Ostrov (Karlovy Vary District)
Ostrov, also known as Ostrov nad Ohří, is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region, Czech Republic. It is located at a foothill of the Ore Mountains about northeast of Karlovy Vary and has a population of about 17,000.History
The origin of the settlement named Zlaukowerde at the confluence of the Bystřice River and Jáchymov Creeks traces back to the beginning of the 13th century. The town charter for Ostrov was issued by Bohemian king John the Blind in 1331.
During World War II the castle served as a Nazi concentration camp. The population of Ostrov multiplied after World War II as people were moved to work in the uranium mines in nearby Jáchymov. The extensive housing blocks from the 1950s forming the new part of Ostrov are considered one of the best examples of socialist realism architecture in the Czech Republic. The town was known for production of Škoda trolleybuses for many decades, but this ended in 2004.Notable people
- , Bishop of Brixen and Prince Bishop of Bamberg and Freising
- Joachim Andreas von Schlick,, nobleman
- Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer, organist, Hofkapellmeister and composer
- Johann Josef Loschmidt, physicist and chemist, attended 1833–37 the local school
- Vilma Cibulková, actress
- Horst Siegl, footballer
- Petr Maděra, writer
- Lukáš Bauer, cross-country skier
- Jiří Štoček, chess Grandmaster
- Zbyněk Drda, singer
Ostrov is twinned with:
