Bielsko-Biała

Bielsko-Biała
Sights of Bielsko-Biała
Brandmark
Bielsko-Biała
Coordinates: 49°49′21″N 19°2′40″E / 49.82250°N 19.04444°E / 49.82250; 19.04444
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Silesian
County	city county
Town rights	Bielsko before 1312 Biała 1723 merged 1951
Government [1]
• City mayor	Jarosław Klimaszewski [pl] (PO)
Area
• City	124.51 km2 (48.07 sq mi)
Highest elevation [2]	1,117 m (3,665 ft)
Lowest elevation	262 m (860 ft)
Population  (31 December 2022)[3]
• City	166 765 ( UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	43-300 to 43-382
Area code	+48 33
Car plates	SB
Website	http://www.um.bielsko.pl

Bielsko-Biała (Polish:

Bielsko-Biała is the administrative, economic, academic and cultural centre for the Silesian-Lesser Polish border region, sometimes colloquially referred to as Podbeskidzie.[notes 1] It is also an important commercial and industrial hub, as well as a road and railway junction. It is a significant tourist destination due to its numerous architectural monuments (a popular slogan Little Vienna refers to many Revivalist and Art Nouveau buildings shaping the cityscape of the central districts)^[4][5][6] and its direct proximity to the mountains (fourteen mountain peaks lie within the city limits).

Toponymy

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Both Bielsko and Biała derive their names from the Slavic stem *bělъ meaning "white" (in modern Polish biały, in modern Czech bílý). The river Biała was the first to be named in this way. The reason was probably the general impression of the color of the water: "white", that is, bright and clear.^[7] Some researchers also linked the city's name to the bleaching of fiber, which is questionable, however, due to the fact that in the 13th century the cloth industry in Bielsko was not yet developed.^[8]

The

The greater part of Bielsko-Biała lies in the Silesian Foothills (Pogórze Śląskie), which are part of the Western Beskid Foothills (Pogórze Zachodniobeskidzkie) physiographic macroregion. Within the administrative borders of Bielsko-Biała—in the southern districts—there are also mountain massifs of the Little Beskids (Beskid Mały) and the Silesian Beskids (Beskid Śląski). Most of the mountainous areas of Bielsko-Biała lie within two landscape parks: Little Beskids Landscape Park and Silesian Beskids Landscape Park. At the same time, they are protected under the Natura 2000 nature protection programme.

The

Climate

Bielsko-Biała has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) with cold, damp winters and warm, wet summers. However, using the 0 °C isotherm, the climate is a Dfb-type called of humid continental climate, which explains its considerable thermal amplitude for Central Europe. The extremes may still be moderated by the western patterns and winds of this direction, which still maintains hybrid characteristics in the city's climate. Foëhn winds help maintain a milder winter in Bielsko-Biała and average about 4 °C lower than the surrounding mountains each year. The sunniest days are between late summer and early fall, with a few months reaching 9 sunny days. In the 1960s 55 cm of snow cover was recorded.^[9][10]

Air pollution

Bielsko-Biała is a city with relatively high air pollution. According to a 2016 report by the World Health Organization, it was ranked as the twenty-seventh most polluted city in the European Union.^[22] Then in a 2020 report by the IQAir company, it was ranked thirty-eighth in Europe and fifth in Poland.^[23] The biggest contributor to air pollution is the fact that many households, including in the inner city area, still use traditional heating systems based on burning coal. The environmental situation in the city has been gradually improving in recent years. This is influenced by municipal measures such as the "Low Emission Economy Plan", which has been implemented since 2015.^[24] In 2020, 454 coal-fired boilers in residentional buildings were replaced by gas or district heating using municipal subsidies.^[25]

Bielsko-Biała belongs to the cities where the environmental condition has been gradually improving over the past few years. The number of days when the permissible daily concentration of suspended particulate matter PM10 was exceeded in the years 2018-2022 were as follows: 52, 30, 33, 41, 24, respectively.^{[citation needed]}

The main contributors to air pollution are the use of outdated solid fuel sources in households, emissions of gases and particles from industrial plants, and traffic.^{[citation needed]}

The operation of outdated heating systems and solid fuel combustion sources within the city promotes the formation of smog during the heating season. Smog has a negative impact on human health and can also have destructive effects on buildings, especially historical ones.

Pollution from traffic is concentrated within densely built-up areas known as "street canyons." The city's air quality is significantly influenced by transregional factors, such as the influx of pollutants from neighboring municipalities.^{[citation needed]}

The quality of the water flowing through the city has been gradually improving. However, in 2022, the state of a significant portion of surface water, both in the Biała and Wapienica rivers, was classified as poor.^[26]

The city's ecological situation has been gradually improving in recent years, thanks in part to the actions of municipal authorities, such as the implementation of the "Low-Emission Economy Plan" since 2010. Between 2008 and 2022, with the city's support, over 7200 solid fuel boilers and furnaces were eliminated in residential buildings in Bielsko-Biała.

