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56-613: It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since its formation in 1999. Before 1999, it was located in the Katowice Voivodeship . Będzin is one of the cities of the 2.7 million conurbation - Katowice urban area and within a greater Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area populated by about 5,294,000 people. The population of the city itself as of December 2021 is 55,183. Będzin is located 12 km (7 mi) from Katowice and 4 km (2 mi) from

112-568: A green belt . Bielsko-Biała is enveloped by the Beskidy Mountains which are popular with winter sports fans. It offers over 150 ski lifts and 200 kilometres of ski routes. More and more slopes are illuminated and equipped with artificial snow generators. Szczyrk , Brenna , Wisła and Ustroń are the most popular winter mountain resorts. Rock climbing sites can be found in Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska . In

168-513: A voivodeship , or province , in southern Poland centered on the historic region known as Upper Silesia ( Górny Śląsk ), with Katowice serving as its capital. Despite the Silesian Voivodeship's name, most of the historic Silesia region lies outside the present Silesian Voivodeship – divided among Lubusz , Lower Silesian , and Opole Voivodeships . The eastern half of Silesian Voivodeship (and, notably, Częstochowa in

224-453: A German form, Bendsburg , and it was part of Upper Silesia Province , as the capital of Landkreis Bendsburg . During the war the city was the base for a working party (E716) of British and Commonwealth prisoners of war , under the administration of Stalag VIII-B/344 at Łambinowice (then known as Lamsdorf ). In January 1945, as the Soviet armies resumed their offensive and advanced from

280-620: A fighter in Warsaw in the ghetto revolt there. All the resistance fighters were killed in the action. More than 1000 Będzin Jews survived the war, several given help by local Poles. On January 27, 1945, the town was captured by the Red Army . Subsequently, the castle was rebuilt, now housing the Museum of Zagłębie . New districts with blocks of flats were built and new factories were opened, including

336-733: A group of Jews who escaped the German massacre by opening the gates of the Holy Trinity church to them and giving them shelter. The German police carried out mass searches of Polish houses. Inhabitants of Będzin were also among Poles murdered in Celiny in June 1940. The Będzin Ghetto was established by the German occupational authority in July 1940. During the occupation , the city's name was changed to

392-547: A major part of today's Silesian Voivodeship. In 1950 Śląsko-Dąbrowskie Voivodeship was divided into Opole and Katowice Voivodeships. The latter had borders similar to the borders of modern Silesian Voivodeship. The present Silesian Voivodeship was formed on 1 January 1999 from the following voivodeships of the previous administrative division: The Silesian Voivodeship borders both the Moravian-Silesian Region ( Czech Republic ), Žilina Region ( Slovakia ) to

448-399: Is St. Dorothy Mountain 382 m (1,253 ft) above sea level , and the area of Będzin is 37.37 km (14.43 sq mi). Będzin is divided into eight districts: Grodziec in 1951–1975 was a separate town, Gzichów is part of Będzin since 1915, Ksawera is part of Będzin since 1923, Łagisza in 1967–1973 was a separate town, Małobądz is part of Będzin since 1915, Śródmieście

504-472: Is divided into 36 counties ( powiats ). These include 19 city counties (far more than any other voivodeship) and 17 land counties. The counties are further divided into 167 gminas . The counties are listed in the following table (ordering within categories is by decreasing population). Protected areas in Silesian Voivodeship include eight areas designated as Landscape Parks : Football , motorcycle speedway , handball , ice hockey and volleyball enjoy

560-605: Is formed by the Beskidy Mountains ( Beskid Śląski and Beskid Żywiecki ). The current administrative unit of Silesian Voivodeship is just a fraction of the historical Silesia which is within the borders of today's Poland (there are also fragments of Silesia in the Czech Republic and Germany). Other parts of today's Polish Silesia are administered as the Opole , the Lower Silesian Voivodeships and

616-542: Is nationally renowned. Bielsko-Biała is home of the Technical-Humanistic Academy. In addition, 17 new private schools have been established in the region. There are over 300,000 people currently studying in the Voivodeship. The biggest universities (for day 30.11.2016 r.) are: The Silesian voivodeship's government is headed by the province's voivode ( governor ) who is appointed by

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672-816: Is the Basilica of St. Mary and St. Bartholomew in Piekary Śląskie . Other notable historic churches include the St. Nicholas' Chapel in Cieszyn , a Romanesque rotunda, depicted on the 20 złotych note , and the St. Mary Magdalene Church in Cieszyn, which contains a number of sarcophagi of Polish dukes from the Piast dynasty . There are three spa towns in the voivodeship: Goczałkowice-Zdrój , Jastrzębie-Zdrój , and Ustroń . With its more than two centuries of industrial history,

