JÁCHYMOV – gateway to the Ore Mountains

The Jewish community in Jáchymov was never numerous, yet it left a distinct mark on the town’s history. Its members were physicians, lawyers and merchants. After 1938, their fates largely fade into uncertainty and tragedy.

The origins of Jáchymov are inseparably linked to the discovery of rich silver deposits at the beginning of the 16th century. Thanks to the entrepreneurial initiative of the Schlik family and the influx of experienced miners, a remote valley developed within a few years into one of the largest and wealthiest towns of the Kingdom of Bohemia.

The years 1938–1945 marked a profound turning point for Jáchymov. Although no front line passed through the town, its inhabitants experienced forced displacement, the presence of prisoners of war in the mines, aircraft crashes and dramatic events at the end of the war. The importance of local uranium also drew the attention of both the Nazi leadership and the Allies.

On 31 March 1873, Jáchymov was struck by the greatest fire in its history. Within five hours, almost the entire historic town—whose appearance had remained largely unchanged for centuries—was destroyed. The catastrophe caused irreparable architectural and artistic losses and permanently altered the town’s character.

Religious life in Jáchymov was complex from the very beginning. The Reformation took root here at an early stage, and for more than a century the town became an important centre of Protestant life. The subsequent re-Catholicisation was among the most rigorous in the region and resulted in mass emigration.

The beginnings of Jáchymov were marked not only by extraordinary economic growth but also by significant social tensions. From the very first years of the town’s existence, miners repeatedly rose against the authorities, officials and the town council. The uprising of 1525 is considered one of the earliest recorded general strikes in European history.

The year 1981 entered the town’s history as a period of two extraordinary disasters and extreme weather fluctuations. The breach of the Town Pond dam in March and the collapse of the petrol station in September profoundly affected everyday life. The events revealed not only the power of nature, but also the vulnerability of infrastructure built above a complex mining underground.

The coexistence of Czechs and Germans in Jáchymov dates back to the very beginnings of settlement. Over centuries, periods of calm, tension, and open conflict alternated – until this coexistence came to an end after 1945.

The mining history of Jáchymov passed through several distinct phases, each defined by different raw materials and different impacts on the town. Every era brought both prosperity and decline, yet Jáchymov repeatedly adapted and rose again. How did the journey lead from silver to radon water?

Among the religious orders and congregations active in Jáchymov were the Sisters of Charity of St. Charles Borromeo – commonly known as the Borromean Sisters.