Ostróda
Encyclopedia
Ostróda o is a town in Ostróda County
in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
in Poland
, with 33,603 inhabitants as of January 1, 2005. It lies in the Masurian Lake District and is a growing tourist site owing to its relaxing natural surroundings.
where the Drewenz Drwęca
river flows into Drewenzsee Lake Drwęca
the town of Osterode evolved. In 1270 the Teutonic Order began constructing wooden earthworks to control the original settlement as well as defend the initial settlers Mazur
and German
settlers. The knights named the new town Osterode after Osterode am Harz
in Lower Saxony
, Germany
(now a sister city with Ostróda). Between 1349-1370 the Order replaced the wood-and-earth fort with a stone castle. The town, whose charter traditionally dates to 1335, quickly became a regional administrative center for the Order.
After the Battle of Grunwald
in 1410, Klaus von Döhringen conquered Osterode's castle and delivered the town to the victorious Wladislaus II of Poland
. The Polish king brought the body of Ulrich von Jungingen
there before travelling to besiege Marienburg (Malbork
); the regrouping Teutonic Knights recaptured Ostróda a few months later.
During the Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466), Osterode was repeatedly captured by both the Poles and Prussian Confederation
on one side and the Teutonic Knights on the other. From 1525 until 1701 Osterode was part of Ducal Prussia
, and after 1701 part of Kingdom of Prussia
. The majority of inhabitants were Protestant and the Evangelical church books date back to 17th century. In 1818 it became the seat of a Kreis (district) within the Kingdom of Prussia
. In 1871 Osterode was included in the newly formed German Reich.
As a result of the treaty of Versailles
on 11 July 1920 the Warmia and Masuria plebiscite was organized under the control of the League of nations
, which resulted 97,81 % of votes to remain in Germany and 2,19 % for Poland.
The last remains of ethnic Polish immigrant minority fled the Communists or was expelled along with all inhabitants of East-Prussia. Moreover Osterode lost its pre-war Jewish population through Nazi Germany
extermination (see Holocaust).
In January 1945 Osterode was occupied by the Soviet Red Army
without fighting but 70% of the town was destroyed afterwards through burnings. Most of its population tried to escape to the west throughout the evacuation of East Prussia
. With the conquest by the Soviet Union
and the Potsdam Conference
the town came under Polish administration and its pre-war German population was replaced with Poles.
While it was previously in Olsztyn Voivodeship
from 1975 to 1998, Ostróda has been situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
since 1999.
with: Osterode am Harz
, Germany
Neman
, Russia
Šilutė
, Lithuania
Ostróda County
Ostróda County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern 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 Ostróda, which lies ...
in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, or Warmia-Masuria Province , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Olsztyn...
in 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...
, with 33,603 inhabitants as of January 1, 2005. It lies in the Masurian Lake District and is a growing tourist site owing to its relaxing natural surroundings.
History
At the site of an original Old Prussian settlement on an island at the river deltaRiver delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
where the Drewenz Drwęca
Drweca
The Drwęca is a river in northern Poland and a tributary of the Vistula river near Toruń, forming a part of the city's administrative boundary. It has a length of 207 km and a basin area of 5,344 km², all in Poland.Towns:...
river flows into Drewenzsee Lake Drwęca
Lake Drweca
Lake Drwęca is a lake in the Masurian Lake District of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship of Poland. The Drwęca river flows through it....
the town of Osterode evolved. In 1270 the Teutonic Order began constructing wooden earthworks to control the original settlement as well as defend the initial settlers Mazur
Mazur
Mazur can refer to:* Masurians or Mazurs, a Slavic ethnic group with historic origins in the Polish region of Masovia* Mazur , including a list of people so named* Mazur , a traditional Polish folk dance...
and German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
settlers. The knights named the new town Osterode after Osterode am Harz
Osterode am Harz
For the town in East Prussia formerly called Osterode, see Ostróda.Osterode am Harz often simply called Osterode, is a town in south-eastern Niedersachsen on the south-western edge of the Harz mountains. It is the seat of government of the district of Osterode. The town is twinned with Scarborough,...
in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, 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...
(now a sister city with Ostróda). Between 1349-1370 the Order replaced the wood-and-earth fort with a stone castle. The town, whose charter traditionally dates to 1335, quickly became a regional administrative center for the Order.
