Opava (; german: Troppau, pl, Opawa) is a city 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 55,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river
Opava
Opava (; german: Troppau, pl, Opawa) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 55,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river Opava (river), Opava. Opava is one of the historical centres of Silesia. It was a histori ...
. Opava is one of the historical centres of
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 ...
. It was a historical capital of
Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia (, also , ; cs, České Slezsko; szl, Czeski Ślōnsk; sli, Tschechisch-Schläsing; german: Tschechisch-Schlesien; pl, Śląsk Czeski) is the part of the historical region of Silesia now in the Czech Republic. Czech Silesia is, ...
.
Administrative division
Opava is made up of eight self-governing boroughs in the suburbs, and of central part which is administered directly. The city is further divided into 14 administrative parts (in brackets):
*''Opava'' (Město, Předměstí (larger part), Kateřinky, Kylešovice and Jaktař (larger part))
*Komárov
*Malé Hoštice
*Milostovice
*Podvihov (Komárovské Chaloupky and Podvihov)
*Suché Lazce
*Vávrovice (Vávrovice, Předměstí (smaller part) and Jaktař (smaller part))
*Vlaštovičky
*Zlatníky
Geography
Opava is situated about northwest of
Ostrava
Ostrava (; pl, Ostrawa; german: Ostrau ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic, and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 280,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rive ...
. Most of its territory is located in the
Opava Hilly Land within the
Silesian Lowlands
Silesian Lowlands (or Silesian Plains, pl, Nizina Śląska, cs, Slezská nížina, german: Schlesische Niederung) are lowlands located in Silesia, Poland in Central Europe. A small part is located in the Czech Republic. It is part of the Centra ...
, but it also extends to 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 southeast and in the northwest. The highest point of the municipal territory is Hůrka at above sea level.
Opava lies at the confluence of the
Opava
Opava (; german: Troppau, pl, Opawa) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 55,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river Opava (river), Opava. Opava is one of the historical centres of Silesia. It was a histori ...
and
Moravice rivers. The Opava River flows through the city centre.
Stříbrné Lake is an artificial lake on the outskirts of the city created by the flooding of the former
gypsum
Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and drywall. ...
mine. It is used for recreational purposes.
History
The first written mention of Opava is from 1195. In 1224, Opava received
town privileges
Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...
. After 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 ...
was established, Opava became its capital.
In 1427–1431, the duchy was ruled by 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 Hussit ...
. In 1485, it was acquired by
Matthias Corvinus
Matthias Corvinus, also called Matthias I ( hu, Hunyadi Mátyás, ro, Matia/Matei Corvin, hr, Matija/Matijaš Korvin, sk, Matej Korvín, cz, Matyáš Korvín; ), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several mi ...
and ruled by the Hungarians until 1526. In 1613,
Karl I of Liechtenstein
Karl I (30 July 1569 – 12 February 1627), was the first member of the Liechtenstein family to become a Prince of Liechtenstein, thus he was the founder of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein.
Karl was the elder son of Hartmann II, Baron of ...
became Duke of Opava and merged the duchy with the
Duchy of Krnov
The Duchy of Krnov ( la, Ducatus Carnoviensis, cs, Krnovské knížectví, pl, Księstwo Karniowskie) or Duchy of Jägerndorf (german: Herzogtum Jägerndorf) was one of the Duchies of Silesia, which in 1377 emerged from the Duchy of Troppau (O ...
.
[
After the majority of Silesia was annexed by the ]Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...
during the War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...
after 1740, the remaining Silesian territory still under the control of the Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
became known as Austrian Silesia
Austrian Silesia, (historically also ''Oesterreichisch-Schlesien, Oesterreichisch Schlesien, österreichisch Schlesien''); cs, Rakouské Slezsko; pl, Śląsk Austriacki officially the Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia, (historically ''Herzogth ...
, with its capital in Opava (1742–1918). The Congress of Troppau The Congress of Troppau was a conference of the Quintuple Alliance to discuss means of suppressing the revolution in Naples of July 1820, and at which the Troppau Protocol was signed on 19 November 1820.
The Congress met on 20 October 1820 in Trop ...
took place here from 24 October to 23 December 1820.[
According to the ]Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
census of 1910, the town had 30,762 inhabitants, 29,587 of whom had permanent residence there. The census asked people for their native language, which showed that 27,240 (92%) were German-speaking, 2,039 (6.9%) were Czech-speaking and 274 (0.9%) were Polish-speaking. Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
were not allowed to declare Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
, and most of them thus declared German as their native language. The main religious group was Roman Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
with 28,379 (92.2%), followed by Protestants
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
with 1,155 (3.7%) and Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
with 1,112 (3.6%).
After the defeat of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
in World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Opava became part of Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
in 1919.