The first municipal Energy Management Bureau in Poland was established in Bielsko-Biała in 1997, and it currently operates as an energy team within the Department of Environmental Protection and Energy of the Municipal Office.^{[citation needed]}

In 2022, there were three monitoring stations in the city as part of the National Air Quality Monitoring System, and the city installed 36 air quality sensors in urban areas to depict the distribution of pollutants within the city [Source: Data from the Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, Municipal Office in Bielsko-Biała].

Districts

Bielsko-Biała is officially divided into 30 osiedla, which are auxiliary units of the municipality.

In parallel, there is a division into obręby ewidencyjne (cadastral areas), the boundaries of which reflect the former boundaries of the municipalities gradually incorporated into Bielsko-Biała in the 20th century, as well as the boundaries of the historical districts (suburbs) of Bielsko. These are:

• Bielsko Miasto (comprises the Old Town of Bielsko)
• Biała Miasto (comprises Biała within the original boundaries from the 18th century)
• Dolne Przedmieście (formally divided into thirteen small areas)
• Górne Przedmieście
• Żywieckie Przedmieście
• Aleksandrowice
• Hałcnów and Hałcnów 2
• Lipnik
• Kamienica
• Komorowice Śląskie
• Komorowice Krakowskie
• Mikuszowice Śląskie
• Mikuszowice Krakowskie
• Olszówka Dolna
• Olszówka Górna
• Stare Bielsko
• Straconka
• Wapienica

Some peripheral areas are also included within obręby ewidencyjne of Bystra Śląska, Jaworze, Mazańcowice, Międzyrzecze Górne and Pisarzowice, which is a result of the incorporation of parts of these villages into Bielsko-Biała. In some cases (e.g. Mikuszowice Krakowskie, Stare Bielsko, Straconka) the boundaries of osiedla and obręby ewidencyjne are similar, in many others (e.g. Aleksandrowice, Dolne Przedmieście, Lipnik, Mikuszowice Śląskie) osiedla and obręby ewidencyjne with the same names do not correspond territorially. The commons understanding of 'districts' in Bielsko-Biała and the belonging of particular areas to them draws loosely on both types of division.

History

Bielsko

There has been human habitation in Bielsko since around 1400 BC, wooden tools have been found along with stone axes dating from 1000 BC. The remnants of a fortified settlement in what is now the

In the second half of the 13th century, the

With Bohemia and the Upper Silesian Duchy of Cieszyn, Bielsko in 1526 was inherited by the Austrian

Bielsko was the first town in the Duchy of Cieszyn where the teachings of Martin Luther spread in the late 1530s, even before Duke Wenceslaus III Adam adopted Lutheranism in 1545. Also later, Bielsko was home to the strongest Protestant community in the whole of Cieszyn Silesia, which in 1587 obtained a privilege guaranteeing that only Lutheran services would be held in the town. Jiří Třanovský was active in the Bielsko castle. Bielsko retained its Protestant character also after the Thirty Years' War. The recatholisation campaign, which started in the second half of the 17th century, was not very successful. Throughout the Counter-Reformation period, Lutheran services were held—at first in the Holy Trinity Church with the permission of the authorities, later in homes or in the surrounding Beskid forests (the so-called forest churches)—and immediately after the issuing of the Patent of Toleration by Emperor Joseph II in 1781, an Evangelical district was established north of the historical centre, with the Church of the Saviour, the present seat of the Lutheran bishop and schools, known as the Bielsko Zion (Bielski Syjon). To this day, it remains a Protestant cultural centre of supra-regional significance. In 1900, a monument to Martin Luther was unveiled there. It was one of only two in the whole of Austria-Hungary (the other was erected in the Bohemian town of Aš), and now is the only one within the borders of Poland. In the second half of the 19th century, Lutherans ceased to constitute the majority of the population due to the influx of new inhabitants, mostly Catholic or Jewish.

After the Prussian king Frederick the Great had invaded Silesia, Bielsko remained with the Habsburg monarchy as part of Austrian Silesia according to the 1742 Treaty of Breslau. In late 1849 Bielsko became a seat of political district. In 1870 it became a statutory city.

The town's development in the 19th century was primarily linked to the

However, the demographic boom was weaker than, for example, in the

On the other hand, the interwar period is associated with numerous construction projects, such as a new residential district in

The history of Biała dates back to the second half of the 16th century. The first written mention comes from 1564 and describes a small craftsmen settlement of thirteen houses. It was located near the mouth of Niwka to the Biała River, in the area of today's Łukowa Street. Administratively, it belonged to the Silesian County of the Kraków Voivodeship within the Kingdom of Poland. The first residents most likely came from the suburbs of neighboring Bielsko. They crossed to the other side of the river tempted by the opportunity to build new houses in the face of restrictions imposed by the Bielsko town council and disputes between the suburban population and the privileged burghers of the Old Town. The settlement was established on the land of the village of Lipnik, from which it became independent in 1613. Further development of the village was associated with the influx of refugees from neighboring Silesia during the Thirty Years' War and the Counter-Reformation.

Though already named a town in the 17th century, Biała officially was granted

In the course of the First Partition of Poland in 1772, Biała was annexed by the Habsburg Empire and incorporated into the crownland of Galicia. After that the town underwent major urban transformations in the 1780s in connection with the construction of the Central Galician Road, part of which is today's 11 Listopada Street. At that time, the New Market was also delineated - the present Wolności Square.

