Hermann Zwierzina was the first mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Ostrava

Ostrava

Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...

 1861–1864 .

He was born the only son of metal works owner Josef Zwierzina. During 1836–1840 he studied on the German gymnasium in Olomouc

Olomouc

Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...

. Then he studied on the Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

 polytechnical school. In 1844 he began working as a mining clerk in the Rothschild mines in the Ostrava region. In 1858, upon his fathers death, he took over managing his father's two mines.

He entered local politics in the 1860s, being elected the first mayor of Moravská Ostrava in 1861 .He also served as a member of the provincial assembly in Brno

Brno

Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...

. During his tenure, he attempted to open an intermediate school, but he was unsuccessful. He did not candidate again in 1865. He was succeeded by Alois Anderka

Alois Anderka

Alois Anderka was the second mayor of Ostrava 1864-1873.In 1858, he entered politics. In 1861 he was elected into the local committee and in 1864 was elected mayor....

.

He died in Mariánské Lázně

Mariánské Lázne

Mariánské Lázně is a spa town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. The town, surrounded by green mountains, is a mosaic of parks and noble houses...

, due to typhoid fever

Typhoid fever

Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...

on 19 July 1873. His remains were transferred to Moravská Ostrava and were interred at the cemetery four days later.