Holiday Apartment in Ostratice: History, Mill and Brass Music

Ostratice combines a loess hill landscape with distinctive traces of local history, a preserved electric mill and a brass music tradition that is still maintained today. The village lies amid the Nitrianska loess hill country, a loess hill landscape on the left floodplain of the Bebrava. Ostratice is also known for fruit growing: apples in particular are cultivated, along with fruit trees and fruit planting material, respectively.

History

The history dates back to the Middle Ages. Veľké Ostratice already existed in the 12th century and is mentioned in 1193 under the name Strece. Among the historic sights of Ostratice is a bust erected in 1936 of the nationally minded writer, teacher and priest Jozef Kompánek. From 1872 to 1917, he worked in Veľké Ostratice as a publicist, historian and national revivalist. A statue of the Holy Trinity, erected in 1928, also stands in Veľké Ostratice; to date, it has not been included in the register of cultural monuments.

Further evidence of the history of ownership includes a stone tablet from 1617 and a gravestone near the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. In Ostratice, the stone tablet is cited as evidence of the Šándorovci family's ownership. The gravestone near the Church of Saints Peter and Paul is likewise cited as evidence of this family's ownership. Both references retain their respective traditional classification without making any additional claims.

Culture

The church in Veľké Ostratice occupies a special role. The Roman Catholic church dates from 1737 and is now dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. The parish and the church probably already existed before 1332. The earlier church was dedicated to Saint Oswald. Today, the church has a relatively large square choir and a two-storey extension on the south side. Thus, several chronological layers of ecclesiastical history coexist in one place: the probable beginnings before 1332, the earlier dedication to Saint Oswald and the present form with the church building from 1737.

Crafts and Villagescape

The electric mill in Veľké Ostratice was built in 1934 by Gustáv and Jozef Oláhovci, who came from Ostratice. It was the first electric mill in the surrounding area and built on an older network of water mills. The fully preserved, three-storey elongated building with a gabled roof still retains a large part of its original interior fittings. The electric mill stands among the village's roadside buildings and is therefore part of both the technical and architectural heritage of the village.

Brass Music

Ostratice's musical history is also still present. The brass band in the former Veľké Ostratice was founded on the initiative of Senator Ján Podoba and the local parish administrator Jozef Kompánek. The Ostratičanka brass band was active during the Second World War and continues to exist without interruption to this day. The Ostratice Brass Music Festival has been held in the municipality of Ostratice since the end of the 1980s. It takes place in the municipal park and presents regional brass bands as well as a guest musician.

Other Places

Other village pages: Partizánske, Malé Uherce, Kolačno, Žabokreky Nad Nitrou, Veľké Uherce, Turčianky, Malé Kršteňany, Krásno.

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Partizánske.