The town's boundaries were artificially limited as a result of disputes with the Lipnik municipality, which refused to give up part of its territory, even though the western part of Lipnik formed an urban and functional unity with Biała. West Lipnik also formed the de facto Jewish quarter of Biała, due to the official ban on Jewish settlement in the town, which was in effect from 1757 to 1848. Joachim Adler's cloth factory, considered the first mechanized factory in the Bielsko-Biala area, was also established within Lipnik's borders in 1810. Lipnik was finally incorporated into Biała in 1925. The town thus expanded its territory more than sixteen times (before 1925 it had only 1.22 square kilometres (0.47 sq mi), while Lipnik had 20.76 square kilometres (8.02 sq mi)), and the population increased two and a half times.

In the 19th century, Biała formed a single industrial region with Bielsko, also with a predominance of textile industry. From 1867 it was the capital of Biała County. At the turn of the 20th century, a number of "Vienna-like" buildings were constructed in Biała, too, including a pompous Neo-Renaissance town hall in 1895–1897.

According to the 1910 census, Biała had a population of 8,668. 69.3% used

With the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in 1918, Biała became part of the Second Polish Republic. Throughout the interwar period it belonged to the Kraków Voivodeship. From 1925, the official name of the town was Biała Krakowska.

Bielsko-Biała

German soldiers in the ruins of a destroyed synagogue in 1939

German grave inscriptions removed after World War II as part of the "de-Germanisation" of the city

Demolition of the so-called Castle Markets to build a two-lane thoroughfare through the inner city in 1974

Production of the Polski Fiat 126p "Maluch" in the FSM factory (1970s)

Beskidzkie housing estate in the 1980s

The abandoned Finex textile factory on the site of the current Galeria Sfera, pictured in 2006

Although the two towns effectively functioned as one urban area for a long time, they were administratively combined for the first time by the Nazi authorities after the

The new Polish authorities initially restored the pre-war borders, including the division into Bielsko and Biała in two different voivodeships. But soon the decision to re-unify the two towns was made. The new municipality under the name Bielsko-Biała was created on January 1, 1951.[34] Until 1975, it was part of the Katowice Voivodeship.

In post-war Poland, the city has remained an important centre of

Bielsko-Biała was made famous on a large scale by the

The general strike launched by the workers of the Bewelana textile factory in January 1981 is considered the most effective strike of the first wave of Solidarity. The strikers forced the mayor of the city, the provincial governor, the commander of Milicja Obywatelska and the municipal and voivodeship secretaries of the Communist party to resign.

From 1975 to 1998, Bielsko-Biała was the capital of the

The economic transformation after 1989 affected the industrial city with a serious socio-economic crisis. The textile industry, which almost disappeared from Bielsko-Biała, was the most affected. The car factory bought directly by Fiat limited its production only to components. The bad condition of the historic Old Town was the clearest sign of the city's decline in the 1990s, while its gradual revitalization started in 2002 became an important symbol of changes for the better. During the first and second decades of the 21st century, Bielsko-Biała managed to return to the path of economic prosperity. Between 2001 and 2009, on the site of the demolished Lenko and Finex textile factories, a large shopping mall, Galeria Sfera, was built. It is a characteristic post-modernist architectural structure on the banks of the Biała river, however criticised for its negative influence on the traditional commercial zone located around the nearby 11 Listopada Street pedestrian zone.^[41][42] Like other contemporary cities, Bielsko-Biała is strongly affected by suburbanization, which results in a decrease in the number of inhabitants while the population of the neighboring communes is increasing.

Demographics

On December 31, 2021, the population of Bielsko-Biała was 168,835, including 79,740 (47.2%) men and 89,095 (52.8%) women. This means that there were 112 women for every 100 men. 56.4% of Bielsko-Biała's residents were of

At the time of the merger of Bielsko and Biała in 1951, the city had a population of about 60,000. Over the years, the population increased with the development of industry and the incorporation of nearby municipalities, particularly fast in the 1970s. Bielsko-Biała reached its highest population (184,421) in 1991. Since then, as in most cities in Poland, there has been a gradual decline in population. Between 2002 and 2021, the population declined by 5.1%. According to forecasts by the Central Statistical Office, Bielsko-Biala is expected to have a population of 161,900 in 2025, 150,400 in 2035 and 133,300 in 2050.^[3]

In the 2021 Polish census 99.30% of the population of Bielsko-Biała (167,913 people) declared Polish ethnicity. 2.30% declared another ethnicity (there were a possibility to declare dual ethnicity, so percentages do not add up to 100%), of which: 0.66% (1,108 people) Silesian, 0.21% (321 people) German, 0.20% (335 people) Ukrainian, 0.19% (313 people) English and 0.13% (222 people) Italian.^[43] 99.70% of the population (168 582 people) speak Polish at home. Other most commonly used languages (exclusively or together with Polish) are: English (2.30% or 3,893 people), German (0.44% or 743 people), Italian (0.23% or 388 people), Silesian (0.19% or 319 people), Ukrainian (0.16% or 275 people) and Russian (0.13% or 227 people).^[44] Detailed statistics on the religious structure are not available.

