Zabrze

Zabrze

Main Post Office

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Coat of arms
Zabrze
Coordinates: 50°18′N 18°47′E / 50.300°N 18.783°E / 50.300; 18.783
Country Poland
Voivodeship Silesian
County city county
Established thirteenth century
Town rights 1922
Government
 • Mayor Małgorzata Mańka-Szulik
Area
 • City 80.40 km2 (31.04 sq mi)
Population (2013)
 • City 179,452[1]
 • Urban 2,746,000
 • Metro 4,620,624
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 41-800 to 41-820
Area code(s) +48 32
Car plates SZ
Website um.zabrze.pl

Zabrze [ˈzabʐɛ] (English: /ˈzɑːbʒeɪ/) (German: 1915–1945: Hindenburg O.S., full form: Hindenburg in Oberschlesien, 1905–1915: Zabrze, Silesian: Zobrze) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The west district of the Silesian Metropolis, a metropolis with a population of around 2 million. It is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Bytomka river, a tributary of the Oder.

Zabrze is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship which was reformulated in 1999. Prior to 1999 it was situated in Katowice Voivodeship. It is one of the cities composing the 2.7 million inhabitant conurbation referred to as the Katowice urban area, itself a major centre in the greater Silesian metropolitan area which is populated by just over five million people.[2] The population of Zabrze as of June 2009, is 188,122.[3]

History

Façade of St Joseph's Church, Zabrze
Fire station

Early history

Biskupice (Biskupitz), which is now a subdivision of Zabrze, was first mentioned in 1243 as Biscupici dicitur cirka Bitom. Alt-Zabrze was mentioned in 1295-1305 as Sadbre sive Cunczindorf (sive = or). In the Late Middle Ages, the local Silesian Piast dukes invited German settlers into the territory resulting in increasing German settlement. Zabrze became part of the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria in 1526, and was later annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia during the Silesian Wars. In 1774, the Dorotheendorf settlement was founded. When the first mine in Zabrze became operational in 1790, the town became an important mining center.

Early twentieth century

In 1905, the Zabrze commune was formed by the former communes Alt-Zabrze, Klein-Zabrze and Dorotheendorf. The Zabrze commune was renamed Hindenburg in 1915 in honour of Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg. The name change was approved by King Wilhelm II on 21 February 1915.[4] During the plebiscite held after World War I, 21,333 inhabitants (59%) of the Hindenburg commune voted to remain in Germany, while 14,873 (41%) voted for incorporation to Poland.[4] In May 1921 the Third Silesian Uprising broke out and Hindenburg was captured by Polish insurgents, who held it until the end of the uprising.[4] When Upper Silesia was divided between Poland and Germany in 1921, the Hindenburg commune remained in Germany. It received its city charter in 1922. Just five years after founding Hindenburg became the biggest city in German Upper Silesia and the second biggest City in German Silesia after Breslau. In the March 1933 elections, most of the citizens voted for Nazi Party, followed by Zentrum and the Communist Party. Nazi politician Max Fillusch became the city's mayor and remained in the position until 1945.[5]

World War Two and aftermath

The town's synagogue, that had stood since 1872, was destroyed in the Kristallnacht pogroms of November 1938.[6] Following World War II, the city was assigned to Poland in 1945 and was renamed back to Zabrze on May 19, 1945. Most of the German inhabitants were expelled.

Administrative divisions

Districts and housing estates

On the 17th September 2012, the Zabrze city council decided on a new administrative division of the city. Zabrze was subsequently divided into 15 districts and 3 housing estates.[7]

Districts

  • 1. Helenka
  • 2. Grzybowice
  • 3. Rokitnica
  • 4. Mikulczyce
  • 5. Młody Górnik estate
  • 6. Mikołaj Kopernik estate
  • 7. Biskupice
  • 8. Maciejów
  • 9. Tadeusz Kotarbiński estate
  • 10. Centrum Północ
  • 11. Centrum Południe
  • 12. Guido
  • 13. Zaborze Północ
  • 14. Zaborze Południe
  • 15. Pawłów
  • 16. Kończyce
  • 17. Makoszowy
  • 18. Zandka

Infrastructure

The polish A4, which is part of the European E40, has a motorway junction near Zabrze. The Drogowa Trasa Srednicowa leads through the town.

Politics

Members of Parliament (Sejm) elected from Bytom/Gliwice/Zabrze constituency

Sport

Economy

Like other towns in this populous region, it is an important manufacturing centre, having coal-mines, iron, wire, glass, chemical and oil works, breweries, etc.

Panorama of city
Zabrze Chimney Power Plant and Aleja Bohaterow Monte Cassino Street

Notable people

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Zabrze is twinned with these cities:

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Rocznik Demograficzny 2012
  2. ↑ European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON)
  3. ↑ Central Statistical Office, Warsaw 2009, "Population. Size and Structure by Territorial Division, as of June 30, 2009" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-12-31.
  4. 1 2 3 Historia - Hindenburg at the official website of Zabrze
  5. ↑ Stadtkreis Zabrze at Geschichte on Demand website
  6. ↑ Ghetto Fighters' House archives, Photo No. 55805: a memorial monument placed by the Zabrze municipality in 1998 to commemorate its Jewish community.
  7. ↑ Zestawienie liczby mieszkańców z uwzględnieniem podziału na dzielnice na dzień: 30-09-2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zabrze.

Coordinates: 50°18′N 18°47′E / 50.300°N 18.783°E / 50.300; 18.783

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