8. Our region and My Hometown

PLACES OF INTEREST:

There are three towns with protected historical centers. Příbor, the birthplace of Sigmund Freud, was an important center of education for north Moravia from the 17th to the first half of the 20th century. Nový Jičín, founded under the castle of Starý Jičín, has a well preserved central square, nearby is the Žerotínský château, dating back to the 14th century. Štramberk is a unique small town nestled between lime hills with a lot of timbered houses and the spire of Trúba on a hill above the town.

There are a lot of châteaux in the region, most famous are Hradec nad Moravicí, Raduň, Kravaře, Fulnek. Hukvaldy in a village of the same name under the Beskydy mountains is one the region's many castle ruins, known for its musical feast dedicated to the composer Leoš Janáček, who was born there. Another well-known castle ruin is Sovinec under the Jeseníky.

Due to the importance of industry in the region, there are many museums displaying products of local technical development: The Automobile Museum in Kopřivnice (Tatra car manufacturer), Train Car Museum in Studénka, Mining Museum and the former Michal Mine (Důl Michal) in Ostrava and many others.

FUTURE: Region has a big growth potential thanks to:

- Good location: on the border with Poland and Slovakia

- Industrial base (Mittal Steel, Vítkovice Steel, Třinec steel, Hyundai, coal mines, many medium size factories and well organized business service sector

- Industrial zones (Nošovice, Hrabová, Kopřivnice, Mošnov, Karviná etc.)

- Many schools and universities (the best known are VŠB-TU - Technical University of Ostrava, and Silesian University Opava)

- Well-preserved countryside in places and mountains with many summer and winter resorts (Beskydy, Jeseníky)

ORLOVÁ – THE TOWN WHERE I STUDY

Orlová is a town in the Karviná District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.

HISTORY

According to legend, Mieszko, a Silesian duke, went hunting with his pregnant wife, Ludmiła. As they rested upon a hill, an eagle suddenly took flight, frightening the couple. The eagle dropped his prey, which fell to earth near them. Ludmiła prematurely gave birth to her child, Kazimierz. The couple, seeing a sign from God in this incident, founded a chapel on that spot and later named the settlement after the eagle. It is not clear when the settlement was really founded; however, it was first mentioned in a written document in 1227. Oroginally, it was a settlement of agricultural character. Major change came in the 19th century with the coal mining boom. The population grew rapidly together with urban development.

At the beginning of the 20th century Orlová became an important center of Polish and Czech education and home to many cultural and sport organizations of both communities. There were also a Jewish and a German community in the town.

In 1920, the town became part of Czechoslovakia and in 1922 it gained town rights. At the beginning of World War II, the village was annexed by Nazi Germany. After the war it as restored to Czechoslovakia. Widespread coal mining, especially during the communist era, had a devastating impact on the town, its buildings and architecture, especially in Lazy. Many buildings in Orlová were demolished.