Ethnic and linguistic structure

In the National Census of Population and Housing 2021, 99.30% of Bielsko-Biala residents (167,913 people) declared Polish nationality. 2.30% declared a different nationality (as the only one or together with Polish), including: 0.66% (1108 people) silesia, 0.21% (321 people) german, 0.20% (335 people) ukrainian, 0.19% (313 people) english and 0.13% (222 people) italian.

In the light of the same census, 99.70% of Bielszczans (168,582 people) speak Polish at home. The other most commonly used languages (exclusively or jointly with Polish) are: english (2.30%, 3893 people), german (0.44%, 743 people), italian (0.23%, 388 people), silesian (0.19%, etc%, 319 People), ukrainian (0.16%, 275 people) and russian (0.13%, 227 people).

Sights

The Old Town of Bielsko is located on the Town Hill. It is characterized by an oval urban layout with a regular street grid running out from the corners of the rectangular Market Square (Rynek), typical of towns founded in the 13th century under the

Within the Old Town are two iconic historic buildings:

• Bielsko Castle, also known as the Castle of the Sułkowski Princes (Zamek książąt Sułkowskich), after the family that inhabited it from 1752 to 1945. The history of the castle dates back to the medieval frontier stronghold of the Dukes of Teschen, but its current appearance is the result of an eclectic reconstruction carried out in 1855–1864. It now houses the Historical Museum of Bielsko-Biala.
• diocese of Bielsko and Żywiec
  .

To the north of the Old Town lies the

To the west of the Old Town, along Cieszyńska and Sobieskiego Street, extends the

The Lower Suburb (Dolne Przedmieście), which extends to the north, is dominated by the turn-of-the-20th-century architecture. This is where the greatest concentration of Revivalist and Art Nouveau buildings to which Bielsko-Biała owes the term "Little Vienna" is to be found: the own house of the architect Carl Korn (1883), Villa Sixt (1883), Jędrzej Śniadecki School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering (originally "the High Schools Building", 1883), the former Municipal Savings Bank (Komunalna Kasa Oszczędności, 1889, with an extension of 1901 by Max Fabiani and another extension of 1908–1910), Main Train Station (1890), Theatre (1890), Hotel President (1893), Main Post Office (1898), the former district office (1903, now one of the seats of the Regional Court), Villa Schneider (1904), Bielsko Industrial School (Bielska Szkoła Przemysłowa, 1912). Architecturally valuable are the complexes of the bourgeois townhouses along 3 Maja, 11 Listopada, Barlickiego or Mickiewicza Street. Bolesława Chrobrego Square, commonly known as Pigal, stretching between the Bielsko Castle and the former Municipal Savings Bank, is the de facto central square of the city today. A much lesser role is now played by Franciszka Smolki Square which is the historic Lower Market.

Art Nouveau architecture in Bielsko-Biała, clockwise from upper left: Cathedral of St. Nicholas, extension of the former Municipal Savings Bank (Komunalna Kasa Oszczędności), Jakubecki House at 51 Stojałowskiego Street and Frog House

The axis of the historic centre of Biała is the right bank section of 11 Listopada Street, laid out in the 1780s. Numerous townhouses representing the so-called Josephine style (named after Emperor Joseph II) with Baroque and Neoclassical features have been preserved along it. The street, which today serves as the main promenade, passes through two of Biała's historic markets: Wojska Polskiego Square (delineated in 1723) and Wolności Square (delineated in the 1780s). The two main churches in Biała also date from the late 18th century: the Lutheran Church of Martin Luther (1782–1788) and the Roman Catholic Church of the Divine Providence (1769, expanded in the 19th century). The Lutheran church is located next to Wojska Polskiego Square, while the Catholic church is on what used to be outskirts of the town, near the border with Lipnik.

The architecture of the interwar period also plays an important role in the cityscape. The largest concentration of early Modernist housing is in the area of Bohaterów Warszawy, Wilsona and Grota-Roweckiego Street, which has been built up since 1934 (before that, the castle gardens stretched here). The public buildings of the 1920s and 1930s include: Nicolaus Copernicus High School (Liceum Kopernika, 1925–1927), a complex of buildings at the intersection of Sixta and Krasińskiego Street (1922–1930), the fire station on Grunwaldzka Street (1928), and the new headquarters of the Municipal Savings Bank on the other side of Bolesława Chrobrego Square (1938).

Old industrial buildings intersect with urban development in many places, especially in the Lower Suburb near the Biała River, in the Żywiec Suburb (Żywieckie Przedmieście), which is the southern part of Bielsko, and in Biała. The Old Factory Museum (Stara Fabryka) in the former Büttner's textile factory ("Bewelana" during the socialist period), the former Jacob Gross's vodka and liqueur factory (later "Polmos") converted into lofts at Stojałowskiego Street, the former Gustav Josephy's machine factory complex ("Befama") at Powstańców Śląskich Street, or the whole area around Podwale and Grażyńskiego Street are some notable examples. In the area of Michałowicza Street a workers' housing estate with familoks was built between 1892 and 1911.

