Zawiercie

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Zawiercie is a city in the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland with 55,800 inhabitants (2005). It is situated in the Kraków-Częstochowa highland near the source of the Warta River.

[edit] History

In the 12th century the settlement was a village called Kromołów (currently a district of Zawiercie). It expanded in the 19th century and received town privileges in 1915. While Zawiercie was occupied by Nazi Germany, it was known in German as Warthenau from 1941-1945. In 1847, a railroad was laid down between Warsaw, Poland and Vienna, Austria. The railroad connection enabled the commercial development between Poland, Germany and Austria. The fact that Zawiercie was located less than one kilometer from the railroad triggered the rapid development of the region. Twenty-five years later, there were coal and iron ore mines in Zawiercie and an industry was developed around the mines in the town. The first industry, a glass factory, started around 1870. Immediately other industries followed; a large cotton spinnery, large weaving mill, iron mining, cast iron, brick manufacturing, sawmill, chemical laboratories, steam and water flour mills, machining, etc. The flourishing economics accelerated the local population growth.