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Katowice

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Panorama of Katowice at night
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Panorama of Katowice at night

Katowice ([[,katɔ'vʲitsɛ]][Media help?]·[i]; Czech: , German: ) is an important city of the historical region of Upper Silesia in southern Poland on the Kłodnica 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 Industry Area and main districts Metropolian Katowice. Its population is 321,163, with a greater urban agglomeration population of 3,487,000 (2004).

Contents

History

The area around Katowice, Upper Silesia, was inhabited by ethnic Silesians since the early centuries. It was first ruled by the Polish Silesian Piasts dynasty until its extinction, later falling into the Habsburg domains. 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. Inhabited mainly by Germans, Silesians , Jews and Poles, Katowice became part of the Second Polish Republic following the Silesian Uprisings throughout the Silesian region between 1918 and 1921. The land was subsequently divided by an allied commission, leaving Kattowitz on the Polish side and with significant autonomy.

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 small businesses.

Between 1953-1956 it was renamed Stalinogród - "Stalin City" by Polish communists.

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.

Districts

I. City II. North-Town III. West-Town IV. East-Town V. South-Town

Culture & recreation

Theatre

Music

Cinema

Museum

Katowice, Museum of Silesia
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Katowice, Museum of Silesia

Media

Katowice, Spodek
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Katowice, Spodek

Performance cyclic culture

Gallery

Parks & Squares

Katowice, Dolina Trzech Stawów
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Katowice, Dolina Trzech Stawów

Tourism

Silesian Insurgents Monument on the right, with The Spodek in the background
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Silesian Insurgents Monument on the right, with The Spodek in the background

Cathedral in Katowice
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Cathedral in Katowice

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

Education

Silesian Library, one of the most modern libraries in Poland.
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Silesian Library, one of the most modern libraries in Poland.

Altus skyscraper, the newest skyscraper in Katowice.
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Altus skyscraper, the newest skyscraper in Katowice.

  1. University of Silesia (Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach)
  2. University of Economics in Katowice (Akademia Ekonomiczna w Katowicach)
  3. University of Music in Katowice (Akademia Muzyczna w Katowicach)
  4. University of Sports in Katowice (Akademia WF w Katowicach)
  5. University of Arts in Katowice (Akademia Sztuk Pięknych w Katowicach)
  6. University of Arts in Cracow (Akademia Sztuk Pięknych w Krakowie) - filia
  7. Medical University of Silesia (Śląska Akademia Medyczna)
  8. Silesian University of Technology - Faculty of Materials Science and Metallurgy and Faculty of Transport
  9. Polish Academy of Sciences (Polska Akademia Nauk), oddział
  10. Śląska Wyższa Szkoła Informatyki w Katowicach
  11. Śląska Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania w Katowicach
  12. Górnośląska Wyższa Szkoła Handlowa w Katowicach
  13. Międzynarodowa Szkoła Bankowości i Finansów
  14. Wyższa Szkoła Bankowości i Finansów w Katowicach
  15. Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczna w Katowicach
  16. Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna w Łodzi - wydział
  17. Wyższa Szkoła Pedagogiczna TWP w Warszawie, Instytut Pedagogiki
  18. Wyższa Szkoła Techniczna w Katowicach
  19. Wyższa Szkoła Technologii Informatycznych w Katowicach
  20. Wyższa Szkoła Umiejętności Społecznych w Poznaniu - wydział
  21. Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania Marketingowego i Języków Obcych w Katowicach
  22. Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania Ochroną Pracy w Katowicach
  23. Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne Braci Mniejszych w Katowicach
  24. Wyższe Śląskie Seminarium Duchowne w Katowicach
  25. Prywatne Nauczycielskie Kolegium Języków Obcych w Bielsku-Białej - wydział
  26. Prywatne Nauczycielskie Kolegium Języków Obcych w Katowicach
There are also:

Sports

Discontinued sports clubs:

Famous people from Katowice

A4 motorway Katowice
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A4 motorway Katowice

See also

External links

from Wikitravel

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
[Special]
Voivodeships of Poland

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

Silesian Voivodship
Cities: Bielsko-Biała | Bytom | Chorzów | Częstochowa | Dąbrowa Górnicza | Gliwice | Jastrzębie Zdrój | Jaworzno | Katowice | Mysłowice | Piekary Śląskie | Ruda Śląska | Rybnik | Siemianowice Śląskie | Sosnowiec | Świętochłowice | Tychy | Zabrze | Żory
Powiats: Będzin | Bielsko-Biała | Bieruń-Lędziny | Cieszyn | Częstochowa | Gliwice | Kłobuck | Lubliniec | Mikołów | Myszków | Pszczyna | Raciborz | Rybnik | Tarnowskie Góry | Wodzisław Śląski | Zawiercie | Żywiec

Metropolian Katowice>Districts of Metropolian Katowice
Będzin • Bytom • Chorzów • Czeladź • Dąbrowa Górnicza • Gliwice • Jaworzno • Katowice • Knurów • Mysłowice • Piekary Śląskie • Ruda Śląska • Siemianowice Śląskie • Sosnowiec • Świętochłowice • Tychy • Zabrze

 

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