Significant examples of post-war architecture in the central districts include: Grunwaldzkie housing estate (1951–1957), the bus station (1972), Library of Beskids (1973), Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (1984), "Klimczok" Cooperative Department Store (1988) and Art Exhibition Bureau (1989, now Galeria Bielska BWA). Post-modern and contemporary architecture is represented by the Galeria Sfera shopping mall (2000–2001, with an extension from 2007–2011) and by the blob concert hall Cavatina Hall (2019–2021).

Murals have been created in many places in the inner city in recent years. The street art tourist trail counted 25 sites in 2022. As part of the "Fairytale Bielsko-Biala" trail, small monuments to characters from animated films produced by Studio Filmów Rysunkowych are being erected. By 2023, they have been created: Reksio, Bolek and Lolek, Baltazar Gąbka with the Wawel Dragon, Pampalini the Animal Hunter, and Don Pedro de Pommidore.

(existing until 1971). It is still very popular today. Adjacent to Cygański Las there is a meadow area known as Błonia used as a sports and recreation area. An important attraction of Olszówka Dolna and Mikuszowice Śląskie is a number of bourgeois summer villas from the turn of the 20th century.

Another favourite destination for suburban excursions is the

toboggan run

. Both Dębowiec and Szyndzielnia offer beautiful views of the city.

In

polychromies and a valuable altar triptych from the 16th century. The second temple of Stare Bielsko is the Lutheran Church of Saint John the Baptist in Neoclassical style from 1818. Adjacent to it there is a circular undeveloped area that is a remnant of a medieval hillfort

(Grodzisko), a settlement that existed at this location before the city was founded.

Another important religious monument are Roman Catholic churches of St. Barbara in

Mikuszowice Krakowskie (wooden, built in 1690) and of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hałcnów (from the 18th century, it serves as a local pilgrimage site). There is also a well-preserved Jewish cemetery in Aleksandrowice with a Moorish-style

pre-burial house from 1885.

Culture

Cultural centres

The most important public institutions organising cultural life in the city are: Maria Koterbska Bielsko-Biała Cultural Centre (Bielskie Centrum Kultury im. Marii Koterbskiej, BCK), Regional Cultural Centre (Regionalny Ośrodek Kultury, ROK), Municipal House of Culture (Miejski Dom Kultury, MDK) made up of thirteen facilities including district culture centers including eight distric cultural centres, Military Cultural Centre "Soldier's House" (Wojskowy Ośrodek Kultury "Dom Żołnierza") and Cooperative Cultural Centre BEST (Spółdzielczy Dom Kultury BEST).

Theatres and cinemas

Polish Theatre (Teatr Polski) is a drama theater that was established after World War II as a successor to the German Stadttheater Bielitz, founded in 1890, and took over its historic building at 1 Maja Street. Banialuka Puppet Theatre (Teatr Lalek Banialuka) was founded in 1947 on the initiative of Jerzy Zitzman and Zenobiusz Zwolski. It is one of the leading institutions of its kind in Poland. In addition, numerous performances are staged at BCK cultural centre, and non-professional theater activities are conducted by the Bielsko-Biała Artistic Association Teatr Grodzki, founded in 1999.

Bielsko-Biała is known as the city where

art cinema in the city, has been suspended. Apart from it, Bielsko-Biala has two multiplexes: Helios in the Galeria Sfera

shopping mall and Cinema City in the Gemini Park shopping mall.

Art galleries

The largest art gallery is Galeria Bielska BWA. It is a municipally owned institution founded in 1994 based on the transformation of the former Art Exhibition Bureau (Biuro Wystaw Artystycznych). It is located in the former Artists' Pavilion at 3 Maja Street, and since 2020 it has also had a second location in the historic Villa Sixt. There is a club café Aquarium at the main BWA site which hosts numerous cultural and social events.

Among private establishments, the Wzgórze Gallery, founded in 1987 by Franciszek Kukioła, and the Contemporary Art Gallery (Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej), the Ars Nova sculpture and ceramics studio, which has existed since 1991, and the Photography Gallery B&B, established in 1992 by Inez and Andrzej Baturo, have the longest and most vibrant tradition.

Museums

The Historical Museum of Bielsko-Biała (Muzeum Historyczne w Bielsku-Białej) has its seat in the Bielsko Castle, where the permanent exhibition is divided into nine parts: "History of Bielsko-Biała and its surroundings" (historical and archaeological exhibition), "Biedermeier" or bourgeois salon of the second half of the 19th century, "Music salon", "Hall of ancient art", "Shooting gallery" (collection of weapons), "Gallery of European and Polish painting of the 19th and 20th century", "Gallery of portrait painting of the 19th and first half of the 20th century", "Gallery of graphics of the turn of the 19th and 20th century", "Gallery of contemporary art of the Bielsko-Biała region" (works of the second half of the 20th century with special emphasis on artists from the Beskid Group around Ignacy Bieniek). In addition, the museum has three branches:

