Olaszliszka

Olaszliszka (Hebrew: אולסליסקה) is a village in Sárospatak District of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County. Its population in 2024 was 1501.

Catholic Church

Location

It lies on the right bank of the Bodrog River, next to vineyard hills, in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region, about 57 kilometers east of Miskolc, the county seat.

History

It was first mentioned in 1239, in a letter from Hungarian King Béla IV, under the name LYSKA. Béla IV settled Italian winegrowers in the area.

Remains of the former synagogue

The Jewish community of Olaszliszka became more important in the village starting from the mid-18th century. The first Jewish families settled here in the 1740s and, over the decades, built a thriving community. By the 1780s, they had their own synagogue, which became a key gathering place in the village. According to the 1869 census, 551 Jews lived in Olaszliszka, making up more than 20% of the local population.

Members of the Jewish community mainly worked in trade, crafts, and farming. Many Jewish merchants and shopkeepers lived in the village, greatly helping the local economy grow. Besides that, there were also many winemakers and distillers among them who took part in producing and selling the famous products of the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region.