Ostrov Nad Ohří
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Ostrov (also called Ostrov nad Ohří; ; ) is a town in
Karlovy Vary District Karlovy Vary District () is a Okres, district in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the city of Karlovy Vary. Administrative division Karlovy Vary District is divided into two Districts of the Czech Republic#Municipalit ...
in the
Karlovy Vary Region The Karlovy Vary Region () is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the westernmost part of the country. It is named after its capital Karlovy Vary. It is known for spas, which include Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně. ...
of the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.


Administrative division

Ostrov consists of 12 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Ostrov (14,409) *Arnoldov (1) *Dolní Žďár (232) *Hanušov (0) *Hluboký (102) *Horní Žďár (235) *Kfely (234) *Květnová (166) *Liticov (1) *Maroltov (20) *Mořičov (68) *Vykmanov (1,203)


Etymology

The original name of the first settlement was ''Zlaukowerde'' (meaning "Slauko's island"), which changed into the German name ''Schlackenwerth''. In 1331, the name Ostrov (i.e. 'island' in Czech) was first used, in a charter of King
John of Bohemia John of Bohemia, also called the Blind or of Luxembourg (; ; ; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He is well known for having died while fighting ...
.


Geography

Ostrov is located about northeast of
Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...
. Most of the municipal territory lies in the
Sokolov Basin The Sokolov Basin or Falkenau Basin (; , formerly also ''Falkenau-Elbogen-Karlsbader Becken'') is a structural basin and geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located in the central part of the Karlovy Vary Region. It is named ...
, but it also extends to the Doupov Mountains in the east and to the
Ore Mountains The Ore Mountains (, or ; ) lie along the Czech–German border, separating the historical regions of Bohemia in the Czech Republic and Saxony in Germany. The highest peaks are the Klínovec in the Czech Republic (German: ''Keilberg'') at ab ...
in the north. The highest point is the Hlaváč mountain at above sea level. The town lies at the confluence of the Bystřice River and the creek Jáchymovský potok; the
Ohře The Ohře (), also known in English and German as Eger (), is a river in Germany and the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Bavarian district of Upper Franconia in Germany, and through the Karlovy Vary Region ...
flows just outside the territory of Ostrov. The southern part of the municipal territory is rich in fishponds.


History

Ostrov was probably founded by Slauko I Hrabišic at the beginning of the 13th century. A hoax from the second half of the 13th century mentioned the Church of Saint James the Great in 1208, but the church was built in 1224–1226. The first trustworthy written mention of Ostrov is from 1269. During the rule of King Ottokar II, the settlement became a royal town. This lasted until the 15th century, when the Schlick family bought the town. In 1625, the town was acquired by
Julius Henry, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg Julius Henry (9 April 1586 – 20 November 1665) was duke of Saxe-Lauenburg between 1656 and 1665. Before ascending to the throne he served as Field Marshal in the imperial army. Life Before regency Born at Wolfenbüttel, he was a son of Duke ...
. He decided to make Ostrov the residence of his house. He had rebuilt Ostrov Castle and extended, and founded a
Piarist The Piarists (), officially named the Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools (), abbreviated SchP, is a religious order of clerics regular of the Catholic Church founded in 1617 by Spanish priest Joseph Calasanz ...
monastery with a Latin school. Today's appearance of the old town was determined mainly by construction activities after the last great fire in 1866. From the 19th century to 1918, Ostrov belonged to one of the branches of the imperial
House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...
, the
Grand Dukes of Tuscany This is a list of grand dukes of Tuscany. The title was created on 27 August 1569 by a papal bull of Pope Pius V to Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I de' Medici, member of the illustrious House of Medici. His coronation took pl ...
. In the 19th century, the town was industrialized. A smelter, a cardboard factory and a porcelain factory were established. After
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, being located in the historic region of
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
, Ostrov became part of newly established
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
, although it had a German majority and only 7% of the Czech population. At the beginning of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, during the
occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...
, the Czech population was forced to leave the town. The castle was turned into a Nazi concentration camp, a subcamp of the
Flossenbürg concentration camp Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office. Unlike other concentration camps, it was located in a remote area, in the Fichtel Mountains of Bavaria, adjacent to the town of Flos ...
, whose prisoners were mostly Poles and Russians. In April 1945, most of the remaining prisoners were deported by the Germans to the
Leitmeritz concentration camp Leitmeritz was the largest subcamp of the Flossenbürg concentration camp, operated by Nazi Germany in Leitmeritz, Reichsgau Sudetenland (now Litoměřice, Czech Republic). Established on 24 March 1944 as part of an effort to disperse and ...
. After the war, the German population was expelled in accordance with the
Potsdam Agreement The Potsdam Agreement () was the agreement among three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union after the war ended in Europe that was signed on 1 August 1945 and published the following day. A ...
and replaced by Czechs. The population of Ostrov then multiplied as people were moved to work in the
uranium mines Uranium production is carried out in about 13 countries around the world, in 2017 producing a cumulative total of 59,462 tonnes of uranium (tU). The international producers were Kazakhstan (39%), Canada (22%), Australia (10%), Namibia (7.1%), Ni ...
in nearby
Jáchymov Jáchymov (; or ''Joachimsthal'') is a spa town in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,300 inhabitants. Jáchymov has a long mining tradition, thanks to which it used to be the second most popu ...
. The extensive housing blocks from the 1950s forming the new part of Ostrov are considered one of the best examples of socialist realism architecture in the Czech Republic.