• The Old Factory (Stara Fabryka): an exhibition dedicated to the history of Bielsko-Biała's industry with a collection of historical machines placed in the space of a former textile factory at Żwirki i Wigury Square
• The Weaver's House (Dom Tkacza): a reconstruction of the interior of a pre-industrial weaver's house and workshop in an 18th-century house at Sobieskiego Street in Górne Przedmieście district
• Fałatówka: a museum dedicated to the life and work of Julian Fałat in a villa in Bystra Śląska, where the artist lived from 1910 to 1929

The Władysław Reymont Museum of Literature (Muzeum Literatury im. Władysława Reymonta) is a private museum run in an old town house at Pankiewicza Street by Tadeusz Modrzejewski, who since the 1980s has devoted himself to manually transcribing the works of Władysław Reymont. The museum is maintained solely from the voluntary donations of visitors. It has gained publicity many times because of the owner's reputation as a weirdo and his disagreements with the municipality over the practical aspects of the museum's functioning.

Other private museums in the city are: the Automotive Museum (Muzeum Motoryzacji) with a small collection of old cars and other automotive exhibits made available by the Beskidy Car Club (Automobilklub Beskidzki), the Museum of Armored Weapons and Militaria (Muzeum Broni Pancernej i Militariów) with a collection of military vehicles collected since the 1980s by Rafał Bier, and the Museum of Minerals "Treasures of the Earth" (Muzeum Minerałów "Skarby Ziemi") run by Piotr Kotula.

Music

In 2021, a modern concert hall named Cavatina Hall, with philharmonic parameters, was put into operation.

Popular music clubs and pubs include (as of 2022): RudeBoy (1 Maja 20), Klimat (in the Galeria Sfera shopping mall), Miasto (Mickiewicza Square 2), Galicja (11 Listopada 14), Agrafka (Barlickiego 10), 2Be Club (Ratuszowa 3), Bliska (Piwowarska 8), XOXO (Grażyńskiego 38), Metrum (Partyzantów 22), Sepia (3 Maja 13).

There are several orchestras and musical ensembles affiliated to the Maria Koterbska Bielsko-Biała Cultural Centre: Bielsko-Biała Chamber Orchestra (Bielska Orkiestra Kameralna), Bielsko-Biała Brass Band (Bielska Orkiestra Dęta), Bielsko-Biała Chamber Choir (Bielski Chór Kameralny), Ave Sol youth choir, "Bielsko" Song and Dance Ensemble (Zespół Pieśni i Tańca "Bielsko") and children's "Jarzębinki" Dance and Song Ensemble (Zespół Tańca i Piosenki "Jarzębinki"). In addition, the Telemann Orchestra (Orkiestra im. Telemanna) has been active in the city since 1993, aiming to promote early music.

From Bielsko-Biała come musical bands such as Akurat, Eye for an Eye, Grupa Furmana, Kapitan DA, Newbreed and Psio Crew.

Events

• Jazz Blizzard (Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa), an annual
  jazz music festival organized since 2002 by the Sztuka Teatr Association, headed by Jerzy Batycki. Zadymka is traditionally held (with the exception of the 2022 edition) in February or March using various stages in Bielsko-Biała (Teatr Polski, Klimat club, Cavatina Hall, outdoor concerts in the Market Square and others), as well as in Katowice and Zabrze
  .
• Jazz Autumn (Jazzowa Jesień), an annual jazz music festival held since 2003 at the end of November or the beginning of December by BCK
• International Festival of Puppetry Art (Międzynarodowy Festiwal Sztuki Lalkarskiej), a theatre festival held every two years in May since 1966 by the Banialuka Puppet Theatre
• Bielsko Autumn (Bielska Jesień), a national painting competition held since 1962 (until 1995 as an annual event, since then as a biennale) in November and December by Galeria Bielska BWA
• Bielsko-Biała Festival of Visual Arts (Bielski Festiwal Sztuk Wizualnych), a visual arts competition for artists connected to the Bielsko-Biała region held every four years since 2007 in summer by Galeria Bielska BWA
• art photography biennale organized since 2005 in October by the Centre for Photography Foundation (Inez and Andrzej Baturo
  )
• Henryk Górecki Festival of Polish Composers (Festiwal Kompozytorów Polskich im. Henryka Góreckiego), a classical music festival held annually since 1996 in October by BCK
• International Sacred Music Festival "Sacrum in Musica" (Międzynarodowy Festiwal Sztuki Sakralnej "Sacrum in Musica"), a religious music festival held annually since 2000 in April by BCK
• International Choir Festival "Gaude Cantem" (Międzynarodowy Festiwal Chórów "Gaude Cantem"), a choir competition held annually in October since 2005 by the Polish Association of Choirs and Orchestras in cooperation with ROK
• "Fermenty" Comedy Festival (Festiwal Kabaretowy "Fermenty"), a comedy festival organized annually in September since 1999 by the "Fermenty" Creative Group in cooperation with BCK and MDK
• Week of Beskid Culture (Tydzień Kultury Beskidzkiej), an international folklore festival held every year at the turn of July and August since 1964 by ROK, primarily in Wisła, Szczyrk, Oświęcim, Żywiec and Maków Podhalański, but some events take place also in Bielsko-Biała
• Beskidy Oldtimer Rally (Beskidzki Rajd Pojazdów Zabytkowych), an annual classic rally held in July since 1977 by the Beskidy Car Club (Automobilklub Beskidzki). The culmination of the event is the presentation of the cars at the Town Hall Square in Bielsko-Biała, followed by the "Parade of Elegance" through the streets.
• Days of Bielsko-Biała (Dni Bielska-Białej), a series of diverse cultural events held annually at the turn of August and September
• Summer with Culture (Lato z Kulturą), a series of weekend outdoor concerts during July and August

Education

Mikuszowice Śląskie

district.

