Holešov

About the place: Holešov is a Moravian town in the Kroměříž District of the Zlín Region, situated along the Rusava River on the border between the fertile Haná and Moravian Wallachia regions at the foot of the Hostýn Hills. The town is known for its early Baroque chateau with extensive French formal gardens and a significant Jewish heritage, including the Shakhar Synagogue.

Flag Description: The flag of Holešov consists of three vertical stripes of yellow, blue, and yellow in a 1 : 4 : 1 width ratio. In the center of the blue stripe stands a yellow ashlar masonry tower on three steps, with two black windows side by side, four battlements, and a tented roof ensigned with an eight-pointed yellow star. The width-to-length ratio of the flag is 2 : 3.

Symbolism: The flag design is derived directly from the historic municipal coat of arms of Holešov, documented on a town seal dating back to 1487. The colors yellow (gold) and blue, along with the eight-pointed star surmounting the tower roof, originate from the arms of the Lords of Sternberg (a gold eight-pointed star on an azure field), who held the town when it was elevated to town status in the 14th century. The embattled masonry tower represents town privileges and fortified municipal status. Although the star was briefly replaced by a ball in 1828 after liberation from feudal dependence, the historical Sternberg star was officially reinstated in 1972.