There is historical record of Jewish families living in Trebic as early as 1338. Today there is a sign in Trebic’s central square pointing to “Jew Town”, the former Jewish ghetto across the river.  Two synagogues are located there: the Front Synagogue and the Rear Synagogue. The Rear, built in 1737, is the newer of the two. 

According to city records, for centuries the “relationship was always tight” between Christians and Jews. The Jews were considered to be skilled artisans and successful businessmen, who were allowed to engage primarily in tanning of leather, distilling of spirits, trade and loaning money. “Jew Town entered the 19th century with 1170 inhabitants – at that time it was the largest town in Moravia.”  In 1848 Jews acquired full rights of citizenship giving them the freedom to move to better locations in town and larger cities such as Brno, Vienna and Prague.  A century later, the Nazis closed the synagogues and removed the remaining 281 Jews to concentration camps. Only 10 returned. 

The Front Synagogue now serves as a Hussite Church. Restoration of the Rear Synagogue began in 1990 financed by the City of Trebic. Lacking a Jewish community, the restored building is used for multiple purposes including exhibitions, chamber music concerts, meetings and seminars. The Jewish town of Trebic (former ghetto) is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.