728-399: Is the historic center, Warpie is part of Będzin since 1923. The name Będzin most probably comes from ancient Polish given name Beda or Bedzan . In the past, the town was also called Banden, Bandin, Bandzien, Bondin, Bandzen, Bandzin, Badzin, Bendzin, and Bendsburg (1939–1945). First mention of the village of Będzin comes from 1301, but a settlement (or a grod ) had existed here since

784-811: Is the westernmost broad gauge railway line in Europe that is connected to the broad gauge rail system of the countries of the former Soviet Union. Large part of the Upper Silesia conurbation features the Silesian Interurbans , the longest tram network in Poland, and one of the largest in the world. Bus and tram transport in and around Katowice and surrounding cities is managed by the Metropolitan Transport Authority (ZTM) since 2019. There are eleven public universities in

840-632: The Balkans . A relatively short distance to Vienna facilitates cross-border co-operation and may positively influence the process of European integration. Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa (known by its acronym LHS , English: Broad gauge metallurgy line ) in Sławków is the longest broad gauge railway line in Poland. The line runs on a single track for almost 400 km from the Polish- Ukrainian border, crossing it just east of Hrubieszów . It

896-639: The Black Przemsza River which runs through the city was also an important transport hub. The "Black" Przemsza is so named because the river bed as it flows through Będzin exposes a coal seam, making the water above it appear black. The city's most notable sports club is volleyball team MKS Będzin , which competes in the PlusLiga (Poland's top division). Other clubs include association football teams Sarmacja Będzin  [ pl ] and RKS Grodziec  [ pl ] , which compete in

952-603: The January Uprising of 1863–1864 and Silesian Uprisings of 1919–1921, and Świętochłowice hosts the Silesian Uprisings Museum. There are numerous World War II memorials in the voivodeship, including at the sites of Nazi massacres of Poles and Jews, and at the sites of former Nazi German forced labour camps and prisons. The Gliwice Radio Tower and Katowice Parachute Tower are local symbols of German provocation and Polish resistance during

1008-715: The January Uprising , in February 1863, Będzin was captured by Polish insurgents after their victory in the Battle of Sosnowiec nearby. The Będzin Power Station was opened in 1913. Będzin was eventually restored to Poland, when the country regained independence in 1918, after World War I . In the Second Polish Republic Będzin was an important center of local administration and industry. New rail station, waterworks, schools and offices were built. During

1064-478: The Lubusz Voivodeship . On the other hand, a large part of the current administrative unit of the Silesian Voivodeship is not part of historical Silesia (e.g., Częstochowa , Zawiercie , Myszków , Jaworzno , Sosnowiec , Żywiec , Dąbrowa Górnicza , Będzin and east part of Bielsko-Biała , which were historically parts of Lesser Poland ). Silesian Voivodeship has the highest population density in

1120-490: The Polish Prime Minister . The voivode is then assisted in performing his duties by the voivodeship's marshal, who is the appointed speaker for the voivodeship's executive and is elected by the sejmik (provincial assembly). The current voivode of Silesia is Jarosław Wieczorek, whilst the present marshal is Wojciech Saługa. The Sejmik of Silesia consists of 48 members. Silesian Voivodeship

1176-486: The invasion of Poland , German troops committed several massacres of Polish civilians and defenders, including children, and Jews within the territory of the current Silesian Voivodeship, including the largest at Parzymiechy , Albertów , Częstochowa , Katowice , Będzin , and Sławków . During the subsequent occupation, on 8 October 1939, Hitler published a decree called, " About division and administration of Eastern Territories ". A Silesian Province ( Gau Schlesien )

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1232-561: The Łagisza Power Station . Until World War II, Będzin had a vibrant Jewish community . Bedzin was known as "Yerushalayim de Zeglembie" ("Jerusalem of Zagłębie). According to the Russian census of 1897 , out of the total population of 21,200, Jews constituted 10,800 (around 51% percent). According to the Polish census of 1921 the town had a Jewish community consisting of 17,298 people, or 62.1 percent of its total population. In September 1939,

1288-419: The 94th ( Zgorzelec - Kraków ), and the 86th ( Katowice - Warsaw ). Katowice International Airport is located 23 km (14 mi) away, at Pyrzowice. The town also is a rail hub, where two connections meet. Będzin has three rail stations ( Będzin-Miasto , Będzin and Będzin-Ksawera ), and convenient bus and tram connections to neighboring cities. The first tram line was opened there in 1928. At that time

