The ( cs, Olše, german: Olsa) is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...
in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
and 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 ...
, a right (eastern)
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...
of the
River Oder. It flows from the
Silesian Beskids
Silesian Beskids ( Polish: , Czech: , german: Schlesische Beskiden) is one of the Beskids mountain ranges in Outer Western Carpathians in southern Silesian Voivodeship, Poland and the eastern Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic.
Most of ...
mountains through southern
Cieszyn Silesia
Cieszyn Silesia, Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( pl, Śląsk Cieszyński ; cs, Těšínské Slezsko or ; german: Teschener Schlesien or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český T ...
in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
and the
Frýdek-Místek
Frýdek-Místek (, pl, Frydek-Mistek; german: Friede(c)k-Mistek) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 54,000 inhabitants. The historic centres of both Frýdek and Místek are well preserved and are protecte ...
and
Karviná
Karviná (; pl, Karwina, , german: Karwin) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 50,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Olza River in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.
Karviná is known as an indust ...
districts 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 ...
, often forming the border with Poland. It flows into the Oder River north of
Bohumín
Bohumín (; ; pl, , german: Oderberg) is a town in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Bohumín is made up of town parts and villages of Nový Bohumín, ...
. The Olza-Oder confluence also forms a part of the border.
The river is a symbol of the
Zaolzie
Trans-Olza ( pl, Zaolzie, ; cs, Záolží, ''Záolší''; german: Olsa-Gebiet; Cieszyn Silesian: ''Zaolzi''), also known as Trans-Olza Silesia ( Polish: ''Śląsk Zaolziański''), is a territory in the Czech Republic, which was disputed betwe ...
( pl, Trans-Olza) region, which lies on its west bank, constituting a part of the western half of
Cieszyn Silesia
Cieszyn Silesia, Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( pl, Śląsk Cieszyński ; cs, Těšínské Slezsko or ; german: Teschener Schlesien or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český T ...
, as depicted in the words of the unofficial anthem of this region and of
local Poles, ''
Płyniesz Olzo po dolinie'' (Thou flowest, Olza, down the valley), written by
Jan Kubisz.
The Olza has also inspired many other artists. Among those who have written about the river are
Adolf Fierla,
Pola Gojawiczyńska,
Emanuel Grim
Emanuel Grim (1 January 1883 – 18 October 1950) was a Polish Catholic priest, writer and journalist from the region of Cieszyn Silesia. He was one of the most important figures of the Polish-Catholic political camp in Cieszyn Silesia in the ...
,
Julian Przyboś
Julian Przyboś (5 March 1901 – 6 October 1970) was a Polish poet, essayist and translator, one of the most important poets of the Kraków Avant-Garde.
Life
Przyboś was born in Gwoźnica near Strzyżów to a peasant family. From 1912, he ...
,
Vladislav Vančura
Vladislav Vančura () (23 June 1891 in Háj ve Slezsku – 1 June 1942 in Prague) was an important Czech writer active in the 20th century, who was murdered by the Nazis. He was also active as a film director, playwright and screenwriter.
Early ...
, and
Adam Wawrosz. The singer
Jaromír Nohavica
Jaromír Nohavica or Jarek Nohavica (born 7 June 1953, in Ostrava) is a Czech recording artist, songwriter, lyricist and poet.
Early life
He was born in Ostrava and has played guitar since he was 13. He began studies at the Technical Univers ...
has used the Olza as a motif in several of his songs.
Name
The oldest surviving written mention is in a letter dating from 1290, which refers to the river ''Olza''. The river was then mentioned in a written document in 1611 as the ''Oldza''.
[Cicha et al. 2000, 21.] At the end of the 19th century, with the rise of mass nationalism, both Polish and Czech activists claimed the name ''Olza'' to be not Polish enough, on the one hand, and insufficiently Czech, on the other.
[Gawrecki 1993, 13.] Some Polish activists proposed the name ''Olsza'', Czech activists ''Olše''.
The Czech linguist and writer
Vincenc Prasek
Vincenc Prasek (9 April 1843 in Milostovice – 31 December 1912 in Napajedla) was a Czech educator, linguist and historian active in the region of Silesia. He contributed to several Czech periodicals based in Opava and in 1883–1895 served as ...
demonstrated in 1900 that the name ''Olza'' has, in fact, an independent
Old Slavic origin which predates both Polish and Czech.
This revelation has been confirmed by various etymological studies in the 20th century.
The regionally used form ''Olza'' is derived from the ancient ''Oldza''. German ''Olsa'' is a re-spelling of ''Olza'' but pronounced the same. Local people always used the ''Olza'' form, regardless of their national or ethnic origin.
