by a member of Bretislav's retinue named Diviš. On the site of today's dean's building, there was a keep around which a settlement began to form. Before 1242, Zdislav, the first-born son of Diviš of Divišov, founded Český Šternberk Castle in the neighbourhood of today's Divišov municipal territory, and the house  of Divišov became the house of Sternberg. In 1545, Divišov became a town. It received coat of arms with a gold star which reminded the lords of Sternberg. In 1742, after a large fire, almost the whole of Divišov burned down. In the 19th and 20th centuries, development of industry occurred. In 1899, the construction of the railway line leading from Čerčany to Kolín was started. The construction of D1 motorway linking Prague to Wien has been completed in 1977. After Divišov lost its town status around 1960, it became a market town in 2006. Jewish population. The first Jews  allegedly settled in Divišov before 1685. The first mention of the presence of the Jewish population is from 1718. The Jewish community was established on 1 August 1776, and immediately after its establishment, it applied for the lease of land for the establishment of a cemetery, which was founded in 1777. The cemetery was used until World War II. Economy. At the end of the 19th century, a factory for the production and processing of velvet was established here, and its products was appreciated even abroad. In 1948, Jaroslav Simandl founded a factory for speedway motorcycles of the Jawa brand . Divišov is an industrial centre: beside Jawa, there is McNulty fortepianos, a transport company, a heavy machinery factory and an electronic equipment plant. Divišov also became known as a fish pond farming area. Transport. Divišov lies of the D1 motorway, which passes through the northern part of the territory. Sport. There is a speedway stadium in Divišov. It hosts large international races every year. Sights. The synagogue was built at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1854–1856, it was rebuilt to the Neoclassical style. After the building was used as a warehouse and hairdressing salon during the 20th century , it was returned to Jewish community of Prague in 1995. Since 2004, it serves as the Museum of the Life of the Jewish Community of Divišov. The Jewish cemetery has an area of 2,921 square meters and 200 tombstones of the Baroque and Neoclassical type have been preserved, the oldest legible from the end of the 18th century. It is protected as a national cultural heritage and is gradually renovated. Trivia. In one chapter of the novel "Sedmikráska" from Jaroslav Durych the author describes how a young virgin meets up with a local police officer from Divišov, who is constantly  drunk and who mistakes her for a Russian spy.