Silesia
region of Central Europe now located mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany
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.
Silesia | |
---|---|
Historical region | |
Coordinates: 51°36′N 17°12′E / 51.6°N 17.2°E | |
Country | |
Largest city | Wrocław |
Area | |
• Total | 40,000 km2 (20,000 sq mi) |
Population | |
• Total | c. 8,000,000 |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Geography
changeSilesia 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
changeHere 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
changeThere are many famous people who were born in Silesia:
- Writers, poets and playwrights like Andreas Gryphius, Martin Opitz, Fürst von Pückler-Muskau, Carl Hauptmann, Gerhart Hauptmann (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1912), Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Gustav Freytag
- Members of the German Resistance such as Peter Graf Yorck von Wartenburg, Helmuth James Graf von Moltke
- Military officers like Manfred von Richthofen, Erwin von Witzleben
- Painters like Adolph von Menzel
- Philosophers like Jakob Böhme
- Actors like Dieter Hildebrandt, Victor de Kowa, Ludwig M. Lommel, Wolfgang Neuss, Willy Fritsch, Hanna Schygulla, Georg Thomalla
- Politicians like Paul Löbe (SPD), Klaus Töpfer (CDU), Manfred Kanther (CDU), Ferdinand Lassalle, Erich Mende (FDP)
- Scientists like Hans G. Dehmelt (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1989), Paul Ehrlich (Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1908), Friedrich Bergius (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1931), Max Born (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1954), Fritz Haber (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1918), Reinhard Selten (Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, 1994), Konrad Bloch (Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1964), Bernhard Grzimek, Johannes Winkler, Maria Goeppert-Mayer (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1963), Kurt Alder (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1950), Otto Stern (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1943)
- Builder and architects like Carl Gotthard Langhans
- Musicians like Katja Ebstein, Roy Etzel, Michael Jary
Gallery
change-
First map of Silesia (1561)
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City hall of Breslau, Germany between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900. View from the east.
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Krummhuebel, Church of Wang (German: Kirche Wang) between 1890 and 1905.
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Postcard of the market square in the city of Oppeln in 1904.
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Hotel "Haus Oberschlesien" (transl.: Upper Silesia House) in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia, Germany, 1928
Other websites
changeWikimedia Commons has media related to Silesia.
- http://www.schlesien-lm.de - official website of the Landsmannschaft Schlesien
- http://www.schlesierbund.de - Schlesierbund from Nürnberg, Germany
- http://www.deutsche-schutzgebiete.de/provinz_schlesien.htm - Deutsche Schutzgebiete - Provinz Schlesien