Katowice

Katowice (pronounce: Missing image
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Image:Ltspkr.png

[katɔ'vʲitsɛ], original former Polish name Kątowicze, 1953-1956 Stalinogród - "Stalin City", Czech Katovice, German Kattowitz) is an important city of the historical region of Upper Silesia in southern Poland on the Klodnica and Rawa rivers.

Katowice is the capital of the administrative and local government region called Silesian Voivodship since 1999, and previously capital of Katowice Voivodship. Katowice is the main city of the Upper Silesian Industrial Area. Population 354,000 inhabitants (1999), with an metro area population of 3,487,000 inhabitants (2001).

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Contents

History

The area around Katowice, Upper Silesia, was inhabited by ethnic Poles since the 10th century. It was ruled by the Silesian Piasts dynasty until the partitions of Poland in 1795. The city itself was founded in the 19th century, a period while the area was under Prussian rule, and Katowice gained city status in 1865. Mainly inhabited by Poles, Katowice became part of the Second Polish Republic following the Silesian Uprisings throughout the Silesian region between 1918 and 1921. In 1921 the majority of the population decided in a poll to let Kattowitz stay in Germany, but the city became part of Poland.

The city flourished due to large mineral (especially coal) deposits in the nearby mountains. Extensive city growth and prosperity depended on coal mining and steel industries, which took off during the Industrial Revolution. But recently, due to economic reforms there is a shift away from heavy industry, and towards smaller businesses.

Severe ecological damage to the natural environment occurred during the post-Second World War time of communist governance in the People's Republic of Poland, but recent changes in regulations, procedures and policies of post-communist Polish government have reversed much of the harm that was done.

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Photo of the central areas of Katowice

During 19531956 Katowice was named Stalinogród, which was an homage to the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, given by the totalitarian, communist authorities of Poland.

Modern landmarks

Katowice center has many Art Nouveau (Secesja) buildings. Its suburbs contain many communist style blocks.

  • Katowice's Rynek is the old center and marketplace of the city. Unfortunately many old buildings were demolished in the 1950s to make place for communist modern buildings. Today the communist designs are considered ugly and there are plans to demolish them and rebuild the old, classic town center. Several streets around the rynek and the rynek itself are now closed to traffic and have been made into a shopping promenades.
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Monument of the Silesian Insurrectionists to the right, Spodek in the background
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Education

Politics

Katowice constituency

Members of Parliament (Sejm) elected from Katowice constituency

  • Blida Barbara, SLD-UP
  • Błońska-Fajfrowska Barbara, SLD-UP
  • Czechowski Włodzimierz, Samoobrona
  • Gramała Aleksandra, SLD-UP
  • Klimek Jan, SLD-UP
  • Mateja Piotr, PO
  • Nowak Maria, PiS
  • Polaczek Jerzy, PiS
  • Rzymełka Jan, PO
  • Stępień Marian, SLD-UP
  • Stryjak Cezary, SLD-UP
  • Śleziak Czesław, SLD-UP
  • Zagórny Rafał, PO

Sports

GKS Katowice Polish football club

Famous people from Katowice


 
Poland
Flag of Poland
Voivodships of Poland
Greater Poland | Kuyavia-Pomerania | Lesser Poland | Łódź | Lower Silesia | Lublin | Lubusz | Masovia | Opole | Podlachia | Pomerania | Świętokrzyskie | Silesia | Subcarpathia | Warmia and Masuria | West Pomerania
Principal cities
Warsaw | Łódź | Kraków | Wrocław | Poznań | Gdańsk | Szczecin | Bydgoszcz | Lublin | Katowice | Białystok | Częstochowa | Gdynia | Gorzów Wlkp. | Toruń | Radom | Kielce | Rzeszów | Olsztyn

External links

de:Katowice es:Katowice fr:Katowice lv:Katovice na:Katowice nds:Kattowitz pl:Katowice pt:Katowice ro:Katowice sl:Katovice sv:Katovice

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