Oslavany () is a town in Brno-Country District in the

South Moravian Region The South Moravian Region ( cs, Jihomoravský kraj; , ; sk, Juhomoravský kraj) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the south-western part of its historical region of Moravia (an exception is Jobova Lhota which trad ...

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 4,700 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The village of Holasice is an administrative part of Oslavany.

Geography

Oslavany is located about southwest of

Brno Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...

. It lies on the Oslava River. Most of the territory is located in the

Boskovice Furrow Boskovice (; german: Boskowitz) is a town in Blansko District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. The area of the historic town centre, Jewish quarter, château complex and castle ruin is well preser ...

, but the western part of the municipal territory extends also into the

Křižanov Highlands The Křižanov Highlands ( cs, Křižanovská vrchovina, german: Krischanauer Bergland) is a highland and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located mostly in the Vysočina Region. Geomorphology The Křižanov Highlands i ...

and

Jevišovice Uplands Jevišovice (german: Jaispitz) is a town in Znojmo District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,100 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Geograph ...

History

The first written mention of Oslavany is from 1104. It was originally an agricultural and wine-growing village. In the 13th century, copper and other metals were mined in the adjacent hills. In 1225, the first

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

convert 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 ...

was founded here. The village of Oslavany was owned by the convent until the 16th century. In 1525, Oslavany was acquired by the Althan family and the convent was rebuilt into a Renaissance residence. In 1760,

hard coal Anthracite, also known as hard coal, and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the high ...

deposits were found here and soon it was the only place in Moravia where coal was mined. The greatest development of mining occurred in the 19th century and especially after 1913, when a power plant was established here. Coal mining and

electricity generation Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For electric utility, utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its Electricity delivery, delivery (Electric power transmi ...

changed the village both economically and environmentally. In the 1960s, the population of Oslavany grew rapidly as housing estates were built for the new employers. Coal mining ceased in 1973 and electricity production in 1993. As a result, the town has lost its industrial character.

Demographics

Sights

Oslavany Castle is a large Renaissance building with an arcaded courtyard. The original Gothic monastery church, which served as a castle chapel, has been preserved and is now used for concerts. Today the castle houses the Museum of Mining and Energy, and the Fire Museum.

Twin towns – sister cities

Oslavany is twinned with: *

Nováky Nováky ( hu, Nyitranovák) is a town in the Prievidza District, Trenčín Region in western Slovakia. Nováky Power Plant, a thermal power plant is located near the town. The town is one of the centres of brown coal mining in Slovakia. Geograp ...

, Slovakia *

Schkeuditz Schkeuditz () is a Große Kreisstadt in the district of Nordsachsen, in Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the White Elster river, 12 km northwest of Leipzig. Leipzig/Halle Airport is located in Schkeuditz. The letter processing center for ...

, Germany *

Vir Vir (; it, Puntadura, Dalmatian: ''Punta de Ura'') is an island on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea with an area of 22 km2. It lies in Dalmatia, north of the city of Zadar. It is connected to the mainland via a road bridge. The mai ...

, Croatia

References

External links

* {{authority control Populated places in Brno-Country District Cities and towns in the Czech Republic