Oława
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Oława (German: Ohlau (help·info)) is a town in southwestern Poland with 31,078 inhabitants (2005). It is situated in the Lower Silesian Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Wrocław Voivodship (1975-1998).
Oława began to develop during the early 12th century at a site that was protected by the rivers Odra and Oława. It was first mentioned as Oloua in a document of 1149 confirming its donation to the abbey of St. Vincent in Wrocław. In 1206 Oława became one of the residence towns of the dukes of the Piast dynasty, who also granted Oława the status of a town in 1234. During its history Oława was destroyed completely three times. In 1241 it was destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Europe, in 1448 by the Hussites, and again in 1634 during the Thirty Years' War. After the Polish King Casimir III had renounced his rights on Silesia with the contract of Trenčín in 1335, Silesia became a part of the Holy Roman Empire as a Bohemian fief. In 1526, when the Habsburgs gained the Bohemian crown, Silesia came under Austrian sovereignty. In 1527 German influence grows stronger and the first usage of the Germanised version of the town's name("Ohlau") is reported[1].. After the death of the last Piast duke in 1675, Oława ceased to be a residence town. Together with most of Silesia, the town became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1741.The 18th and 19th centuries were a period of economic growth and Oława became well-known as a centre of tobacco-growing. Ethnic Polish traditions and population also remained strong in the area,, and in 1824 only 10% of people knew German language[2]. In 1842 the railroad between Oława and Wrocław, the first one in Silesia (and of modern Poland), was opened. The historic town of Oława did not suffer much damage during World War I, but in World War II about 60% of the town was destroyed. As Oława it became part of Poland in 1945 and its German-speaking population was expelled. After the war, Oława became a garrison town of the Red Army and remained so until 1992.
[edit] External link
- (English) Municipal website
