, settlement_type =

District A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...

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Voivodeship A voivodeship is the area administered by a voivode (Governor) in several countries of central and eastern Europe. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times and the area of extent of voivodeship resembles that of a duchy in western medieval ...

, subdivision_name1 = Lower Silesian , subdivision_type2 =

County A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

/City , subdivision_name2 =

, established_date = 1991 , established_title = Established the modern-day district , parts_type = Notable landmarks , parts_style = para , population_total = 31216 , population_as_of = 2022 , population_density_km2 = auto , population_note = , timezone =

CET CET or cet may refer to: Places * Cet, Albania * Cet, standard astronomical abbreviation for the constellation Cetus * Colchester Town railway station (National Rail code CET), in Colchester, England Arts, entertainment, and media * Comcast En ...

, utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST =

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, utc_offset_DST = +2 , area_code = +48 71 , website
Osiedle Ołbin
Ołbin (, , ) is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

located in the northern part of the city. It was established in the territory of the former

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

district.

Name

The settlement was first documented in 1175 under the name ''Olbin''. It was later referred to as ''Olpinow'' (1202), ''Vlbim'' and ''Uolbim'' (1253), ''Olbina'', ''Albingum'', ''Olbingum'', and ''Elbinga'' (1264). By the end of the 13th century, the village was known as ''Olbing''. The origin of the name Ołbin has not been clearly established. According to some historians, the name may derive from the Latin name Albin, which was popular in the 11th and 12th centuries. The second theory regarding the origin of the name comes from an old Slavic word olbąd''' ('swan'). Currently, swans of this species can be observed daily at a small pond in , located in the center of the district.

History

Abbey of Ołbin

The Abbey of Ołbin was founded by

Piotr Włostowic Herb ŁabędźPiotr Włostowic ( 1080 – 1153), also known as Peter Wlast or ''Włost'') was a Polish noble, castellan of Wrocław, and a ruler (''możnowładca'') of part of Silesia. From 1117 he was voivode (''palatyn'') of the Duke of Poland ...

in between 1080 and 1153. A sarcophagus was erected for him around 1270 in the middle of the abbey choir. It was probably destroyed in 1529 when the abbey was torn down, and fragments of its architecture were incorporated into buildings in the city. The Breslau City Council made this decision in the face of the threat of Turkish invasion; officially to prevent the complex from being exploited by enemies, but in fact the decision was also part of the resentment against the Catholic monastery complex and its inhabitants.

German rule

Elbing was outside the borders of Breslau (Wrocław) until the early 19th century. Only a portion of it, which was closely associated with the foreground of the city fortifications protecting the Cathedral Island, was incorporated into the city's administration in the second half of the 18th century. The area, located on the northern bank of the

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 ...

, was frequently plundered by the besieging armies of Breslau. After Napoleon's army captured the city in 1807, the French command decided to demolish the city's fortifications and fill in part of the moat. Soon after, Elbing, along with several other areas bordering the

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...

, was incorporated into the city limits.

Post-war

The settlement, densely built up mainly with tenement houses, was established at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. During the

siege of Breslau The siege of Breslau, also known as the Battle of Breslau, was a three-month-long siege of the city of Wrocław, Breslau in Lower Silesia, Nazi Germany, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland), lasting to the end of World War II in Europe. From 13 Feb ...

in 1945, the buildings in the area sustained less damage compared to other parts of the city, such as the neighboring Grunwald Square. Only 30% of the buildings in the neighborhood were damaged. The present-day districts of Ołbin and Nadodrze played a significant role immediately after the war. Starting in July 1945, Wrocław Nadodrze was the only train station receiving trains from the east. The first

streetcar line A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

(No. 1) in Wrocław connected it to

Biskupin Biskupin is an archaeological site and a life-size model of a late Bronze Age fortified settlement in north-central Poland that also serves as an archaeological open-air museum. When first discovered it was thought to be early evidence of a W ...

, a relatively less damaged part of the city. Ołbin and Nadodrze were ideal places for repatriates to settle and for locating post-war city authorities and public institutions due to their well-preserved public and residential infrastructure. The first elementary school was established on Nowowiejska Street, followed by the first high school on Poniatowskiego Street, and the first branch of the Polish Post Office on Jedności Narodowej Street. In 1991, after reforms in the administrative division of Wrocław, Ołbin became one of the city's 48 districts.

References

{{Districts of Wrocław Districts of Wrocław