Case F: The City of Ostrava — From Industrial Image to Industrial Image 2.0

The case of the Ostrava City in the Czech Republic provides unique experience of an area, which was always too remote from all the centres of political power, that is, from Vienna in Austro-Hungarian Empire era, as well as Prague in the era of Czechoslovakia. This distance may be perceived not just in its simple geographical meaning but also in its abundant psychological connotations too. The importance of the Ostrava region on the agenda of central politics was always rather marginal and focused strictly on economics. This was primarily about the utilization of Ostrava’s resources in favour of the well-being of the whole nation. The crucial attribute which turned the spotlight on Ostrava in this way was the development of coalmining and the related steelworks in the 19th century.