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 Oder 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 Silesian 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 until 1806 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 with the Reformation High German language came in use and with it the first usage of the version of the town's name("Ohlau") is reported[1].. After the death of the last Silesian Piast duke George IV William of Legnica in 1675, Ohlau 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 Ohlau became well-known as a centre of tobacco-growing. Ethnic Polish traditions and population also remained strong in the area, with a large influx of people from nearby Russian-Poland and in 1824 only 10% of people knew German language[2]. In 1842 the railroad between Ohlau and Breslau, the first one in Silesia (and now of Poland), was opened. George Gellhorn, father of Martha Gellhorn was born and grew up here. The historic town of Ohlau 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 Silesian population was expelled. After the war, Oława became a garrison town of the Red Army Northern Group of Forces and remained so until 1992.
[edit] External link
- (English) Municipal website
