Otmuchów

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title: "Otmuchów" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-and-towns-in-opole-voivodeship", "nysa-county", "cities-in-silesia", "sites-of-nazi-war-crimes-in-poland"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otmuchów" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Otmuchów
image_skyline	Otmuchów - Ratusz.JPG
image_caption	Town Hall
image_shield	POL Otmuchów COA.svg
pushpin_map	Poland
pushpin_label_position	bottom
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name
subdivision_type1	Voivodeship
subdivision_name1	Opole
subdivision_type2	County
subdivision_name2	Nysa
subdivision_type3	Gmina
subdivision_name3	Otmuchów
established_title2	Town rights
established_date2	1347
leader_party	PiS
leader_title	Mayor
leader_name	Damian Nowakowski
area_total_km2	27.83
population_as_of	2019-06-30
population_total	6581
population_density_km2	auto
timezone	CET
utc_offset	+1
timezone_DST	CEST
utc_offset_DST	+2
coordinates
elevation_m	220
postal_code_type	Postal code
postal_code	48-385
blank_name	Car plates
blank_info	ONY
blank_name_sec2	National roads
blank_info_sec2	[[File:DK46-PL.svg
website	http://www.otmuchow.pl
::

Etymology

The city was mentioned for the first time as Otemochow in 1155. It was named in its Old Polish form Othmuchow in the 13th-century Book of Henryków. The name Othmuchow was also listed in the Chronicles of the Kingdom of Poland written in the years 1455-1480 by Jan Długosz and the Latinized name Othmuchouie appeared in the Statuta synodalia episcoporum Wratislaviensium from 1475.

In 1613 the Silesian regionalist and historian Nicholas Henkel stated in his own work entitled Fri Silesiographia two names in Latin, Otmuchovia and Othmuchaw.

The Germanized form was Ottmachau, and the Polish name in the modern Polish spelling was restored in 1945.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Otmuchów,zamek_5.jpg" caption="Medieval [[Otmuchów Castle"] ::

The first known mentioning of Otmuchów comes from 1155, however, it certainly existed, along with the castle, already in the 11th century. It was a seat of a castellany within medieval Poland ruled by the Piast dynasty. It was a property of the Diocese of Wrocław and a result of the fragmentation of Poland, it formed part of the Duchy of Nysa. In the 14th century the city was surrounded by defensive walls. Establishment of the coat of arms of the city dates back to 1347, when Bishop of Wrocław Przecław of Pogorzela vested Otmuchów with town rights. The coat of arms is an open city gate in white on a blue field. From the 14th century it was used as the town seal. Destroyed by many wars throughout history, the town lost its importance due to a nearby developing city of Nysa, which was the capital of the principality of the bishop. In 1428, 1430 and 1443 the town was captured by the Hussites. In the 15th century conflicts occurred between indigenous Poles and German settlers. Germans tried to oust the Polish language from local churches. Local Polish church superior lodged a complaint against a German priest who threatened to expel Poles from the church. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/2014_Otmuchów,_zamek_15.JPG" caption="Otmuchów coat of arms at the medieval castle"] ::

The town was plundered during the Thirty Years' War. After the war the town was revived thanks to Polish prince and Bishop of Wrocław Karol Ferdynand Vasa, who turned the castle into an episcopal seat. In 1741 the town was captured and plundered by the Prussians, who annexed it afterwards. The town declined, and after secularization in 1810 it passed from episcopal authority under Prussian administration.

During the Second World War, the German Nazi regime operated two forced labour subcamps (E276, E282) of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner-of-war camp for English-speaking POWs in the town. In 1944 the men were transferred to the oil refinery at Trzebinia (E738). The Germans also established and operated the Polenlager 86 forced labour camp for Poles in the town. 36 Polish citizens were murdered by Nazi Germany in the town during the war. Following the defeat of Germany in the war, the town became again part of Poland.

Economy

The town holds the headquarters for the 1952 founded confectionery joint-stock company Otmuchów Group.

Sights

Among the historic sights of Otmuchów are the medieval Otmuchów Castle, the Baroque palace, now housing the municipal government, medieval town walls, the Church of St. Nicholas and St. Francis, and numerous historic townhouses. File:Otmuchów - Kościół pw. św. Mikołaja i Franciszka Ksawerego 01.JPG|Church. St. Nicholas and St. Francis File:2014 Otmuchów, zespół zamkowy, pałac 02.JPG|Municipal Office File:Otmuchow1 (js).jpg|Otmuchów Castle File:Otmuchów Rynek 17.JPG|Market Square File:Otmuchów, kościół par. p.w. śś. Mikołaja i Franciszka Ksawerego, 1690-1701.JPG|Panorama File:Otmuchów Krakowska 6 1.JPG|Post Office File:Otmuchów Nyska wieża Wróbla.JPG|Nyska Wieża Wróbla (Defensive tower, part of the city walls) Otmuchow 13.jpg|Baroque St. Mary column

Transport

There is a train station in Otmuchów, and the Polish National road 46 also passes through the town.

Sports

The local football team is . It competes in the lower leagues.

Twin towns – sister cities

See twin towns of Gmina Otmuchów.

References

(2019-10-15). "Population. Size and structure and vital statistics in Poland by territorial division in 2019. As of 30th June". Statistics Poland.
Gustav Adolf Stenzel, ''Liber Fundationis Claustri Sanctae Mariae Virginis in Henrichow'', 1854, p. 82
"Zabytki".
"Working Parties".
"Home".
"Polenlager Ottmachau".
. (2022). "Zestawienie Miejsc Zbrodni Popełnionych na Ludności Cywilnej przez Okupanta Hitlerowskiego na Ziemiach Polskich w latach 1939–1945".

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