F-684 Opava

The first mention of the settlement lying at an intersection of trade routes, which is named after the Opava River, dates from 1195. Its rise to the status of a town is borne out by a document dating from 1224. In the 14th century, Opava became the centre of the Principality of Opava. It became the capital of Austrian Silesia from 1742. Opava was significantly destroyed at the end of the Second World War. The birthplace of the Silesian bard, Petr Bezruč, is now a statutory city, the seat of the Silesian University and home to a number of secondary schools and cultural and scientific institutions.