1344-661: The 9th century, guarding ancient trade route from Kyiv to Western Europe. In the 1340s, a town was founded here, with King Casimir III the Great building a stone strongpoint. On August 5, 1358, Będzin was incorporated as a town, and became a royal city of Poland, administratively located in the Kraków Voivodeship in the Lesser Poland Province . In the Jagiellonian period Będzin, located on

1400-589: The Eagle's Nests , including at Bobolice , Mirów , Ogrodzieniec and Olsztyn . The best-preserved palaces include those at Brynek , Kłobuck , Koniecpol , Kończyce Wielkie , Pławniowice , Sosnowiec and Złoty Potok . Often visited is the Black Madonna 's Jasna Góra Sanctuary in Częstochowa – the annual destination of over 4 million pilgrims from all over the world. Another local pilgrimage destination

1456-667: The German invasion of Poland , which started World War II , the Wehrmacht entered Będzin on September 4, 1939, and in the following days the Germans committed the first atrocities in the city. On September 6, the Germans murdered 20 Poles , and on September 9, they murdered 100 Jews , set fire to the synagogue and Jewish houses, and then in attempt to blame the Poles they arrested and executed 42 Poles. Local Polish parish priest Wincenty Mieczysław Zawadzki  [ pl ] rescued

1512-618: The German Army ( Wehrmacht ) overran this area, followed by the SS death squads ( Einsatzgruppen ), who burned the Będzin synagogue and murdered 200 Jewish inhabitants. A Będzin Ghetto was created in 1942. Eventually, in the summer of 1943, most of the Jews in Będzin were deported to Auschwitz concentration camp . After World War II, the Mizrachi synagogue was used as a storage room by residents of

1568-493: The Germans also operated a subcamp of the Auschwitz concentration camp in the present-day district of Łagisza, in which they held and brutalized from 300 to over 700 prisoners as forced labourers . In August 1943, as the Germans attempted to round up the last Jews still in Będzin, Jewish resistance fighters staged an armed revolt that lasted several days. One of the leaders was a woman, Frumka Plotnicka , who had earlier been

1624-583: The Silesian Province ( Provinz Schlesien ) underwent new administrative division and as a result Upper Silesian Province was created ( Provinz Oberschlesien ): Nazi Germany established and operated a network of Polenlager forced labour camps and multiple subcamps of the Auschwitz concentration camp in the area. After the War during 1945–1950 there existed a Silesian Voivodeship, commonly known as Śląsko-Dąbrowskie Voivodeship, which included

1680-526: The area. In the 19th century, Będzin and its vicinity enjoyed a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization. New settlements and towns were founded, and the region of Zagłębie Dąbrowskie was established in southwestern corner of Congress Poland. In 1858, Będzin got its first rail connection, due to construction of the Warsaw–Vienna railway . The town increased in population and size, when town limits were expanded by including neighboring settlements. During

1736-583: The area: Katowice and Częstochowa. The voivodship's economy consists of about 323,000, mostly small and medium-sized, enterprises employing over 3 million people. The biggest Polish steel-works "Huta Katowice" is situated in Dąbrowa Górnicza . The unemployment rate stood at 3.9% in 2017 and was lower than the national average. Katowice International Airport (in Tarnowskie Góry County ) is used for domestic and international flights, with

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1792-506: The border between Lesser Poland and Silesia, was a major trade center. In 1565 King Sigismund II Augustus allowed the town to have five markets a week, and in 1589, at Będzin Castle , Polish– Austrian negotiations took place. At that time, a Jewish community already existed here. In 1655, during The Deluge , both town and castle were destroyed by the Swedes, and Będzin did not recover from

1848-437: The building until its discovery by a member of the city council who became interested in preserving the city's Jewish heritage. The synagogue has since been renovated and is open to visitors who register in advance. Close by is another synagogue, Brama Cukerman (Cukerman's Gate), which had been turned into a residential apartment and has also been restored. Będzin is conveniently located at the intersection of two national roads -

1904-407: The center of Sosnowiec . Together with Sosnowiec, Dąbrowa Górnicza , Czeladź , Wojkowice , Sławków and Siewierz it is a part of Zagłębie Dąbrowskie , a highly industrialized and densely populated part of western Lesser Poland. Będzin borders the cities of Sosnowiec, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Czeladź, Siemianowice Śląskie , and Wojkowice, as well as the village of Psary . The highest point of the town

