Opava
Encyclopedia
Opava (ˈopava; , ) is a city in the northern Czech Republic
on the river Opava, located to the north-west of Ostrava
. The historical capital of Czech Silesia
, Opava is now in the Moravian-Silesian Region
and has a population of 59,843 as of January 1, 2005.
) on the Opava River (left tributary of the Oder
River) and Moravice
River (right tributary of the Opava River).
n, Bohemian and finally Austrian Duchy of Opava.
In 1614 Karl I of Liechtenstein
became Duke of Opava. After the majority of Silesia was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia
during the War of the Austrian Succession
after 1740, the remaining Silesian territory still under the control of the Habsburg Monarchy
became known as Austrian Silesia
with its capital in Troppau (1742–1918). The Congress of Troppau
took place here in 1820.
According to the Austrian
census of 1910 the town had 30,762 inhabitants, 29,587 of whom had permanent residence there. Census asked people for their native language, 27,240 (92%) were German-speaking, 2,039 (6.9%) were Czech-speaking and 274 (0.9%) were Polish-speaking. Jews
were not allowed to declare Yiddish
, most of them thus declared the German language as their native. Most populous religious groups were Roman Catholics with 28,379 (92.2%), followed by Protestants with 1,155 (3.7%) and the Jews
with 1,112 (3.6%).
After the defeat of Austria-Hungary
in World War I
, Troppau became part of Czechoslovakia
in 1919 as Opava.
From 1938–45 Opava was part of Nazi Germany
according to the Munich agreement
. Already a day before Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland
in 1938, the town seceded from its okres
and became its own Stadtkreis
. After the end of World War II
, the German population of Opava was expelled in 1945–46 under terms included in the Beneš decrees
; many of them settled in Bamberg
, Germany
.
While the Duchy of Opava has ceased to exist, the title of Duke of Troppau lives on to present day, with Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
being the current incumbent.
, the Silesian University of Opava, and the Silesian Institute of the Academy of Science. The city is part of a congested industrial area along with Ostrava
and produces mining equipment. Opava also awards its own Cultural Prize.
The Silesian Theatre in Opava was founded in the year 1805. Plays were performed in German until the end of the Second World War.
Zabrze
Poland
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
on the river Opava, located to the north-west of Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
. The historical capital of Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia is an unofficial name of one of the three Czech lands and a section of the Silesian historical region. It is located in the north-east of the Czech Republic, predominantly in the Moravian-Silesian Region, with a section in the northern Olomouc Region...
, Opava is now in the Moravian-Silesian Region
Moravian-Silesian Region
Moravian-Silesian Region , or Moravo-Silesian Region, is one of 14 administrative Regions of the Czech Republic, until May 2001 it was formerly called the Ostrava Region . The region is located in the north-eastern part of its historical region of Moravia and in most of the Czech part of the...
and has a population of 59,843 as of January 1, 2005.
Geography
Opava is located on the Opava Hilly Land ' onMouseout='HidePop("63797")' href="/topics/Silesian_Lowlands">Silesian LowlandsSilesian Lowlands
Silesian Lowlands are lowlands located in Silesia, Poland and Czechia. It's part of the North European Plain...
) on the Opava River (left tributary of the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
River) and Moravice
Moravice (river)
Moravice is a river in the Czech Republic, the right tributary of the Opava River. It originates in the Hrubý Jeseník mountain range at the elevation of 1,135 m and flows for 100.5 km south-eastward. Near Opava it enters the Opava River...
River (right tributary of the Opava River).
History
Opava was first documented in 1195. It received Magdeburg city rights in 1224 and was the capital of the SilesiaSilesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
n, Bohemian and finally Austrian Duchy of Opava.
In 1614 Karl I of Liechtenstein
Karl I of Liechtenstein
Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein was the first Liechtenstein to become the Prince of Liechtenstein, thus he was the founder of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein....
became Duke of Opava. After the majority of Silesia was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
during the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
after 1740, the remaining Silesian territory still under the control of the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
became known as Austrian Silesia
Austrian Silesia
Austrian Silesia , officially the Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia was an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Empire, from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
with its capital in Troppau (1742–1918). The Congress of Troppau
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....
took place here in 1820.
According to the Austrian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
census of 1910 the town had 30,762 inhabitants, 29,587 of whom had permanent residence there. Census asked people for their native language, 27,240 (92%) were German-speaking, 2,039 (6.9%) were Czech-speaking and 274 (0.9%) were Polish-speaking. Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
were not allowed to declare Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
, most of them thus declared the German language as their native. Most populous religious groups were Roman Catholics with 28,379 (92.2%), followed by Protestants with 1,155 (3.7%) and the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
with 1,112 (3.6%).