After the Battle of Grunwald
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...
in 1410, Klaus von Döhringen conquered Osterode's castle and delivered the town to the victorious Wladislaus II of Poland
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
. The Polish king brought the body of Ulrich von Jungingen
Ulrich von Jungingen
Ulrich von Jungingen was the 26th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1407 to 1410. His policy of confrontation with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland sparked the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War and led to disaster for the Order in the Battle of Grunwald.- Life...
there before travelling to besiege Marienburg (Malbork
Malbork
Malbork is a town in northern Poland in the Żuławy region , with 38,478 inhabitants . Situated in the Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, it was previously assigned to Elbląg Voivodeship...
); the regrouping Teutonic Knights recaptured Ostróda a few months later.
During the Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466), Osterode was repeatedly captured by both the Poles and Prussian Confederation
Prussian Confederation
The Prussian Confederation was an organization formed in 1440 by a group of 53 gentry and clergy and 19 cities in Prussia to oppose the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. It was based on the basis of an earlier similar organization, the Lizard Union...
on one side and the Teutonic Knights on the other. From 1525 until 1701 Osterode was part of Ducal Prussia
Ducal Prussia
The Duchy of Prussia or Ducal Prussia was a duchy in the eastern part of Prussia from 1525–1701. It was the first Protestant duchy with a dominant German-speaking population, as well as Polish and Lithuanian minorities...
, and after 1701 part of 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...
. The majority of inhabitants were Protestant and the Evangelical church books date back to 17th century. In 1818 it became the seat of a Kreis (district) within 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...
. In 1871 Osterode was included in the newly formed German Reich.
As a result of the treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
on 11 July 1920 the Warmia and Masuria plebiscite was organized under the control of the League of nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, which resulted 97,81 % of votes to remain in Germany and 2,19 % for Poland.
The last remains of ethnic Polish immigrant minority fled the Communists or was expelled along with all inhabitants of East-Prussia. Moreover Osterode lost its pre-war Jewish population through Nazi Germany
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...
extermination (see Holocaust).
In January 1945 Osterode was occupied by the Soviet 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...
without fighting but 70% of the town was destroyed afterwards through burnings. Most of its population tried to escape to the west throughout the evacuation of East Prussia
Evacuation of East Prussia
The evacuation of East Prussia refers to the evacuation of the German civilian population and military personnel in East Prussia and the Klaipėda region between 20 January, and March 1945, as part of the evacuation of German civilians towards the end of World War II...
. With the conquest by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
the town came under Polish administration and its pre-war German population was replaced with Poles.
While it was previously in Olsztyn Voivodeship
Olsztyn Voivodeship
Olsztyn Voivodeship was an administrative division and unit of local government in Poland in the years 1745-75, and a new territorial division between 1975–1998, superseded by Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship...
from 1975 to 1998, Ostróda has been situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, or Warmia-Masuria Province , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Olsztyn...
since 1999.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Ostróda is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Osterode am Harz
Osterode am Harz
For the town in East Prussia formerly called Osterode, see Ostróda.Osterode am Harz often simply called Osterode, is a town in south-eastern Niedersachsen on the south-western edge of the Harz mountains. It is the seat of government of the district of Osterode. The town is twinned with Scarborough,...
, 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...
Neman
Neman (town)
Neman is a town and the administrative center of Nemansky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the historic Prussia region, east of the town of Sovetsk, on the steep southern bank of the Neman River, where it currently forms the border with the Klaipėda Region in...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Šilutė
Šilute
Šilutė is a city in the south of the Klaipėda County, Lithuania. The city was part of the Klaipėda Region and ethnographic Lithuania Minor. Šilutė was the interwar capital of Šilutė County and is currently the capital of Šilutė district municipality.-Name:...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
Notable residents
- Christian Jakob KrausChristian Jakob KrausChristian Jakob Kraus was a German comparative and historical linguist from Osterode, East Prussia. He was famous for importing the ideas of Adam Smith into the German academic scene....
(1753–1807), Philosopher, Economist, Linguist - Konrad Biesalski (1868–1930), Orthopedic Pioneer
- Werner Kirsch (Tierzüchter) (1901–1975)
- Bruno KarczewskiBruno KarczewskiBruno Karczewski was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(1913–1971), WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
officer - Hans Hellmut KirstHans Hellmut KirstHans Hellmut Kirst was a distinguished German novelist and the author of 46 books, many of which were translated into English...
(1914–1989), Author - Maria Ciunelis, actress
External links
- Kirchenbuch Evangelical church book documents (Taufen, Heiraten, Tote) of inhabitants of Osterode since 1600s.
- Municipal webpage
- Ostróda Online
- City history