In 2023, a branch of the Medical University of Silesia opened in the city.

In addition, there are five private colleges established in the city in the 1990s:

• Higher School of Computer Science and Management (Wyższa Szkoła Informatyki i Zarządzania)
• Higher School of Finances and Law (Wyższa Szkoła Finansów i Prawa)
• Józef Tyszkiewicz Higher School of Bielsko-Biała (Bielska Wyższa Szkoła im. Józefa Tyszkiewicza)
• Higher School of Administration (Wyższa Szkoła Administracji), run by the Mikołaj Rej School Society associated with the
  Lutheran
  community
• Higher School of Economics and Humanities (Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomiczno-Humanistyczna)

Economy

At the end of 2021, 27,799 enterprises were registered in the National Official Register of Entities of the National Economy. 26,724 (96.13%) of them were in the private sector, and 597 (2.14%) in the public sector. Enterprises employing up to 9 employees dominated, with 26,619. Only three enterprises had more than a thousand employees.^[45]

The

financial sector, and 0.9% in agriculture.^[3]

Historically, Bielsko-Biała was an important industrial center, especially of the textile industry, which, however, completely lost its importance as a result of the economic transformation after 1989. Among the few factories today that continue these traditions are the Befaszczot brush factory, the Befado shoe factory, the Zipper zipper factory and the Rytex wool fabric manufacturer.

Currently, the largest industrial area is located in the northern part of the city between

Special Economic Zone. In subsequent years, further areas in Wapienica, Komorowice and Lipnik were included. In 2021, a total of twenty enterprises employing more than 4.6 thousand workers operated on the 82-hectare area of the special economic zone.^[45]

Other important factories based in Bielsko-Biala include Bielmar, which produces margarines, oils and animal feed, as well as the Silesian Vodka Factory POLMOS Bielsko-Biała, where Extra Żytnia vodka is produced.

Bielsko-Biala is among the cities with the highest saturation of

Colliers International, it was 1,151 square metres (12,390 sq ft) per 1,000 residents. In total, the city had 197,000 square metres (2,120,000 sq ft) of retail space.^[46] As much as one-third of this figure fell on the largest shopping mall, which is Galeria Sfera. It consists of two buildings—Sfera I and Sfera II—erected on the site of former industrial plants and completed in 2001 and 2009, respectively.^[47] There are a number of other shopping facilities in the immediate vicinity, led by the "Klimczok" Cooperative Department Store owned by PSS Społem, which was built in 1988 and at the time was one of the largest in Poland.^[48][49] Other large shopping malls include Gemini Park in Leszczyny and Sarni Stok in the northern part of the city. There are also Auchan, Kaufland, Makro, Castorama and Leroy Merlin hypermarkets, as well as number of supermarkets and smaller retail outlets. The traditional shopping promenade is 11 Listopada Street. However, the number of stores and service outlets located through it has declined markedly in recent years, which is often attributed to the negative influence of large shopping malls.^[50][51][52] Outdoor marketplaces are located on Lompy and Broniewskiego Street, as well as in Komorowice Krakowskie

.

The most important

trade fairs

held in Bielsko-Biala are the ENERGETAB Bielsko International Energy Fair organized by ZIAD Bielsko-Biała, as well as those whose organization is the responsibility of the ASTRA Promotion and Exhibition Office: the "Twój Dom" International Construction Fair, the "Instal-System" Fair of Heating Techniques and Energy Saving, and the EKOStyl International Fair. The main venue for the fairs is the multi-purpose hall on Karbowa Street.

Transport

Rail transport

The railroad reached the city in 1855, when a branch of the Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway was built. Currently, three railway lines cross the city:

• Railway line 117 to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska (Kraków direction)
• Railway line 139 from Katowice to Zwardoń
• Railway line 190 to Cieszyn and Český Těšín

Regional train services to Katowice and Zwardoń are operated by Koleje Śląskie, while Polregio trains run to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and Kraków. In addition, Bielsko-Biała has connections with large Polish cities (Białystok, Bydgoszcz, Warsaw, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk) by PKP Intercity express trains. Services on the line 190 were suspended in 2009. In 2023, plans were announced to restore trains on this route.^[53]

The main railway station is Bielsko-Biała Główna, located in the northern part of the city centre. In total, there are twelve railway stations and stops in the city, eight of which are currently (2023) open for passenger traffic.

