Kattowitz

Katowice
Left to right: High-rise buildings in central district Panorama of Katowice Silesian Museum Cathedral Silesian Theatre Spodek
Flag Coat of arms
Katowice
Coordinates: 50°15′N 19°0′E / 50.250°N 19.000°E / 50.250; 19.000
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Silesian
County	city county
Established	16th century - 1598 first official information
City rights	1865
Government
• Mayor	Marcin Krupa
Area
• City	164.67 km2 (63.58 sq mi)
• Metro	5,400 km2 (2,100 sq mi)
Highest elevation	352 m (1,155 ft)
Lowest elevation	266 m (873 ft)
Population (31 December 2015)
• City	299,910
• Urban	2,710,397
• Metro	5,294,000
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	40-001 to 40-999
Area code(s)	+48 32
Vehicle registration	SK
Website	www.katowice.eu

Katowice /ˌkætəˈviːtsə/ (Polish: [katɔˈvʲit͡sɛ]; Silesian: Katowicy, German: Kattowitz, officially Miasto Katowice) is a city in southwestern Poland and the center of the Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 299,910 as of 2015^[update].

Throughout the mid-18th century, Katowice had developed into a village upon the discovery of rich coal reserves in the area. In 1742 the infamous Silesian War transferred Upper Silesia, including Katowice, to Prussia. Subsequently, from the second half of the 18th century, many German or Prussian craftsmen, merchants and artists began to settle in the region, which had been inhabited mostly by Poles over the past hundreds of years. Simultaneously Silesia experienced the influx of the first Jewish settlers. In the first half of the 19th century, intensive industrialization transformed local mills and farms into industrial steelworks, mines, foundries and artisan workshops. This also contributed to the establishment of companies and eventual rapid growth of the city. At the same time, Katowice became linked to the railway system with the first train arriving at the main station in 1847.

The outbreak of World War I was favourable for Katowice due to the prospering steel industry. Following Germany's defeat and the Silesian Uprisings aimed at unfair pro-German plebiscites, Katowice and parts of Upper Silesia were annexed by the Second Polish Republic. Poland was then backed by the Geneva Convention and the ethnic Silesian minority. On 3 May 1921, the Polish army entered Katowice and the Polish administration took control. The city became the capital of the autonomous Silesian Voivodeship as well as the seat of the Silesian Parliament and Committee of Upper Silesia. After the plebiscite many former German citizens emigrated, however a vibrant German community remained until the end of World War II. In 1939, after the Wehrmacht seized the town, Katowice and the provinces were incorporated into the Third Reich. The town was eventually liberated by the Allies on 27 January 1945.

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Wikipedia