1960-453: The country (379 people per square kilometre, compared to the national average of 124). The region's considerable industrialisation gives it the lowest unemployment rate nationally (6.2%). The Silesian region is the most industrialized and the most urbanized region in Poland: 78% of its population live in towns and cities. Both the northern and southern parts of the voivodeship are surrounded by

2016-539: The destruction for many years. Following the Third Partition of Poland , in 1795 the town was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia , and was included within the newly established province of New Silesia . In 1807 it was regained by Poles and included in the short-lived Duchy of Warsaw and in 1815 it became part of Russian-controlled Congress Poland . In the late 18th century rich deposits of coal were found in

2072-403: The east, the prisoners were marched westward in the so-called Long March or Death March. Many of them died from the bitter cold and exhaustion. The lucky ones got far enough to the west to be liberated by the allied armies after some four months of travelling on foot in appalling conditions. Their sufferings, though severe, pale by comparison to those of the Jews of Będzin (see below). In 1943–1944,

2128-467: The largest following in the voivodeship, with several successful teams. Most accomplished clubs include men's football clubs Górnik Zabrze and Ruch Chorzów , women's football club Czarni Sosnowiec , speedway team KS ROW Rybnik , ice hockey team GKS Katowice , men's volleyball team Jastrzębski Węgiel and women's volleyball team BKS Bielsko-Biała . Since the establishment of the province, several major international sports competitions were co-hosted by

2184-455: The lower leagues, and American football team Zagłębie Steelers . Będzin is twinned with: Former twin towns: In March 2022, Będzin terminated its partnership with the Russian city of Izhevsk as a response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . Silesian Voivodeship Silesian Voivodeship ( Polish : województwo śląskie [vɔjɛˈvut͡stfɔ ˈɕlɔ̃skʲɛ] ) is

2240-780: The mining is derived from one of the world's largest bituminous coalfields of the Upper Silesian Industrial District ( Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy ) and the Rybnik Coal District ( Rybnicki Okręg Węglowy ) with its major cities Rybnik , Jastrzębie-Zdrój , Żory and Wodzisław Śląski . Lead and zinc can be found near Bytom , Zawiercie and Tarnowskie Góry ; iron ore and raw materials for building – near Częstochowa . The most important regional industries are: mining, iron, lead and zinc metallurgy, power industry, engineering, automobile, chemical, building materials and textile. In

2296-644: The night at Olkusz, and in the morning of 6 February they marched westwards, to Sławków and then Maczki (now a district of Sosnowiec). At that time Maczki was a very important railroad station, located at the border of the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia . The insurgents captured a train with the assistance of rail workers and coal miners from the Zagłębie Dąbrowskie region, and at 9 p.m. left Maczki, heading to Sosnowiec via Dąbrowa Górnicza . At 2 a.m. on 7 February, insurgent infantry left

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2352-458: The north) was historically part of Lesser Poland . It is the most densely populated voivodeship in Poland. Within the area of 12,300 square kilometres, there are almost 5 million inhabitants. It is also the largest urbanised area in Central and Eastern Europe . In relation to economy, over 13% of Poland's gross domestic product (GDP) is generated here, making the Silesian Voivodeship one of

2408-573: The other nearby airports being John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice . The Silesian agglomeration railway network has the largest concentration in the country. The voivodship capital enjoys good railway and road connections with Gdańsk ( motorway A1 ) and Ostrava (motorway A1), Kraków ( motorway A4 ), Wrocław (motorway A4), Łódź (motorway A1) and Warsaw . It is also the crossing point for many international routes like E40 connecting Calais , Brussels , Cologne , Dresden , Wrocław , Kraków and Kyiv and E75 from Scandinavia to

2464-566: The past, the Silesian economy was determined by coal mining. Now, considering the investment volume, car manufacturing is becoming more and more important. The most profitable company in the region is Fiat Auto-Poland S.A. in Bielsko-Biała with a revenue of PLN 6.2 billion in 1997. Recently a new car factory has been opened by GM Opel in Gliwice. There are two Special Economic Zones in

2520-522: The present one – lands and cities of old pre-Partition Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . Among the last ones the Southern part was included in Kraków Voivodeship Żywiec , Wilamowice , Biała Krakowska and Jaworzno ), and the North Western part Będzin , Dąbrowa Górnicza , Sosnowiec , Częstochowa , Myszków , Szczekociny , Zawiercie , Sławków ) belonged to Kielce Voivodeship . During

