ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA	CZECH REPUBLIC
Moravskoslezký kraj	North Moravia and Silesia (Ostrava) region
Okres: Ostrava-město

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Ostrava is situated at an elevation of 220 m on the river Ostravica (Ostrawitza) near its mouth into the river Odra (Oder). Moravská Ostrava (Mährisch-Ostrau) on the left bank of the Ostravica river had been mentioned first in 1267, Slezká Ostrava (Schlesisch-Ostrau) on the other side of the river already had been mentioned in 1229. (Moravská) Ostrava was located in a favourable location, on the so-called Amber Road, the ancient trading route leading from the Baltic see through Central Europe down to the Mediterranean Sea.

The discovery in 1763/67 of hard coal (lignite) in Slezká Ostrava was of crucial importance. Systematic coal mining was started in 1780 and was the basis for the industrial development of Ostrava during the 19th century. One of the oldest iron-working factories was opened in Vítkovice (Witkowitz) in 1829. When Ostrava was connected to the railroad Kaiser-Ferdinand-Nordbahn in 1846/47 (see also Bohumín), the station was built in Přívoz (Oderfurt, see below). Ostrava became the busiest railroad junction of the Austrian Monarchy. The mining, metallurgy, machining and chemical industries earned Ostrava the nickname 'Black Ostrava'.

In 1974–1976, 33 of the surrounding villages and communities, including Vítkovice and Slezká Ostrava, became part of Ostrava. Coal mining was terminated in 1994. Today, Ostrava is the administrative seat of the Moravskoslezký (Ostravský) region. With a population of about 320,000 inhabitants it is the third-largest city in the Czech Republic.

The Cathedral of the Devine Saviour (Katedrála Božského Spasitele) [left, no. 2727: bottom left] is the second largest cathedral in Moarvia and Silesia (after the basilica in Velehrad). The Neo-Renaissance basilica was built in 1889 according to a design by the architect Gustav Merett. The two towers hava height of 67 metres. In May 1996 Pope John Paul II founded the Ostrava-Opava diocese and in September of the same year the basilica officially obtained the status of a cathedral. [http://www.ostrava.cz/en/turista/co-navstivit/kostely]

The German House (German: Deutsches Haus) [near left, no. 4348: bottom right picture] stood in Ostrava at Nádražní třída no. 951. Its construction was decided in February 1892 as a reaction to the activities of the Czech population, which began to build its National House. The building was designed in Dutch Renaissance style by the Ostrava architect Felix Neumann. The construction was completed in 1895. The building was damaged during Wirld War II in 1945. The extent of damage is not known today, but the Ostrava councillors decided in 1946 to demolish it completely. [https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C4%9Bmeck%C3%BD_d%C5%AFm_(Ostrava)]

The Jiří Myron Theatre (Divadlo Jiřího Myrona) [far left, no. 2727: bottom right; and near left: no. 1817], located in Třída Československých legií (Avenue of the Czechslovak legions), was built by the architect Josef Srb in 1892–1894 in Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque style as the so-called National House (Národní dům). It was to become the first permanent theatre in Ostrava, and became the centre of the political and social life of the Czech inhabitants of the town. The first season was opened on 16th September, 1908, with a performance of "The Bartered Bride" by Bedřich Smetana. In 1919 the theatre became the second theatre building of the newly-established National Moravian-Silesian Theatre, but since 1920 was used only for social purposes. In 1925 it became a cinema named 'Kosmos'. After the German occupation in 1939 the building was re-adapted as a theatre and re-opened in February 1941, again with a performance of The Bartered Bride. After World War II the theatre was used again as the second theatre of Ostrava under the name Folk Theatre (Lidové divadlo). In 1954 it was renamed Jiři Myron Theatre. In 1976 a large fire forced the theatre to close for several years. The reconstruction works lasted from 1980 until 1986. Now, the theatre is considered to be one of the most modern and interesting theatres in the Czech Republic. Today, it is one of the two theatres which today form the Moravian-Silesian National Theatre (Národní divadlo moravskoslezské). The current capacity of the theatre is 665 seats.
[http://wikimapia.org/9749150/National-Moravia-Silesian-theatre-Jiří-Myron-theatre, http://www.ostrava.cz/de/turista/co-navstivit/prochazky-ostravou/mestske-pamatkove-zony, http://www.ndm.cz/en_budovy.html, http://www.ostravainfo.cz/index.php?akce=guide&mid=81&id=69&lang=3]

Glass no. 4407 [left] shows a view of Ostrava's central square, on the glass labeled as Hlavní náměstí (Main Square)), today Masarykovo náměstí (Masaryk Square).

The picture on the glass box no. 828 [right and below] shows the old Bahnhofstraße, today Nádražní ulice (Station Street).

Přívoz (Oderfurt) was first mentioned in 1389. When the Kaiser-Ferdinand-Nordbahn railway was built, the station for Ostrava was built in Přívoz (see above). Přívoz obtained the status of a town in 1900, and since 1924 is part of the municipality of Ostrava.

The parish church of Přívoz [left] was built in the 1890s by the Austrian architect Camillo Sitte (1843–1903) who also built the town hall and several other buildings in the town.

The former German name of Ostrava was Mährisch-Ostrau, while Ungarisch-Ostra(u) was the former German name of Uherský Ostroh.