Odry (; german: Odrau) is a town in

Nový Jičín District Nový Jičín District ( cs, okres Nový Jičín) is a district (''okres'') within Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Nový Jičín. List of municipalities Albrechtičky - Bartošovice - Bernartice nad O ...

in the

Moravian-Silesian Region The Moravian-Silesian Region ( cs, Moravskoslezský kraj; pl, Kraj morawsko-śląski; sk, Moravsko-sliezsky kraj) is one of the 14 administrative regions of the Czech Republic. Before May 2001, it was called the Ostrava Region ( cs, Ostravský ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. It has about 7,300 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts

Villages of Dobešov, Kamenka, Klokočůvek, Loučky, Pohoř, Tošovice, Veselí and Vítovka are administrative parts of Odry. Kamenka and Klokočůvek form an

exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

of the municipal territory.

Etymology

The name of Odry is derived from the river

Oder The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows thr ...

Geography

Odry is located in the

Nízký Jeseník Nízký Jeseník (german: Niederes Gesenke, pl, Niski Jesionik) is a flat highland and geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the east of the country in the Olomouc and Moravian-Silesian regions. Nízký Jeseník is ...

mountain range in the valley of the

River. A set of fish ponds is situated in the southern part of the municipal territory.

History

A predecessor of Odry was a settlement known as Vyhnanov. The first written mention of Vyhnanov is from 1234. In the second half of the 13th century, a new fortified town was established on the site of Vyhnanov. In the 14th century, Odry became a local economic centre. During the

Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Cat ...

, Odry served as a military base of the

Hussites The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation. The Huss ...

. In 1481, the town became a part of the

Duchy of Troppau The Principality of Opava ( cs, Opavské knížectví; pl, Księstwo Opawskie) or Duchy of Troppau (german: Herzogtum Troppau) was a historic territory split off from the Margraviate of Moravia before 1269 by King Ottokar II of Bohemia to prov ...

and

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

. In the 18th century, lead and silver were mined in Odry and surrounding area. In 1774, a woolen goods factory was established here, and in the mid-19th century, drapery industry developed. In 1866, the first rubber factory in the country started operating here.

Sights

The historic centre is formed by the Masarykovo Square and surroundings. The square is lined with Renaissance burgher houses and in the middle are the statue of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary from 1785 and a Neoclassical fountain from 1897. Remains of the town fortifications from the 15th century with a semi-circular bastion are preserved to this day. The most important monument is the Church of Saint Bartholomew. The originally Gothic church was baroque rebuilt in 1691–1692. The bell in the church tower dates from 1374 and is the oldest bell in

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The me ...

. Notable is also the rectory, which was rebuilt into its current form in 1700.

Notable people

* Leopold Münster (1920–1944), German Luftwaffe pilot * Ferdinand Ulrich (1931–2020), German philosopher

Twin towns – sister cities

Odry is twinned with: * Kuźnia Raciborska, Poland *

Niefern-Öschelbronn Niefern-Öschelbronn is a municipality in the Enz district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Enz, 6 km east of Pforzheim. History Öschelbronn had been a possession of the Duchy of Württemberg since 1504, while ...

, Germany

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Nový Jičín District Lichnowsky