Online Encyclopedia
Katowice
Katowice (pronounce: 
[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).
| Katowice | |||||
|
|||||
| Motto: none | |||||
| Voivodship | Silesian | ||||
| Municipal government | Urząd Miasta Katowice | ||||
| Mayor | Piotr Uszok | ||||
| Area | 164,6 km² | ||||
|
Population - city - urban - density |
329 600 (2002) 3 487 000 (USMA) 2002/km² |
||||
| Founded City rights |
16th century 1873 |
||||
| Latitude Longitude |
50°15' N 19°00' E |
||||
| Area code | +48 32 | ||||
| Car plates | SK | ||||
| Twin towns | Cologne, Groningen, Miskolc, Mobile, Odense, Ostrava, Saint-Etienne, South Dublin | ||||
| [http://www.um.katowice.pl Municipal Website] | |||||
| Contents |
History
The area was owned by the Poles since the 10th century, being ruled by Silesian Piasts dynasty until partitions of Poland in 1795. The city was founded under Prussian rule by the Poles in the 19th century, and gained city status in 1865. It became part of the Second Polish Republic following the Silesian Uprisings throughout the Silesian region between 1918-1921.
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.
During 1953-1956 named Stalinogród, which was a kind of homage to the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin by the totalitarian, communist authorities.
Education
- Akademia Ekonomiczna im. Karola Adamieckiego
- Górnośląska Wyższa Szkoła Handlowa im. Wojciecha Korfantego
- Branch in Żory
- Śląska Wyższa Szkoła Informatyki
- Śląska Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania im. Gen. Jerzego Ziętka
- Uniwersytet Śląski
- Wyższa Szkoła Bankowości i Finansów
- Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczna
- Wyższa Szkoła Techniczna
- Wyższa Szkoła Technologii Informatycznych
- Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania Marketingowego i Języków Obcych
- Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania Ochroną Pracy
- Wyższa Szkoła Umiejętności Społecznych in Poznań, branch in Katowice
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
Municipal politics
to be written yet
Sports
- GKS Katowice - men football team (Polish Cup winner: 1986, 1991, 1993; Polish SuperCup winner: 1991, 1995; 1st league in season 2003/2004 and 2004/2005)
- AZS AWF Katowice - women's handball team playing in Polish Ekstraklasa Women's Handball League: 11th place in 2003/2004 season; will play in the 1st league in 2004/2005 season.
Famous people from Katowice
|
|
|
|---|---|
|
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 | Toruń | Radom | Kielce | Rzeszów | Olsztyn |
|
See also
- The Municipal Council of Katowice http://www.um.katowice.pl/eng/index.php
- A webcam view of Katowice http://www.um.katowice.pl/eng/k-ce/kamera.html