2576-552: The province was 61 billion € in 2018, accounting for 12.3% of the Polish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 22,200 € or 74% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 83% of the EU average. Silesia Voivodship is the province with the fourth highest GDP per capita in Poland. The Silesian voivodship is predominantly an industrial region. Most of

2632-587: The province, including the EuroBasket 2009 , 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship , 2016 European Men's Handball Championship , 2017 Men's European Volleyball Championship , 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship , 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup , 2021 Men's European Volleyball Championship , 2023 World Men's Handball Championship . 50°20′00″N 19°00′01″E  /  50.33333°N 19.00028°E  / 50.33333; 19.00028 Battle of Sosnowiec The Battle of Sosnowiec

2688-689: The region has a number of technical heritage memorials. These include narrow and standard gauge railways, coal and silver mines, and shafts and their equipment from the 19th and 20th centuries. The historic coal mine complex in Zabrze is listed as a Historic Monument of Poland , and the Historic Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry is listed as both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Historic Monument of Poland. There are numerous memorials to Polish uprisings against foreign rule, including

2744-558: The south-western part of the voivodeship are parks and old monasteries ( Rudy Raciborskie , Wodzisław Śląski ). Along the Oder River are interesting natural reserves and places for swimming during the summer. There are numerous castles and palaces in the voivodeship, including the medieval castles of the Piast dynasty in Będzin , Gliwice , Racibórz , and the castles forming the Trail of

2800-544: The south. It is also bordered by four other Polish voivodeships: those of Opole (to the west), Łódź (to the north), Świętokrzyskie (to the north-east), and Lesser Poland (to the east). The region includes the Silesian Upland ( Wyżyna Śląska ) in the centre and north-west, and the Krakowsko-Częstochowska Upland ( Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska ) in the north-east. The southern border

2856-540: The train near Sielec, marching to the Sosnowiec Main Station. Then they attacked Russian garrison, which manned the station and nearby custom house. After some time, the Russians fled either to Modrzejów, or towards the nearby Prussian border. The Poles then released 30 captured prisoners of war, but several joined the insurgents. The insurgents seized 40 horses, weapons, and 97,000 roubles , sharing

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2912-959: The voivodship. The biggest university is the University of Silesia in Katowice , with 43,000 students. The region's capital boasts the Medical University , The Karol Adamiecki University of Economics in Katowice , the University of Music in Katowice , the Physical Education Academy and the Academy of Fine Arts. Częstochowa is the seat of the Częstochowa University of Technology and Pedagogic University. The Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice

2968-425: The war, respectively. Due to its industrial and urban nature, the voivodeship has many cities and large towns. Of Poland's 40 most-populous cities, 12 are in Silesian Voivodeship. 19 of the cities in the voivodeship have the legal status of city-county (see powiat ). In all, it has 24 cities and 47 towns, listed below in descending order of population (as of 2019): Towns: The gross domestic product (GDP) of

3024-570: The wealthiest provinces in the country. The first Silesian Voivodeship was created in the Second Polish Republic . It had a much wider range of autonomy than other contemporary Polish voivodeships, and it covered all the historical lands of Upper Silesia which ended up in Interwar period Poland. Among these were Katowice , Rybnik , Pszczyna , Wodzisław Śląski , Żory , Mikołów , Tychy , Chorzów , Tarnowskie Góry , Miasteczko Śląskie , Woźniki , Lubliniec , Cieszyn , Skoczów , and Bielsko . This Voivodeship did not include – as opposed to

3080-534: Was created, with a seat in Breslau (Wrocław) . It consisted of four districts: Kattowitz, Oppeln, Breslau and Liegnitz. The following counties were included in Kattowitz District: Kattowitz, Königshütte, Tarnowitz, Beuthen Hindenburg, Gleiwitz, Freistadt, Teschen, Biala, Bielitz, Saybusch, Pleß, Sosnowitz, Bendzin and parts of the following counties: Kranau, Olkusch, Riebnich and Wadowitz. However, according to Hitler's decree from 12 October 1939 about establishing General Government , Częstochowa belonged to GG. In 1941

3136-541: Was one of battles of the January Uprising . It took place in the night of 6–7 February 1863, between Polish insurgents under Colonel Apolinary Kurowski, and the Imperial Russian Army garrison stationed in the town of Sosnowiec , in the Russian-ruled territory known officially as the ‘Kingdom of Poland’, otherwise Congress Poland . On 5 February 1863 Kurowski and his men left Ojców , and marched towards Olkusz . He had some 150 men, who were joined by additional 100, including cavalry, riflemen and kosynierzy . The unit spent

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