Ostróda

Ostróda

Ostróda

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Coat of arms
Ostróda
Coordinates: 53°42′N 19°58′E / 53.700°N 19.967°E
Country  Poland
Voivodeship Warmian-Masurian
County Ostróda County
Gmina Ostróda (urban gmina)
Established 13th century
Town rights 1329
Government
 • Mayor Czesław Najmowicz
Area
 • Total 14.15 km2 (5.46 sq mi)
Highest elevation 120 m (390 ft)
Lowest elevation 110 m (360 ft)
Population (2009)
 • Total 33,191
 • Density 2,300/km2 (6,100/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 ) is a town in Ostróda County in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in Poland, with 33,191 inhabitants as of December 31, 2009. 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 delta where the Drwęca river flows into Lake Drwęca the town of Ostróda evolved. In 1270 the Teutonic Order began constructing wooden earthworks to control the original settlement as well as defend the initial Mazurian 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 Władysław 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, a fief of Poland, 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.

Osterode lost its pre-war Jewish population in the Holocaust. On 21 January 1945 Osterode was captured by the Soviet Red Army without fighting but 70% of the town was destroyed afterwards. With the conquest by the Soviet Union and the Potsdam Conference the town became part of Poland.

While it was previously in Olsztyn Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998, Ostróda has been situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Ostróda is twinned with:

Notable residents

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ostróda.
Wikisource has the text of a 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article about Ostróda.

Coordinates: 53°42′N 19°59′E / 53.700°N 19.983°E