After the defeat of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Troppau became part of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in 1919 as Opava.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
according to the Munich agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
. Already a day before Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
in 1938, the town seceded from its okres
Okres
Okres refers to administrative entities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia...
and became its own Stadtkreis
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
. After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the German population of Opava was expelled in 1945–46 under terms included in the Beneš decrees
Beneš decrees
Decrees of the President of the Republic , more commonly known as the Beneš decrees, were a series of laws that were drafted by the Czechoslovak Government-in-Exile in the absence of the Czechoslovak parliament during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II and issued by President...
; many of them settled in Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
While the Duchy of Opava has ceased to exist, the title of Duke of Troppau lives on to present day, with Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Hans-Adam II , is the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein. He is the son of Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein and his wife Countess Georgina von Wilczek . He also bears the titles Duke of Troppau and Jägerndorf, Count of Rietberg...
being the current incumbent.
Economy and culture
Opava is currently an important business and cultural center. It is the location of several economic and cultural institutions serving the entire region, including the Silesian Land's Museum, the oldest Museum in Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, the Silesian University of Opava, and the Silesian Institute of the Academy of Science. The city is part of a congested industrial area along with Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
and produces mining equipment. Opava also awards its own Cultural Prize.
The Silesian Theatre in Opava was founded in the year 1805. Plays were performed in German until the end of the Second World War.
Notable residents
- Joy AdamsonJoy AdamsonJoy Adamson was a naturalist, artist, and author best known for her book, Born Free, which describes her experiences raising a lion cub named Elsa...
, naturalist - Franz BardonFranz BardonFranz Bardon , born in Opava, Austrian Silesia, was both a stage magician and student and teacher of Hermetics. He was a member of the Czech hermetic society Universalia. During World War II Bardon was at one point held in a concentration camp for refusing to participate in Nazi Mysticism. Bardon...
, magician - Petr BezručPetr BezrucPetr Bezruč was the pseudonym of Vladimír Vašek , a Czech poet and short story writer who was associated with the region of Austrian Silesia.Bezruč was born in Opava and died in Olomouc.- Works :Poetry...
, poet - Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli, Austrian field marshal
- Gerhard Gerlich, politician
- Pavel Hodula, pipe maker
- Martin of OpavaMartin of OpavaMartin of Opava, also known as Martin of Poland, was a 13th century chronicler.Known in Latin as Frater Martinus Ordinis Praedicatorum , he is believed to have been born, at an unknown date, in the Silesian town of Opava , thus sometimes called Martinus Oppaviensis, or also Martinus Polonus...
, 13th century historian and cleric - Joseph Maria OlbrichJoseph Maria OlbrichJoseph Maria Olbrich was an Austrian architect and co-founder of the Vienna Secession.-Life:Olbrich was born in Opava, Austrian Silesia .He was the third child of Edmund and Aloisia Olbrich. He had two sisters who died before he was born, and two younger brothers John and Edmund...
, architect - Zuzana OndráškováZuzana OndráškováZuzana Ondrášková is a professional female tennis player from the Czech Republic. On 9 February 2004 she reached her career-high singles ranking of World No...
, tennis player - Johann PalisaJohann PalisaJohann Palisa was an Austrian astronomer, born in Opava in Austrian Silesia .He was a prolific discoverer of asteroids, discovering 122 in all, from 136 Austria in 1874 to 1073 Gellivara in 1923...
, astronomer - Boris RösnerBoris RösnerBoris Rösner was a Czech actor. He starred in the film Poslední propadne peklu under director Ludvík Ráža in 1982.-References:...
, actor - Bohdan SlámaBohdan SlámaBohdan Sláma is a Czech film director. He studied at the Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague .- Filmography :* 2008 – Venkovský učitel...
, film director - Pavel SložilPavel SložilPavel Složil is a former professional tennis player from Czechoslovakia....
, tennis player - Lukáš Vondráček, pianist
- Lucie Weidt, singer
- Rochus Schüch, mineralogist, naturalist
- Josef GebauerJosef GebauerJosef Gebauer was a Czech historian and archivist.Since 1972 until his death he worked in Provincial Archive of Czech Silesia in Opava . His specialisation was to deal with historical documents related to agriculture and forestry.Gebauer frequently published articles about Silesian history in...
, historian and archivist
Twin towns — Sister cities
Opava is twinned with:Zabrze
Zabrze
Zabrze is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The west district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union is a metropolis with a population of around 2 million...
Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...