Volovets’ was part of the Kingdom of Hungary (11th century – 1918 and 1938-1944) with the name of Volócz in Bereg megye (county), next part of Czechoslovakia (1918-1938) with the name of Volóc in Podkarpatská Rus (Sub-Carpathia), then part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1945-1991) with the name of Volovets and, since 1991, known as Volovets’, in the Volovetskiy rayon (district) of Zakarpats’ka oblast (county) of Ukraine.
Other spellings/names for Volovets’ are Wołowec, Wolowez, Volovyetzi and Volovecz.
Volovets’ is located about 28 miles NE of Mukacheve (Munkacs).
~ History ~
Jews probably settled in Volovets’ in the mid-18th century.
In 1860, one Jewish family was present, and by 1880, the Jewish population was 71 (of a total population of 679).
By 1921, during the Czechoslovakian period, the Jewish population rose to 329. A number of Jews were engaged in agriculture and commerce. Of the youth groups, the most active were Hashomer Hatzair.
With the Hungarian occupation of Volovets’ in March, 1939, Jews were persecuted and pushed out of their occupations. In 1940-41, Jews from Volovets’ were drafted into forced labor battalions and others were drafted for service on the Eastern front, where most died.
By 1941, the Jewish population had increased to 388 and it was at this time, a few Jewish families without Hungarian citizenship were expelled to Nazi occupied Ukrainian territory, to Kamenets-Podolski, and murdered there.
The remaining Jews of Volovets’, about 300, were deported to Auschwitz late May, 1944.
A great many of the Jews from Volovets’ were murdered in Auschwitz and any survivors settled elsewhere.
In 2001, Volovets’ had about 5,178 inhabitants and no Jews live there today.
https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Volovets/
