The Oder is known by several names in different languages, but the modern ones are very similar: English and German: Oder; Czech, Polish, and Lower Sorbian: Odra, Upper Sorbian: Wódra; Kashubian: Òdra (pronounced [ˈwɛdra]); Silesian: Ôdra; Medieval Latin: Od(d)era; Renaissance Latin: Viadrus (invented in 1534).

Ptolemy knew the modern Oder as the Συήβος (Suebos; Latin Suevus), a name apparently derived from the Suebi, a Germanic people.

While he also refers to an outlet in the area as the Οὐιαδούα Ouiadoua (or Οὐιλδούα Ouildoua; Latin Viadua or Vildua), this was apparently the modern Wieprza, as it was said to be a third of the distance between the Suebos and Vistula.

Main section: Szczecin Lagoon: east: Dziwna (German: Dievenow) branch (between Wolin Island and mainland Poland): middle: Świna (German: Swine) branch (between Wolin and Usedom islands): west: Peenestrom (Peene) (Polish: Piana) branch (between Usedom Island and mainland Germany): The Oder is navigable over a large part of its total length, as far upstream as the town of Koźle, where the river connects to the Gliwice Canal.

The upstream part of the river is canalized and permits larger barges (up to CEMT Class IV) to navigate between the industrial sites around the Wrocław area.

In Germanic languages, including English, it was and still is called the Oder, written in medieval Latin documents as Odera or Oddera.

845) specified the following West Slavic peoples: Sleenzane, Dadosesani, Opolanie, Lupiglaa, and Golensizi in Silesia and Wolinians with Pyrzycans in Western Pomerania.

Located near the mouth of the river, Szczecin became one of the main cities and ports of the Pomerania region and the entire southern coast of the Baltic Sea.

[6] Over time, control over parts of the river was taken from Poland by other countries, including the Margraviate of Brandenburg and the Kingdom of Bohemia, and later also by Hungary, Sweden, Prussia and Germany.

The work was carried out in the years 1746–53, a large tract of marshland being brought under cultivation, a considerable detour cut off and the mainstream successfully confined to a canal.

[9] After World War II, the former German areas east of the Oder and the Lusatian Neisse passed to Poland by decision of the victorious Allies at the Potsdam Conference (at the insistence of the Soviets).

A part of the German population east of these two rivers was evacuated by the Nazis during the war or fled from the approaching Red Army.

Environmental experts along with firefighter were called to take urgent action in order to identify the sources and prevent further contamination.