Demographics


Economy

From 1960, the town was known for production of
trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
es under the
Škoda Škoda means "pity" in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto responsi ...
brand. However, the production ended in 2004. The largest employer based in the town is Witte Access Technology, a branch of Witte Automotive. It produces painted
door handle A door handle or doorknob is a handle used to open or close a door. Door handles can be found on all types of doors including: exterior doors of residential building, residential and commercial buildings, internal doors, cupboard doors and vehic ...
s for automotive industry. The traditional industry has been the production of cardboard since 1889. Papos company is the largest cardboard manufacturer in the country.


Transport

The I/13 road (part of the
European route E442 European route E 442 is part of the international E-road network. Route * ** E48, E49 Karlovy Vary ** E55 Teplice ** E65 Turnov ** E67 Hradec Králové ** E462 Olomouc * ** E50, E75 Žilina Žilina (; ; ; ; Names of Eur ...
) from
Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...
to
Liberec Liberec (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 108,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in the country. It lies on the Lusatian Neisse River, in a basin surrounded by mountains. The city centre is well preserved and is pr ...
passes through the town. Ostrov is located on the interregional railway line
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
Cheb Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Before the Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the G ...
.


Sights

The landmark of the historic centre is the Ostrov Castle. It is an extensive complex of buildings with a castle park. An old guarding castle was rebuilt into a Renaissance residence at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 1640s, it was rebuilt and extended, and another castle building (the so-called Palace of Princes) was added at the end of the 17th century. Today the main building with a roofed courtyard houses the town hall, expositions of the history of the castle and the porcelain production in the town, and the information centre. The Palace of Princes serves as the town library, its
Václav Havel Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and dissident. Havel served as the last List of presidents of Czechoslovakia, president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until 1992, prior to the dissol ...
's Orangery is used for exhibitions and concerts. The English-style castle park was originally a formal castle garden founded in 1625. In the centre of the park is the baroque summer house from 1673–1679. It houses a branch of the Karlovy Vary Art Gallery with exhibitions of mostly contemporary art and an exhibition of European porcelain. The monastery complex is located next to the castle park. The Piarist monastery was founded in 1644. The early Baroque complex includes the Church of the Annunciation from 1666–1673, the funeral Chapel of Saint Anne from 1644, the Chapel of Saint Florian from 1692–1693, and the Chapel of the Virgin Mary of Einsiedeln from 1709–1710. There are various expositions in the church and chapels, the convent building is closed to the public. The parish Church of Saint Michael and Mary, the Virgin Most Faithful dates from the late 13th century. It was reconstructed after fires between 1567 and 1572, and then rebuilt again in 1607–1609 and 1636. Several Renaissance tombstones have been preserved, the most valuable of which is the tombstone from 1521 with a Schlick
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
. The Church of Saint James the Great from the 1220s was originally a Romanesque parish church. In the 16th century, it became a cemetery church. At the beginning of the 17th century, it was reconstructed in the early Baroque style. Red Tower of Death is a red-brick tower that served as a sorting house for uranium ore in Vykmanov work camp in 1951–1956. Today it is a national cultural monument and, since 2019, it has been a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
as a part of the
Ore Mountain Mining Region The Ore Mountain Mining Region (officially Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region; , ) is an industrial heritage landscape, over 800 years old, in the border region of the Ore Mountains between the German state of Saxony and North Bohemia in the ...
.