However, the central administration in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
saw ''Olza'' as a Polish name and when most of the river became a part of
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
in 1920 it tried to change its name to the Czech form, ''Olše''. However, a degree of dualism in the naming persisted until the 1960s, when the Central State Administration of Geodesy and Cartography ruled that the only official form in the Czech Republic is ''Olše''.
[Gawrecki 1993, 15.] Locals on both sides of the border and from both nationalities continue to refer to the river as the ''Olza'' nevertheless.
Towns and villages on the river
''(from source to the mouth)''
*
Istebna
Istebna is a large village and the seat of Gmina Istebna, Cieszyn County in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. The village is situated in the Silesian Beskids mountain range, near the borders with the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in the histo ...
(PL)
*
Bukovec Bukovec may refer to:
Places Croatia
*Bukovec, a village in the municipality of Selnica, Međimurje County
* Bukovec Zelinski, a village, Zagreb County
* Mali Bukovec, a municipality and village, Varaždin County
* Veliki Bukovec, a municipality ...
*
Písek
Písek (; german: Pisek) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 30,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
Písek is colloquially called "''South ...
*
Jablunkov
Jablunkov (; pl, , german: Jablunkau) is a town in Frýdek-Místek District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,300 inhabitants.
Polish minority makes up 16.4% of the population. It is inhabited by a large amo ...
*
Návsí
( pl, , german: Nawsi) is a municipality and village in Frýdek-Místek District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,800 inhabitants.
Polish minority makes up 17.4% of the population.
Etymology
The name is d ...
*
Hrádek
*
Bystřice
*
Vendryně
*
Lyžbice
*
Třinec
Třinec (; pl, Trzyniec ; german: Trzynietz) is a city in Frýdek-Místek District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants and is the least populated statutory city in the country.
The city is a ...
*
Konská
*
Ropice
( pl, , german: Roppitz) is a municipality and village in Frýdek-Místek District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,700 inhabitants.
Polish minority makes up 19.6% of the population.
Etymology
The name is ...
*
Český Těšín
Český Těšín (; pl, Czeski Cieszyn ; german: Tschechisch-Teschen) is a town in the Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants.
Český Těšín lies on the west bank of the Olza ...
/
Cieszyn
Cieszyn ( , ; cs, Těšín ; german: Teschen; la, Tessin; szl, Ćeszyn) is a border town in southern Poland on the east bank of the Olza River, and the administrative seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship. The town has 33,500 inhabitan ...
(PL)
*
Chotěbuz
( pl, , german: Kotzobendz) is a municipality and village in the Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,400 inhabitants.
Polish minority makes up 17.0% of the population.
Etymology
The name of C ...
*
Pogwizdów (PL)
*
Louky nad Olší
*
Kaczyce (PL)
*
Darkov
*
Fryštát
Fryštát (; pl, Frysztat ; german: Freistadt ; Cieszyn Silesian: ) is an administrative part of the city of Karviná in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. Until 1948 it was a separate town. It lies on the Olza River, in the h ...
*
Karviná
Karviná (; pl, Karwina, , german: Karwin) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 50,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Olza River in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.
Karviná is known as an indust ...
*
Dětmarovice
Dětmarovice (; pl, , german: Dittmarsdorf, ''Dittmannsdorf'') is a municipality and village in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,300 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
The village of Koukol ...
*
Závada
*
Godów (PL)
*
Věřňovice
( Polish: , german: Willmersdorf) is a village in Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It was a separate municipality but became administratively a part of Dolní Lutyně in 1975. It lies on the border with Poland, in th ...
*
Kopytov
*
Olza Olza may refer to:
*Olza (river), a river in the Czech Republic and Poland
*Olza, Silesian Voivodeship, a village in Poland
*Cendea de Olza/Oltza Zendea, a municipality in Spain
*SS Olza, SS ''Olza'', a Polish ship
{{disambig ...
(PL)
Gallery
File:Olše v Bukovci.jpg, The Olza in Bukovec
File:Olza grodek.jpg, The Olza in Hrádek
File:Olše v Karviné.jpg, The Olza in Karviná
File:Olza1.jpg, The Olza in Věřňovice
Footnotes
References
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olza (River)
Rivers of Silesian Voivodeship
Rivers of the Moravian-Silesian Region
Frýdek-Místek District
Karviná District
Silesian Beskids
Cieszyn Silesia
International rivers of Europe
Czech Republic–Poland border
Border rivers