Ostróda () is a town in northern Poland, in the ethnocultural region of Masuria. It is the seat of the Ostróda County within the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship and has approximately 33,191 inhabitants (2009).

Ostróda is the largest town in the western part of Masuria, and the second largest in all of Masuria after Ełk.

Geography

thumb|The [[Elbląg Canal in Ostróda|left]]

The town lies in the west part of the Masuria region on the Drwęca river, a right tributary of the Vistula. Lake Drwęca west of the town is part of the Masurian Lake District. Ostróda has become a growing tourist site owing to its relaxing natural surroundings.

The National road 7 from Gdańsk to Warsaw, part of European route E77, passes through Ostróda. The Elbląg Canal connects Ostróda with the Baltic coast.

History

Middle Ages

thumb|left|[[Ostróda Castle]]

At the site of an original settlement of Old Prussians 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 Polish and German settlers. The knights named the new town Osterode after Osterode am Harz in present-day 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, Claus von Doringe conquered the castle and delivered the town to the victorious Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło. The Polish king brought the body of Ulrich von Jungingen there before travelling to besiege Marienburg (Malbork); the regrouping Teutonic Knights recaptured Osterode a few months later.

In 1440, local nobility co-founded the anti-Teutonic Prussian Confederation, upon the request of which the town was incorporated to the Kingdom of Poland by King Casimir IV Jagiellon in 1454. During the subsequent Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466), the town was repeatedly captured by both the Poles and Prussian Confederation on one side and the Teutonic Knights on the other. After the peace treaty signed in Toruń in 1466 it formed part of Poland as a fief held by the Teutonic Order.

Modern era

thumb|left|upright|Evangelical church

From 1525 until 1701 Osterode was part of Ducal Prussia, a fief of Poland until 1657, and after 1701 part of Kingdom of Prussia. In the 17th century and until the 19th century the town and its surroundings were inhabited mostly by Poles. The majority of inhabitants were Protestant and the Evangelical church books date back to 17th century. During the Polish–Swedish War of 1626–1629, Polish troops were stationed there in 1626, In June 1807 Polish troops of General Józef Zajączek were stationed in the town. 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 Empire.

In the 19th century the town was part of territory dominated by the Polish language, and the Osterode district was inhabited mostly by Poles (71% in 1825, 65% in 1867). The town was a significant Polish centre, whose most famous representative was pastor Gustaw Gizewiusz.

During World War I and the 1914 Battle of Tannenberg, General Paul von Hindenburg had his 8th Army headquarters at the Osterode schoolhouse. In the East Prussian plebiscite of 1920 8,663 inhabitants voted to remain in German East Prussia, 17 votes supported Poland. Some expelled Poles from Lubawa County were enslaved by the Germans as forced labour in the town's vicinity. Most of the Osterode citizens had fled during the evacuation of East Prussia, when on 21 January 1945 Osterode was captured by the Soviet Red Army without fighting. However, about 70% of the town was destroyed by arson attacks afterwards. With the conquest by the Soviet Union and the Potsdam Agreement, the town became again part of Poland and most of the remaining German population was expelled. In 1950 26 percent of the population originated from the eastern areas of pre-war Poland, 18 percent were pre-war inhabitants.

Number of inhabitants by year

Sports

The local football club is Sokół Ostróda. It competes in the lower leagues.

International relations

thumb|Ostróda Town Hall

Twin towns — Sister cities

Ostróda is twinned with:

  • Osterode am Harz, Germany (24.04.1994)
  • Neman, Russia
  • Šilutė, Lithuania (27.09.2001)
  • Tauragė, Lithuania

Notable residents

thumb|upright|Christian Jakob Kraus

thumb|upright|Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz

  • John Christian of Brieg (1591–1639), died in Osterode
  • Christian Jakob Kraus (1753–1807), philosopher, economist, linguist
  • Gustaw Gizewiusz (1810–1848), Polish political figure, folklorist, translator
  • Paul Dahlke (1865-1928), Physician and Buddhist
  • Hans Manteuffel (1879-1963), architect
  • Friedrich-Wilhelm Neumann (1889–1975), Wehrmacht officer
  • Bruno Karczewski (1913–1971), Wehrmacht officer
  • Hans Hellmut Kirst (1914–1989), Author
  • Alexander Allerson (born 1930), German actor
  • Rita Baltutt Kyle (born 1937), Author
  • Werner Olk (born 1938), footballer and coach
  • Kazimierz Czarnecki (born 1948), weightlifter
  • Gustaw Marek Brzezin (born 1958), politician
  • Patryk Czarnowski (born 1985), volleyball player
  • Maciej Krzykowski, (born 1991) also known as Av3k is a professional Quake player

Honorary citizens

  • Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak
  • Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz
  • Günter Verheugen
  • Tadeusz Oracki
  • Edgar Steiner
  • Michal Kmiotek

See also

  • Dylewska Góra

References

  • Kirchenbuch Evangelical church book documents (Taufen, Heiraten, Tote) of inhabitants of Osterode since the 1600s.
  • Municipal webpage
  • Ostróda Online
  • City history