Notable people

*
Joachim Andreas von Schlick Joachim Andreas von Schlick, Count of Passaun and Weißkirchen (in Czech Jáchym Ondřej Šlik z Holíče, hrabě z Passaunu; 9 September 1569, in Ostrov – 21 June 1621, in Prague) was a Bohemian nobleman of the Schlick family in the Kingdom ...
(1569–1621), nobleman * Augustin Pfleger (1635–1686), composer *
Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer (some authorities use the spelling Johann Kaspar Ferdinand Fischer) (1656 August 27, 1746) was a German Baroque composer. Johann Nikolaus Forkel ranked Fischer as one of the best composers for keyboard of his da ...
(1662–1746), organist,
Hofkapellmeister ( , , ), from German (chapel) and (master), literally "master of the chapel choir", designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in i ...
and composer *
Johann Josef Loschmidt Johann Josef Loschmidt (15 March 1821 – 8 July 1895), better known as Josef Loschmidt, was an Austrian scientist who performed ground-breaking work in chemistry, physics (thermodynamics, optics, electrodynamics), and crystal forms. Born in Karl ...
(1821–1895), physicist and chemist; attended the local school in 1833–1837 *
Vilma Cibulková Vilma Cibulková (born 26 March 1963) is a Czech Republic, Czech film and stage actress. She won a Czech Lion for Best Supporting Actress at the 2003 Czech Lion Awards, for her role in the film ''Pupendo''. At the 2006 Thalia Awards she won the ca ...
(born 1963), actress *
Radim Rulík Radim Rulík (born 10 June 1965) is a Czech ice hockey coach. He is currently the head coach of Czech Republic men's national ice hockey team. Coaching career Rulík's coaching career began as an assistant coach for the HC Karlovy Vary in 1991. ...
(born 1965), ice hockey coach * Horst Siegl (born 1969), footballer * Petr Maděra (born 1970), writer *
Lukáš Bauer Lukáš Bauer (; born 18 August 1977) is a Czech cross-country skier who has competed since 1996. Biography On 17 February 2006 he won the Winter Olympics silver medal for the 15 km cross-country classical. His best finish at the FIS Nordic W ...
(born 1977), cross-country skier *
Jiří Štoček Jiří Štoček (born 10 May 1977) is a Czech chess grandmaster (chess), grandmaster. He won the Czech Chess Championship in 2011. Chess career Born in 1977, Štoček earned his international master (IM) title in 1994 and his grandmaster (chess) ...
(born 1977), chess grandmaster * Zbyněk Drda (born 1987), singer


Twin towns – sister cities

Ostrov is twinned with: *
Rastatt Rastatt () is a town with a Baroque core, District of Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located in the Upper Rhine Plain on the Murg river, above its junction with the Rhine and has a population of around 51,000 (2022). Rastatt was an ...
, Germany *
Wunsiedel (; Northern Bavarian: ''Wåuṉsieḏl'' or ''Wousigl'') is the seat of the Upper Franconian district of in northeast Bavaria, Germany. The town is the birthplace of poet Jean Paul. It also became known for its annual Festival and the Rudolf ...
, Germany


Gallery

Ostrov nad Ohří zámek palác princů (2).jpg, Palace of Princes Ostrov nad Ohří letohrádek v zámecké zahradě (2).jpg, Summer house in the castle park Ostrov nad Ohří - Einsiedelnská kaple.jpg, Chapel of the Virgin Mary of Einsiedeln Staroměstská radnice v Ostrově.jpg, Old Town Hall Vez smrti (Vykmanov) 02.JPG, Red Tower of Death in Vykmanov Ostrov nad Ohří, kostel na náměstí.JPG, Church of Saint Michael and Mary, the Virgin Most Faithful


References


External links

*
Official tourist portal
{{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Karlovy Vary District