Periods

• 1850–1918

  

  From the mid-18th century, when Maria Theresa lost most of Silesia, Opava assumed the role of provincial capital of Austrian Silesia. Politically, economically, and culturally, it was closely tied to Vienna, the imperial capital. This relationship was reflected in the transformations of the city’s architectural culture, which moved through phases of romantic, strict, and late historicism, before giving way around 1900 to modernism in the form of floral and later geometric Art Nouveau. These changes unfolded against the backdrop of broader processes of modernization, industrialization, urbanization, and the nationalization of the Central European space. Opava’s architectural transformation was most visible in the historic centre, surrounded by parks and a belt of educational and cultural institutions, representative buildings, palaces, and rental apartment houses. The suburbs of Opava also changed significantly, filling with new types of buildings and complexes such as schools and healthcare facilities, hospitals, military buildings, urban infrastructure, new public spaces, and facilities related to housing and the development of mass transport, namely the railway and the city tram network. Many architects, builders, and designers participated in these changes, working both in the municipal and provincial building offices and in private practice. Most had studied or worked in Vienna, which remained a vital source of inspiration for Opava and its society even after 1918.

• 1918–1938

  

  The era of the First Czechoslovak Republic in Opava’s architecture was marked by the enduring influence of Vienna, gradually overlaid by new impulses arising from changes in the state order and contemporary architectural discourse. The influence of Viennese architect Leopold Bauer remained strong, with two of his most significant late works realized in the city, while the buildings of his son Harald, likewise connected to Vienna, also merit mention. In commissions from the municipality, state institutions, and private clients, leading roles were assumed by local architects such as Karl Gottwald, Johann Kalitta, and Otto Reichner, along with builders including Erich Geldner, Julius Lundwall, and Julius Vysloužil. Some were attached to the Provincial Building Authority, others pursued independent practice. At the same time, architects from across Czechoslovakia found opportunities in Opava, among them Gotthard Faika from Prague, Hanuš Zápal from Plzeň, Miloslav Kopřiva from Brno, and the brothers Lubomír and Čestmír Šlapeta from Moravská Ostrava. Although Opava lost its position as the capital of Czechoslovak Silesia to Brno in the late 1920s, following the creation of the Land of Moravia-Silesia, it retained an important social and cultural role. The prevailing architectural language remained largely conservative, expressed in Neo-Classicism, Heimatstil, and decorativism. Within the historic centre and villa districts, however, examples of the German Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) appeared, alongside a few instances of Czech functionalism. These conservative foundations continued to shape the city’s architectural development during the Nazi occupation and the Second World War.