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
Flag of Silesia
  Austrian Silesia,
before 1740 Prussian annexation
  Prussian Silesia, 1871
  Oder river
Basemap shows modern national borders.
Coordinates: 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

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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

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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

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There are many famous people who were born in Silesia:

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Other websites

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