In 1938, Opava was ceded to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
as a result of the Munich agreement
The Munich Agreement ( cs, Mnichovská dohoda; sk, Mníchovská dohoda; german: Münchner Abkommen) was an agreement concluded at Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, Germany, the United Kingdom, French Third Republic, France, and Fa ...
. It was administered as a part of Reichsgau Sudetenland
The Reichsgau Sudetenland was an administrative division of Nazi Germany from 1939 to 1945. It comprised the northern part of the ''Sudetenland'' territory, which was annexed from Czechoslovakia according to the 30 September 1938 Munich Agreement. ...
. On April 22 1945, Opava was liberated by the Soviet Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
at the cost of enormous war damage. In 1945–46, the German population was expelled under terms of Beneš decrees
The Beneš decrees, sk, Dekréty prezidenta republiky) and the Constitutional Decrees of the President of the Republic ( cz, Ústavní dekrety presidenta republiky, sk, Ústavné dekréty prezidenta republiky) were a series of laws drafted by t ...
and the city was resettled with Czechs. On 1 January, the municipalities of Jaktař, Kateřinky and Kylešovice were joined to Opava. After the war, entire new residential areas and industrial plants were built.[
While the Duchy of Opava has ceased to exist, the title of Duke of Troppau continues, with ]Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Hans-Adam II (Johannes Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marco d'Aviano Pius; born 14 February 1945) is the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, since 1989. He is the son of Prince Franz Joseph II and his wife, Countess Georgina von Wilczek. He al ...
being the current incumbent.
Demographics
Economy
Opava is home especially to the engineering, food, paper and pharmaceutical industries.[ The largest company is Teva Czech Industries, a manufacturer of medicinal products, whose predecessor was founded in Opava in 1883. It employs about 1,600 people.
The largest non-industrial employers are the hospital and the psychiatric hospital.
]
Culture
Opava is an important cultural centre of Opavian Silesia. The Silesian Theatre in Opava was founded in 1805.
Education
Opava is home to the Silesian University, the only public university
A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...
in the country not situated in a regional capital. It was established in 1991.[
]
Sport
The city's football club SFC Opava
Slezský FC Opava is a professional football club based in Opava, Czech Republic. The club plays in the Czech National Football League, the second of Czech football after being relegated from the Czech First League at the end of the 2020–21 seas ...
currently plays in the Czech National Football League
The Czech National Football League ( cs, Fotbalová národní liga, ''FNL''), currently known as Fortuna národní liga due to sponsorship reasons, is the second level professional association football league in the Czech Republic. Before 2013 it ...
, the second tier of the Czech football league system.
Sights
One of the two main landmarks of Opava is the city hall on the Horní Square and its white tower, known as Hláska. A one-storey city hall and the tower were built in 1614–1618. However, the less representative town hall building around the tower was demolished in 1902 and replaced with a new one in Neo-Renaissance style.
The second landmark is the Co-cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is the largest building in the Czech Republic, built in the so-called Silesian Brick Gothic style. A solid prismatic tower was built in the late 13th century and a higher south tower was built in the early 14th century, both towers were originally intended as part of a city hall. The church building between the towers dates from the mid-14th century. In 1996, the church became the second Episcopal church of the Ostrava-Opava diocese, and therefore a co-cathedral. With , the southern church tower is the highest tower in Silesia.[
The ]Silesian Museum
Silesian Museum in Katowice ( pl, Muzeum Śląskie w Katowicach) is a museum in the City of Katowice, Poland.
History
The museum was founded in 1929 by the Silesian Sejm, while the region was recovering from the Silesian Uprisings. In the XX ...
, founded in 1814, is the oldest public museum in the Czech Republic. It has about 2,400,000 exhibition items and is the third largest museum in the country.
Notable people
*Martin of Opava
Martin of Opava, O.P. (died 1278) also known as Martin of Poland, was a 13th-century Dominican friar, bishop and chronicler.
Life
Known in Latin as ''Frater Martinus Ordinis Praedicatorum'' (Brother Martin of the Order of Preachers), he is bel ...
(?–1278) historian and cleric
*Johann Palisa
Johann Palisa (6 December 1848 – 2 May 1925) was an Austrian astronomer, born in Troppau, Austrian Silesia, now Czech Republic. He was a prolific discoverer of asteroids, discovering 122 in all, from 136 Austria in 1874 to 1073 Gel ...
(1848–1925), Austrian astronomer
*Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli
Eduard Freiherr von Böhm-Ermolli (12 February 1856 – 9 December 1941) was an Austrian General officer, general during World War I who rose to the rank of field marshal in the Austro-Hungarian Army. He was the head of the Second Army (Austria-Hu ...
(1856–1941), Austrian field marshal
*Joseph Maria Olbrich
Joseph Maria Olbrich (22 December 1867 – 8 August 1908) was an Austrian architect and one of the Vienna Secession founders.
Early life
Olbrich was born in Opava, Austrian Silesia (now Czech Republic), the third child of Edmund and Aloisia O ...
