Ormož

Ormož (pronounced [ˈoːrmɔʃ]; Hungarian: Ormosd, German: Friedau, Prekmurje Slovene: Ormošd) is a town in the traditional region of Prlekija, part of Styria, in northeastern Slovenia. It lies on the left bank of the Drava River and borders with Croatia on the opposite bank of the river. It is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Ormož.

Name

Ormož was attested in written records in 1273 as Holermůs (and as Holrmues in 1299 and Holrmůs in 1320). The name is based on the Latinized name Alramus, borrowed from Germanic Alram (< *Aþala-hraban, literally 'noble ravan'). The person designated by the name is uncertain, but a possible namesake is Salzburg Bishop A(da)lram (reigned 821–836) because the Ormož area became the property of the Archbishopric of Salzburg in the ninth century.

Church

The parish church in the town is dedicated to Saint James. It was first mentioned in written sources dated to 1271. It was rebuilt on a number of occasions in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. It contains frescos from the 14th and 17th centuries.

ORMO

ORMO (Polish: Ochotnicza Rezerwa Milicji Obywatelskiej), or the Volunteer Reserve Militia, was a paramilitary organization and voluntary support brigade of MO communist police force (Milicja Obywatelska). ORMO was founded in the People's Republic of Poland soon after the Soviet takeover in 1946, and disbanded in 1989 by the Sejm (after the Collapse of the communist bloc).

In its heyday, ORMO had approximately 400,000–450,000 people in its reserves (at one time numbered as many as 600,000 civilian volunteers), recruited mostly from among the members of the communist Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR), peasants, convicted criminals, and also a large share of members of United People's Party (ZSL), Democratic Party (SD) and other non-party opportunists looking for extra income from the state, and ready for street action. ORMO was often involved in staging and performing criminal acts, unlawful arrests and street beatings of peaceful protesters (including women and journalists), such as during the public demonstrations organized by Solidarność (Solidarity trade union) aimed at putting an end to the Soviet-imposed totalitarianism in Poland.