the Thirty Years' War. After the Battle of White Mountain, the Břeclav manor was confiscated to Zierotins. In 1638, the Liechtensteins bought the devastated manor. Břeclav's Jewish community was first documented in the 16th century, although some individual Jews may have arrived earlier, in the 14th or early 15th centuries. The Jewish population became extinct during the Thirty Years' War. New Jewish settlers came in 1650. The post-war recovery was slow. In 1742, Břeclav was destroyed by a large fire. Until the 1830s, both Břeclav and Old Břeclav were insignificant agricultural small market towns and together had about 3,000 inhabitants. In 1836–1839, the railway from Brno to Vienna was built and the economic development started. Lumber and food factories were established, and the population began to grow. In 1872, Břeclav was promoted to a town. Modern history In 1919, three original municipalities merged (Břeclav, Old Břeclav and Jewish Municipality of Břeclav). In 1938–1945, Břeclav was a part of Nazi Germany, although the town's population was mostly Czech-speaking. The Jewish community disappeared as a result of the Holocaust. The German population was expelled after World War II. In 1974, Poštorná and Charvátská Nová Ves, which were parts of Lower Austria until the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, were joined. Northern edge of Břeclav was heavily damaged by the 2021 South Moravia tornado. Demographics Transport Břeclav railway station is an important hub in the railroad network. It is located at the intersection of the routes to and from Brno – Prague, Ostrava – Kraków/Katowice (Poland), Kúty – Bratislava (Slovakia) and Hohenau an der March – Vienna (Austria). In addition, a local railway to Znojmo also branches out from the station. There is a rail border crossing Břeclav/Bernhardsthal to Austria. The D2 motorway, linking Brno with the Slovak border, and further with Bratislava, passes through the northern part of the town. Sights The Břeclav Castle was rebuilt into its current neo-Gothic artificial ruins form in the first half of the 19th century. It was rebuilt by the Liechtensteins during the establishment of Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape. Today it is owned by the town. One of its towers serves as an observation tower. The parish Church of Saint Wenceslaus on the T. G. Masaryka Square is a contemporary architecture from 1992 to 1995 on the spot of a Baroque one destroyed in World War II. The second parish church is the Church of the Visitation of Our