(1867–1908), Austrian architect
*Petr Bezruč
Petr Bezruč () was the pseudonym of Vladimír Vašek (; 15 September 1867 – 17 February 1958), a Czech poet and short story writer who was associated with the region of Austrian Silesia.
His most notable work is ''Silesian Songs,'' a coll ...
(1867–1958), poet
*Max Eschig
Max Eschig (27 May 1872 – 3 September 1927) was a Czech-born French music publisher who published many of the leading French composers of the twentieth century, later also including many East European and Latin American composers.
Life
Eschig wa ...
(1872–1927), French music publisher
*Franz Bardon Franz may refer to:
People
* Franz (given name)
* Franz (surname)
Places
* Franz (crater), a lunar crater
* Franz, Ontario, a railway junction and unorganized town in Canada
* Franz Lake, in the state of Washington, United States – see Fran ...
(1909–1958), occultist
*Joy Adamson
Friederike Victoria "Joy" Adamson ( Gessner; 20 January 1910 – 3 January 1980) was a naturalist, artist and author. Her book, ''Born Free'', describes her experiences raising a lion cub named Elsa. ''Born Free'' was printed in several langua ...
(1910–1980), naturalist and author
*Helmut Niedermeyer Helmut Niedermeyer (28 February 1926 – 3 February 2014) was an Austrian businessman and entrepreneur. He founded Niedermeyer, which was once the largest consumer electronics chain in Austria.
Biography
Niedermeyer was born in Opava in what is n ...
(1926–2014), Austrian businessman
*Josef Gebauer
Josef Gebauer (7 August 1942 in Prague – 19 May 2004 in Opava) was a Czech historian and archivist.
Since 1972 until his death he worked in Provincial Archive of Czech Silesia (''Zemský archív'') in Opava
Opava (; german: Troppau, pl, Opa ...
(1942–2004), historian
* Boris Rösner (1951–2006), actor
*Pavel Složil
Pavel Složil (born 29 December 1955) is a former professional tennis player from Czechoslovakia.
Složil enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career, he won 32 doubles titles and finished runner-up an additiona ...
(born 1955), tennis player
*Bohdan Sláma
Bohdan Sláma (born 29 May 1967 in Opava) is a Czech film director. He studied at the Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague ( cs, Akademie múzických umění v Praze, ...
(born 1967), film director
* Kamil Mrůzek (born 1977), kayaker
*Nataša Novotná
Nataša Novotná (born 29 October 1977 Opava) is a Czech dancer, choreographer, lecturer, co-founder of ''420PEOPLE'' and founder of ''Kylián fund in Prague''.
Education
She graduated from Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava.
Professional care ...
(born 1977), dancer and choreographer
*Zdeněk Pospěch
Zdeněk Pospěch (; born 14 December 1978) is a Czech former professional footballer. He normally played as a defender in a right back position, but could also play on the right side of midfield.
Club career
Pospěch started his professional ca ...
(born 1978), footballer
*Zuzana Ondrášková
Zuzana Ondrášková (born 3 May 1980) is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.
Playing career
On 9 February 2004, she reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 74.
Her career included wins over several top pla ...
(born 1980), tennis player
*Libor Kozák
Libor Kozák (born 30 May 1989) is a Czech professional footballer who last played as a striker for Slovácko.
Club career SFC Opava
Kozák started his career in 2001 with Czech club Slezský FC Opava, first playing with its youth teams befor ...
(born 1989), footballer
Twin towns – sister cities
Opava is twinned with:
* Katowice
Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most popul ...
, Poland
* Kearney, United States
* Liptovský Mikuláš
Liptovský Mikuláš (; until 1952 ''Liptovský Svätý Mikuláš'', german: Liptau-Sankt-Nikolaus; hu, Liptószentmiklós) is a town in northern Slovakia, on the Váh River, about from Bratislava. It lies in the Liptov region, in Liptov Bas ...
, Slovakia
* Racibórz
Racibórz (german: Ratibor, cz, Ratiboř, szl, Racibōrz) is a city in Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the administrative seat of Racibórz County.
With Opole, Racibórz is one of the historic capitals of Upper Silesia, being t ...
, Poland
* Roth Roth may refer to:
Places
Germany
* Roth (district), in Bavaria, Germany
** Roth, Bavaria, capital of that district
** Roth (electoral district), a federal electoral district
* Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany:
** Roth an der Our, in the district B ...
, Germany
* Zugló (Budapest), Hungary
* Żywiec
Żywiec () (german: Saybusch) is a town in southern Poland with 31,194 inhabitants (2019). Between 1975 and 1998, it was located within the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship, but has since become part of the Silesian Voivodeship.It is the capital of Ż ...
, Poland
References
External links
*
Regional news
Old postcards
{{authority control
Cities in Silesia
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic