Ostrava

OSTRAVA

• Capital of Moravian-silesian region, 3rd largest city

• Named after river Ostrá (dnes ostravice)

• located in the easternmost part of the CR

• In a basin surrounded by mountain ranges Beskydy, Jeseniky mountains

• strategic location, near borders

• lies at the confluence of ostravice, opava, lucina and odra river

• Lucna is a tributary of Ostravice, Ostravice is the tributary of the Odra river

• Odra is the contributary of the baltic sea

• Ostravice divides the city historically into the moravian and silesian part

• area: 214 km2

• almost 300 000 inhabitants

SYMBOLS

• Coat of arms

= in the shape of a shield

= White(silver) horse thats rearing

= It has a golden saddle, red seddle cloth

= Blue backround, grass, 5 petalled gold rose

= Only used with a written consent (legal authority)

• OSTRAVA!!!

= Merchendising one, on public transportation

= 3 exclamation marks for vitality, energy and confidence

TRANSPORT

• transport hub

• Leoš Janáček international airport (Mošnov)

• train stations: hl. nádraží, Ostrava-Svinov

• highway that connects Ostrava to Brno and Poland

UNIVERSITY TOWN

• VŠB Technical university of Ostrava

• University of Ostrava

• Silesian University in Opava

HISTORY

• 1st settlement on Landek hill <- encampment for mammoth hunters

• they were the 1st ones to use black coal as fuel (found on the surface)

• There was found landek venus (petrkovicka) = woman’s torso from hematite

• Slavic Holasic tribe created a hill fort

• Landek = today mining museum, sport facilities

• Harenda -> historical pub

• the city lied on the amber route -> trade route of amber from the North and Baltic sea to the Mediterranean sea

• Medieval town was founded where today Masaryks square lies

• 1st written document about the city was bishop Brunos last will 1267 as one of his properties

• very unimportant untill coal

OLDEST BUILDINGS

• Silesian Ostrava Castle

= built in the 1280s near the confluence of the lucna and ostravice rivers

= For military purposes due to its proximity to the Polish borders

= Permanent exhbitions (torture chamber), regular events, seasonal fares, weddings

= Shakespeare summer festival

= Due to mining the location sank 10 m

• St. Wenceslas Church

= 13th century in gothic style, classical concerts

• Plague Column in Masaryk’s Square

= 18th century, baroque style

= made from sandstone

= statue of Virgin Mary

= the houses at the square were ruined because of bombing in WII, modern houses were built

= Archnouveau style houses in the city centre

= the Old Town Hall = neo-renaissance, museum

• Cathedral of the Divine Saviour

= 2nd largest Roman Catholic Church cathedral in Moravia and Silesia

= Annual gospel concerts

= Seating capacity of 4000 people

= next to Jiří Myron theatre and Faculty of Arts (filozificka)

• New town hall

= largest town hall complex in CR

= Used to be the tallest tower in CR

= Icarus statue, purpose not known

= Multi-purpose building (state scientific library, archive)

INDUSTRIAL PAST

= Lower Vítkovice industrial area (industrial complex)

= served for a black coal mining and production of raw steel

= people moved to Ostrava for work in the mines

= Many buildings have been transformed and serve a new purpose

= Gong – concert hall

= Small and Large world of technology

= Bolt tower = at the top a cafe, viewing tower