Postal Services in the Region of Opava in the Period of 1850–1918
Jiří Knapík
DOI 10.69108/slsb.2024.2.01
The study deals with the development of the network and postal services in Opava and the region of Opava. It focuses mainly on the period from the second half of the 19th century to World War I when the model of modern postal administration was developed in the Habsburg Monarchy. The issue of postal services in this part of Silesia has not yet been investigated in detail; the connection of the postal network with the development of rail and road transport is emphasized, as well as a perspective of the town of Opava as the centre of postal administration in Silesia. The study further covers the mobility and national activities of postmasters in municipalities, the national aspects of postal administration, the development of the village post office, and the position of the post office and its employees in the microworld of a specific location.
A Fierce Duel. Der treudeutsche Hultschiner and Other Periodicals in the Struggle for the Favour of the Hlučín Population from the Annexation of the Hlučín Region to Czechoslovakia until 1930
Pavel Kladiwa
DOI 10.69108/slsb.2024.2.02
Based on the 1919 peace conference decision, Hlučín region was separated from Germany and came to Czechoslovakia. The problematic integration of the Hlučín region into the newly created state is a well-known fact. The article complements the state of research with a detailed analysis of the content of the irredentist journal Der treudeutsche Hultschiner, which influenced the attitudes of the inhabitants of the Hlučín region and the Hlučín optants. The article also characterizes the attitudes of other periodicals that were published in the Hlučín region in the 1920s: Hultschiner Zeitung, Katolické noviny, Moravec and Náš domov.
Wanished Municipalities in Czech Borderland after 1945 and its Role in Historical Research
David Kovařík
DOI 10.69108/slsb.2024.2.03
The paper deals with the issue of the disappearance of settlements in the Czech borderland. This process occurred mainly in the period after World War II and the 1950s when several hundred villages and settlements disappeared in this area. The paper describes the current state of research and the source base for this issue. The next part of the text is devoted to terminological issues and typological breakdown; a brief overview also describes the key events and motives leading to the disappearance of border settlements in the monitored period. At the end of the study, the possibilities of current activities in the landscape of defunct settlements are briefly presented, opening up the question of further use of these locations.
The Activities of Wincenty Hlouszek (1907–1972) in Opole
Marzena Rosińska
DOI 10.69108/slsb.2024.2.04
This article presents the biography of Opole cultural activist – Wincenty Hlouszek, who is considered the main founder of the Jozef Elsner Opole Philharmonic. The text presents the rise of new cultural and educational centres in the areas regained by Poland after the World War II, using the example of the biography of one of the most committed representatives of the Opole administration of the time. Highlights the ethnic diversity of Opole Silesia and the impact of the political situation at the time on the organization of cultural institutions. It describes the course of the establishment of the Opole symphony orchestra and the aspirations of Wincenty Hlouszek to create a philharmonic in Opole.
The research was based both on archival documents, magazines and concert programs, as well as on historical interviews with Wincenty Hlouszek’s family and direct associates. The study describes the figure of a civil servant who, in the post-war reality, had to demonstrate creativity and diplomacy in pursuit of his life’s mission, which for him became the work for the motherland.
Forgotten Priest and Educator Antonín Buček (1884–1914)
Pavel Šopák
DOI 10.69108/slsb.2024.2.05
The paper focuses on life and activities of Antonín Buček (1884–1914), priest, journalist and catechist at Czech grammar school in Opava. Buček himself attended the mentioned school and after the final exam in 1902 he studied religion in Olomouc. He returned to Opava in 1911 to find a job at the grammar school. Except his teaching commitment, he organised tourist trips for students and various charities. His lectures for rural population were also significant. His activities must be understood in the context of the formation of Czech political Catholicism of the late Habsburg period. Buček also published several articles in Czech newspapers and journals, but he did not manage to defend his doctoral thesis due to his early death in 1914. His grave at Opava cemetery was preserved, because in 1934 remains of his follower, catechist and museologist František Myslivec (1873–1934) were buried at the same site. The paper endeavours to commemorate the 140th anniversary of Buček´s birth and 110th anniversary of his death.
