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Silesia

Silesia (Polish: Śląsk; German: Schlesien; Latin: Silesia; Silesian: Ślůnsk) is a historical region of Poland. From 1742 to 1945, it was a province in the east of Prussia and later Germany. In 1945, all of Poland was occupied by the Soviet Red Army. In the following years, the communist occupant enacted laws that in effect chased away all of the remaining owners.

Historical region
Flag of {{{official_name}}}
Flag
POL województwo dolnośląskie COA.svg
Coat of arms
     Austrian Silesia, before 1740 Prussian annexation     Prussian Silesia, 1871     Oder riverBasemap shows modern national borders.
     Austrian Silesia,
before 1740 Prussian annexation     Prussian Silesia, 1871     Oder riverBasemap shows modern national borders.
Coordinates: 51°36′N 17°12′E / 51.6°N 17.2°E / 51.6; 17.2Coordinates: 51°36′N 17°12′E / 51.6°N 17.2°E / 51.6; 17.2
Country
Largest cityWrocław
Area
 • Total40,000 km2 (20,000 sq mi)
Population
 • Totalc. 8,000,000
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)

Geography

Silesia is along the upper and middle Oder River, upper Vistula River, and along the Sudetes and the Carpathian Mountains.

The highest point of Silesia is the Śnieżka, in the Sudetes.

 

Cities

Here is a list of cities in Silesia with a population of over 20,000 in 2015:

Name Population Area Country Administrative Historic subregion
1
 
 Wrocław 632,067 293 km2 (113 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
2
 
 Katowice 304,362 165 km2 (64 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
3
 
 Ostrava* 287,968 214 km2 (83 sq mi)     Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia/Moravia
4
 
 Gliwice 185,450 134 km2 (52 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
5
 
 Zabrze 178,357 80 km2 (31 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
6
 
 Bielsko-Biała* 173,699 125 km2 (48 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia/Lesser Poland
7
 
 Bytom 173,439 69 km2 (27 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
8
 
 Ruda Śląska 141,521 78 km2 (30 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
9
 
 Rybnik 140,173 148 km2 (57 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
10
 
 Tychy 128,799 82 km2 (32 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
11
 
 Opole 120,146 97 km2 (37 sq mi)     Opole Voivodeship Upper Silesia
12
 
 Zielona Góra 118,405 58 km2 (22 sq mi)     Lubusz Voivodeship Lower Silesia
13
 
 Wałbrzych 117,926 85 km2 (33 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
14
 
 Chorzów 110,761 33 km2 (13 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
15
 
 Legnica 101,992 56 km2 (22 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
16
 
 Jastrzębie-Zdrój 91,235 85 km2 (33 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
17
 
 Jelenia Góra 81,985 109 km2 (42 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
18
 
 Mysłowice 75,129 66 km2 (25 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
19
 
 Lubin 74,053 41 km2 (16 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
20
 
 Havířov 71,200 32 km2 (12 sq mi)     Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia
21
 
 Głogów 68,997 35 km2 (14 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
22
 
 Siemianowice Śląskie 68,844 25 km2 (10 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
23
 
 Kędzierzyn-Koźle 63,194 124 km2 (48 sq mi)     Opole Voivodeship Upper Silesia
24
 
 Żory 62,038 65 km2 (25 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
25
 
 Tarnowskie Góry 60,957 84 km2 (32 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
26
 
 Świdnica 59,182 22 km2 (8 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
27
 
 Opava 57,676 91 km2 (35 sq mi)     Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia
28
 
 Piekary Śląskie 57,148 40 km2 (15 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
29
 
 Frýdek-Místek* 56,450 52 km2 (20 sq mi)     Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia/Moravia
30
 
 Racibórz 55,930 75 km2 (29 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
31
 
 Görlitz** 55,255 68 km2 (26 sq mi)     Free State of Saxony Historically part of Lusatia, Görlitz was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1319–1329 and 1815–1945
32
 
 Karviná 52,128 57 km2 (22 sq mi)     Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia
33
 
 Świętochłowice 51,824 13 km2 (5 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
34
 
 Wodzisław Śląski 48,731 50 km2 (19 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
35
 
 Nysa 44,899 27 km2 (10 sq mi)     Opole Voivodeship Lower Silesia
36
 
 Mikołów 39,776 79 km2 (31 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
37
 
 Nowa Sól 39,721 22 km2 (8 sq mi)     Lubusz Voivodeship Lower Silesia
38
 
 Bolesławiec 39,603 24 km2 (9 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
39
 
 Knurów 39,090 34 km2 (13 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
40
 
 Oleśnica 37,303 21 km2 (8 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
41
 
 Brzeg 36,980 15 km2 (6 sq mi)     Opole Voivodeship Lower Silesia
42
 
 Cieszyn 35,918 29 km2 (11 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
43
 
 Czechowice-Dziedzice 35,684 33 km2 (13 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
44
 
 Třinec 35,002 85 km2 (33 sq mi)     Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia
45
 
 Dzierżoniów 34,428 20 km2 (8 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
46
 
 Hoyerswerda/Wojerecy** 33,843 96 km2 (37 sq mi)     Free State of Saxony Historically part of Lusatia, Hoyerswerda was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1825–1945
47
 
 Oława 32,240 27 km2 (10 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
48
 
 Zgorzelec** 31,890 16 km2 (6 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Historically part of Lusatia, Zgorzelec was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1319–1329 and 1815–1945
49
 
 Bielawa 31,186 36 km2 (14 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
50
 
 Kluczbork 24,207 12 km2 (5 sq mi)     Opole Voivodeship Lower Silesia
51
 
 Lubliniec 24,105 89 km2 (34 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
52
 
 Krnov 24,079 44 km2 (17 sq mi)     Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia
53
 
 Jawor 23,650 19 km2 (7 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
54
 
 Żagań 23,235 40 km2 (15 sq mi)     Lubusz Voivodeship Lower Silesia
55
 
 Świebodzice 23,197 30 km2 (12 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
56
 
 Nowa Ruda 22,823 37 km2 (14 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
57
 
 Polkowice 22,535 24 km2 (9 sq mi)     Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
58
 
 Łaziska Górne 22,413 21 km2 (8 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
59
 
 Świebodzin 21,963 11 km2 (4 sq mi)     Lubusz Voivodeship Lower Silesia
60
 
 Rydułtowy 21,741 15 km2 (6 sq mi)     Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
61
 
 Prudnik 21,472 21 km2 (8 sq mi)     Opole Voivodeship Upper Silesia
62
 
 Bohumín 21,340 31 km2 (12 sq mi)     Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia

* Only partly in Silesia

Famous people

There are many famous people who were born in Silesia:

Gallery

  • First map of Silesia (1561)

  • City hall of Breslau, Germany between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900. View from the east.

  • Krummhuebel, Church of Wang (German: Kirche Wang) between 1890 and 1905.

  • Postcard of the market square in the city of Oppeln in 1904.

  • Hotel "Haus Oberschlesien" (transl.: Upper Silesia House) in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia, Germany, 1928

Silesia Media

Other websites


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