Ostróda
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| Ostróda | |||
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  Ostróda
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| Country |  Poland |
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| Voivodeship | Warmian-Masurian | ||
| County | Ostróda County | ||
| Gmina | Ostróda (urban gmina) | ||
| Established | 13th century | ||
| Town rights | 1329 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Jan Nosewicz | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 14.15 km² (5.5 sq mi) | ||
| Highest elevation | 120 m (394 ft) | ||
| Lowest elevation | 110 m (361 ft) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - Total | 33,419 | ||
| - Density | 2,361.8/km² (6,116.9/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 14-100 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 89 | ||
| Car plates | NOS | ||
| Website: http://www.ostroda.pl | |||
Ostróda [ɔsˈtruda] (German: Osterode in Ostpreußen (help·info)) 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.
[edit] History
Ostróda was originally an Old Prussian settlement on an island at the river delta where the Drewenz Drwęca river flows into Drewenzsee Lake Drwęca. 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 Ostróda's castle and delivered the town to the victorious Wladislaus II of Poland. The Polish king brought the body of Ulrich von Jungingen to Ostróda before travelling to besiege Marienburg (Malbork); the regrouping Teutonic Knights recaptured Ostróda a few months later.
During the Thirteen Years' War (1454-1466), Ostróda 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 1600s. 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 persecution.
In january 1945 Osterode was occupied by the Soviet Red Army without fightings but 70% of the town was destroyed afterwards through burnings. Most of its population tried to escape to the west througout the evacuation of East Prussia. According to the Potsdam Conference the town was granted to Poland 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.
[edit] Twin towns
[edit] External links
- Kirchenbuch Evangelical church book documents (Taufen, Heiraten, Tote) of inhabitants of Osterode since 1600s.
- Municipal webpage
- Ostróda Online (Polish)
- City history (German)
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