Dobra, Opole Voivodeship
Encyclopedia
Dobra ', German Dobrau is a village
in the administrative district of Gmina Strzeleczki
(Gemeinde Klein Strehlitz), within Krapkowice County
, Opole Voivodeship
, in region of Upper Silesia
in southwestern Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) south-east of Strzeleczki
, 6 km (4 mi) west of Krapkowice
, and 25 km (16 mi) south of the regional capital Opole
.
Before 1945 the area was part of Germany (see Territorial changes of Poland after World War II
). Since 2006 the village, like the surrounding commune, has been officially bilingual in German and Polish.
The village has a population of 741 inhabitants. The nearby hamlet of Nowy Bud
(Neubude), with a population of 82 people, is administered by this village.
In the Upper Silesia plebiscite
of 20 March 1921 419 villagers voted to remain with Germany and 76 voted to join the newly created state of Poland. In the Dobrau Gutsbezirk, the local municipal council, 80 people voted for Germany and six for Poland. As a result, Dobrau remained in Germany. In 1933 the village had grown to 796 inhabitants. On 21 July 1936 the town was renamed Burgwasser. Before 1945 it belonged to the district of Landkreis Neustadt O.S. During WWII the village was partially destroyed, first from 25-27 January and then again on 19 March 1945, when the historic palace was burned by the advancing Red Army
.
In 1945 Silesia was given to Poland and the German population of Dobrau was largely expelled, dramatically reducing the town's population; it has not since reached its former size. The village was renamed Dobra and annexed to the newly created Silesian Voivodeship
. In 1950 it was reassigned to Opole Voivodeship
, and in 1999 reassigned from Prudnik County (formerly Neustadt O.S.) to Krapkowice County. On 17 May 2006 the entire commune of Strzelecki/Klein Strehlitz was declared bilingual in German and Polish, and on 24 November 2008 the old name German name Dobrau was also made official.
Near the village are the ruins of the neogothic Schloss Dobrau, built in 1720 for the Sehher-Thoss family and rebuilt 1857-60. The palace gardens were designed by Gustav Meyer, architect of many of Berlin
's finest gardens, and contain many fine old trees. The palace, destroyed by the Russian army in 1945, is now in private hands and being renovated.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the administrative district of Gmina Strzeleczki
Gmina Strzeleczki
Gmina Strzeleczki, German Gemeinde Klein Strehlitz is a rural gmina in Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Strzeleczki , which lies approximately west of Krapkowice and south of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area of , and as...
(Gemeinde Klein Strehlitz), within Krapkowice County
Krapkowice County
Krapkowice County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Opole Voivodeship, south-western Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Krapkowice, which lies ...
, Opole Voivodeship
Opole Voivodeship
- Administrative division :Opole Voivodeship is divided into 12 counties : 1 city county and 11 land counties. These are further divided into 71 gminas.The counties are listed in the following table .- Economy :...
, in region of Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
in southwestern Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) south-east of Strzeleczki
Strzeleczki
Strzeleczki , German Klein Strehlitz is a village in Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Strzeleczki...
, 6 km (4 mi) west of Krapkowice
Krapkowice
Krapkowice is a town in south-western Poland with 17,840 inhabitants , situated in the Opole Voivodeship, straddling both banks of the Oder River at the point where it joins with the Osobłoga. It is the regional capital of Krapkowice County....
, and 25 km (16 mi) south of the regional capital Opole
Opole
Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
.
Before 1945 the area was part of Germany (see Territorial changes of Poland after World War II
Territorial changes of Poland after World War II
The territorial changes of Poland after World War II were very extensive. In 1945, following the Second World War, Poland's borders were redrawn following the decisions made at the Potsdam Conference of 1945 at the insistence of the Soviet Union...
). Since 2006 the village, like the surrounding commune, has been officially bilingual in German and Polish.
The village has a population of 741 inhabitants. The nearby hamlet of Nowy Bud
Nowy Bud
Nowy Bud is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Strzeleczki, within Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies approximately east of Strzeleczki, west of Krapkowice, and south of the regional capital Opole....
(Neubude), with a population of 82 people, is administered by this village.
History
Dobrau is one of the oldest towns in the region, first mentioned in 1258. The name of the town derives from a Slavic word for "good", and referred to the fertile soil of the area. Since 1780 the village was in the possession of Count Heinrich Seherr-Thoss, one of the biggest landowners in Silesia, who had a castle nearby. In 1867 the Catholic church was built with a donation from Countess Olga Seherr-Thoss. On the outside of the church is the tombstone of the knight Kasper Rogowski (d.1611), surrounded by eight heraldic crests.In the Upper Silesia plebiscite
Upper Silesia plebiscite
The Upper Silesia plebiscite was a border referendum mandated by the Versailles Treaty and carried out in March 1921 to determine a section of the border between Weimar Germany and Poland. The region was ethnically mixed, chiefly among Germans, Poles and Silesians. According to prewar statistics,...
of 20 March 1921 419 villagers voted to remain with Germany and 76 voted to join the newly created state of Poland. In the Dobrau Gutsbezirk, the local municipal council, 80 people voted for Germany and six for Poland. As a result, Dobrau remained in Germany. In 1933 the village had grown to 796 inhabitants. On 21 July 1936 the town was renamed Burgwasser. Before 1945 it belonged to the district of Landkreis Neustadt O.S. During WWII the village was partially destroyed, first from 25-27 January and then again on 19 March 1945, when the historic palace was burned by the advancing Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
.
In 1945 Silesia was given to Poland and the German population of Dobrau was largely expelled, dramatically reducing the town's population; it has not since reached its former size. The village was renamed Dobra and annexed to the newly created Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship, or Silesia Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centering on the historic region known as Upper Silesia...
. In 1950 it was reassigned to Opole Voivodeship
Opole Voivodeship
- Administrative division :Opole Voivodeship is divided into 12 counties : 1 city county and 11 land counties. These are further divided into 71 gminas.The counties are listed in the following table .- Economy :...
, and in 1999 reassigned from Prudnik County (formerly Neustadt O.S.) to Krapkowice County. On 17 May 2006 the entire commune of Strzelecki/Klein Strehlitz was declared bilingual in German and Polish, and on 24 November 2008 the old name German name Dobrau was also made official.
Near the village are the ruins of the neogothic Schloss Dobrau, built in 1720 for the Sehher-Thoss family and rebuilt 1857-60. The palace gardens were designed by Gustav Meyer, architect of many of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
's finest gardens, and contain many fine old trees. The palace, destroyed by the Russian army in 1945, is now in private hands and being renovated.