POLSKA	POLAND
województwo: Opolskie	voivodship: Opole
miasto na prawach powiatu: Opole	city: Opole

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Opole (German: Oppeln), the capital of the voivodeship of the same name, is situated at an elevation of 176 m on the river Odra in Upper Silesia, about half-way between Wrocław and Katowice. The city of Opole has a population of about 118,700 (2016).

Opole's history begins in the 8th century when, according to the archeological excavations, the first Slavic settlement was founded. In the early 10th century it developed into one of the main "gords" (settlements) of the Slavic Opolanie tribe. The land of the pagan Opolanie was conquered in 992 by Duke Mieszko I from the Piast dynasty. Silesia was divided in 1163 between two Piast lines: the Wrocław line in Lower Silesia and the Opole-Racibórz of Upper Silesia. Opole would become a duchy in 1172 and would share much in common with the Duchy of Racibórz, with which it was often combined. In 1281 Upper Silesia was divided further between the heirs of the dukes. The Duchy of Opole was temporarily reestablished in 1290. A merchant town was founded here between 1211 and 1217. Opole received German town law in 1254, which was expanded with Neumarkt (today Śróda Śląska) law in 1327. Along with most of Silesia, in 1327 the Duchy of Opole came under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Bohemia, itself part of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1521 the Duchy of Racibórz (Ratibor) was inherited by the Duchy of Opole (Oppeln). In 1526 Bohemia wit Silesia were inherited by Habsburg Austria. Beginning in 1532 the Habsburgs pawned the duchy to different rulers including several monarchs of Poland. With the abdication of King Jan II Kazimierz Waza of Poland as the last Duke of Opole in 1668, the region passed to the direct control of the Habsburgs. At the beginning of the 18th century the German population of Opole was estimated at around 20%. King Friedrich II of Prussia conquered most of Silesia from Austria in 1740 during the Silesian Wars; Prussian control was confirmed in the Peace of Breslau (Wrocław) in 1742. In the early 20th century the number of Polish and bilingual citizens of Opole, according to the official German statistics, varied from only 25% to 31%. From 1816 to 1945 Opole was the capital of administrative district (Regierungsbezirk) Oppeln within Prussia. The city became part of the German Empire during the unification of Germany in 1871. After World War I and a plebiscite held in 1921, Opole with most of Upper Silesia remained with Germany, while Polish eastern Upper Silesia was ceded to Poland in 1922. In 1939, when eastern Upper Silesia was re-added to the German province, Opole lost its status as provincial capital to Katowice (renamed Kattowitz). During the Nazi rule, a ghetto was set up in 1941 for about 8,000 deported Jews. The ghetto was 'liquidated' in 1942 and the Jews were deported to the extermination camps of Belzec and Sobibor. After the end of World War II in 1945, Oppeln was transferred from Germany to Poland according to the Potsdam Conference. Opole became part of the Katowice Voivodeship from 1946 to 1950, after which it became the capital of the Opole Voivodeship. Unlike other parts of the so-called Recovered Territories, Opole and the surrounding region's indigenous population remained and was not forcibly expelled as elsewhere. Today Opole, along with the surrounding region, is known as a centre of the German minority in Poland. In 2017, Borki, Chmielowice, Czarnowąsy, Krzanowice, Sławice, Świerkle, Winów, Wrzoski, Żerkowice as well as parts of Brzezie, Dobrzeń Mały and Karczów became a part of Opole.

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross is the largest chuch in Opole. The church was a collegiate church that since the 13th century also was as the parish church of the town. The core of the present church was built in the 13th century. The new church was consecrated in 1295. That church was mostly destroyed by fire in 1415. Again, a new church was built, this time in late Gothic style, the construction of which was finished in 1520. Destroyed by fire again in 1615 and 1620, the church fell into dereliction after the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). A new, Baroque, church was built until 1686. In 1934 the church was granted the status of Basilica minor. Since 1972 it is the cathedral of the newly established Catholic diocese of Opole. The two characteristic towers in Gothic revival style were added in 1899.

(see also list of other basilicae minores depicted on glasses of this collection)

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opole, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opole; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathedrale_zum_Heiligen_Kreuz_(Opole)]