Osoblažsko

Osoblažsko (literally Osoblaha region, Czech: Osoblažsko, German: Hotzenplotzer Ländchen, Polish: ziemia osobłoska) is a microregion is situated in the northernmost part of the Moravian-Silesian Region of Czech Republic. This microregion is so-called Osoblaha Hook (Czech: osoblažský výběžek, German: Hotzenplotzer Zipfel, Polish: cypel osobłoski) or Silesian Hanakia (Czech: Slezská Haná, German: Schlesiche Hanna, Polish: Śląska Hana).[1] It is bounded by mountain ridges of Jeseníky mountains from the west and the Polish border from the east and north. A voluntary association of municipalities – The Association of Municipalities of Osoblažsko was established to solve the drinking water supply problem of the region in 1990s and was restored in 2002 focusing mainly on solution of common problems reaching beyond the grasp of individual municipalities as well as the common regional development and cross-border cooperation. The microregion currently has a population of 10,273 covering almost 290 km2. The Association of Municipalities of Osoblažsko consists of 14 municipalities:

The area of Osoblažsko region was settled first by the Slavic population but the Tartar invasion in 1241 and the invasion of Russian-Polish troops in 1253 halted the population ratios of Osoblažsko so severely that in the middle of the 13th century the Bishop Bruno of Schaumburg (Osoblažsko belonged to Olomouc bishops that is why it formed so-called „Moravian enclave“ in Silesia until 1928) invited colonists with German origin from Saxony and Brandenburg in order to populate this region. Some villages were renewed and some founded new under his leadership. After the Thirty Years' War the Czech population decreased in the region and the population mainly consisted of German speaking people (including Jews). A deep scar to the region was inflicted by Austro-Prussian Wars resulting in dividing Silesia and setting the new border bounding of Osoblažsko in 1742. Economic ties gradually built for hundreds of years were cut off and from this point Osoblažsko region slowly recedes into the bad peripheral economic situation. Agriculture continues to dominate its economy although there is an industrial revolution developing in its surroundings. Peripheral situation in the time is confirmed by the railway from Třemešná to Osoblaha built in 1898 – more than 25 years later than the railway from Krnov to Jeseník and more importantly using a narrow-gauge and constructing it on a contour line to save costs.

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