Road transport

Bielsko-Biała is located within a short distance to Czech and Slovakian borders on the crossroads of two expressways connecting Poland with neighbouring countries:

• Expressway S1 connects the city with Slovakia via the border town Zwardoń
• Expressway S52 connects the city with the Czech Republic via the border town Cieszyn

Bielsko-Biała is connected with the rest of Poland by the National road 1 (dual carriageway) running to Tychy where it intersects the Expressway S1 and further to Katowice where it intersects the Motorway A4.

It is planned to extend S1 north along the existing dual carriageway DK1 from Bielsko-Biała to Tychy and Katowice, thus building an expressway connection of the city with the national motorway network of Poland. National road 52 connects Bielsko-Biała with Kraków in the east. The most important interchange in the area is the cloverleaf north of Bielsko-Biała (Komorowice Śląskie district) where S1, DK1 and S52 meet.

Aleja Andersa and Bora-Komorowskiego Street constitute the Downtown Western Bypass (Śródmiejska Obwodnica Zachodnia), which connects the districts of Leszczyny, Kamienica, Aleksandrowice and Stare Bielsko to the junction with S52.

According to the June 2021 ranking, Bielsko-Biała had 826.7 registered vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, including 681.3 passenger cars, which means that it was the ninth most motorized city in Poland and the second (after Katowice) in the Silesian Voivodeship.^[54]

Public transport

The public transport system in the city has been in existence since 1895. Until 1972 it included a tram network, and since 1927 also a bus network which is currently the only one.

The main carrier is Miejski Zakład Komunikacyjny w Bielsku-Białej (Municipal Transport Company of Bielsko-Biała, MZK), which in 2023 served transport on 40 daily and two night bus lines. Four of them went outside the city limits: to Czechowice-Dziedzice, Bystra, Wilkowice and Janowice. Some stops in Bielsko-Biała are also served by three lines of PKM Czechowice-Dziedzice, a municipal bus company from the neighbouring town, marked with numbers 5, VII and X (to distinguish from "7" and "10" of MZK). The fares and timetables of the two carriers are not coordinated.

Regional bus transport within the Bielsko County, as well as towards Kęty, Andrychów and Chybie, is operated by Komunikacja Beskidzka established in 2021 as a result of the transformation of the former PKS Bielsko-Biała. The bus station from which the KB lines (numbered from 100 upwards) and long-distance bus connections depart, is located at Warszawska Street opposite the Bielsko-Biała Główna railway station.

There also small private bus companies operating in the region, e.g. Linea Trans with services to Strumień and to Cieszyn via Skoczów, Konkret Bus for Brzeszcze and Oświęcim, or Żądło going to Szczyrk. Their stops are located near the station: at Warszawska, Podwale and Wałowa Street.

Airports

There are 3 international airports within the 90 km distance from Bielsko-Biała, all serving connections with major European cities:

Kraków John Paul II International Airport, Ostrava Leoš Janáček Airport

.

In Aleksandrowice there is an airport with a unpaved runway used by the Aeroclub of Bielsko-Biała for sports purposes. Another airport in the vicinity is Bielsko-Biała Kaniów Airport, which is part of the Bielsko-Biała Technology Park of Aviation, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Sports

The city co-hosted the 1978 UEFA European Under-18 Championship, 2009 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival, 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2023 European Games.

Major teams and athletes

• TS Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała – men's football team playing in the I Liga, Poland's second division
• BKS Stal Bielsko-Biała
  • women's volleyball team playing continuously since 1976 in the highest level of women's volleyball in Poland; Polish Champions 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2010; Polish Cup winners 1955, 1979, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2004, 2006, 2009
  • men's football team playing in the regional league
• BBTS Bielsko-Biała – men's volleyball team playing in the Plus Liga; Polish Cup winner 1994
• BTS Rekord Bielsko-Biała – men's futsal team playing in the Futsal Ekstraklasa, Polish Champions 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021; Polish Cup winner 2013, 2018, 2019, 2022; Polish Supercup winners 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022; also the women's futsal team plays in the top league
• Podbeskidzie Kuloodporni Bielsko-Biała – an amputee football club playing in the Amp Futbol Ekstraklasa, Polish Champions 2019
• KS Sprint – a track and field club based in Wapienica which organized the international athletics meeting Beskidianathletic
• KS Gwardia Bielsko-Biała – a judo club
• Sebastian Kawa, member of the Bielsko-Biała Aeroclub, is the sixteen-time World Gliding Champion, FAI world leading glider competition pilot (as of 2023, number one in the world rankings of the FAI Gliding Commission^[55]) and the current World Champion in 15m Class and European gliding champion in 18m Class^[56]

Politics

Bielsko-Biala is a city with county rights, and also forms a single municipality (gmina) in its entirety. The mayor of the city since 2018 is Jarosław Klimaszewski, elected as a candidate of the Civic Coalition.

The results of the city council elections for the 2018–2023 term (extended until spring 2024) were as follows:

Electoral committee		Votes	%	Seats	+/-
	Law and Justice (PiS)	22,336	31.19	10	±0
	Civic Coalition (KO)	19,094	26.66	7	-1
	Electoral Committee of Jacek Krywult	13,747	19.20	4	-1
	Okrzesik and Independents.BB	12,042	16.81	4	+2
	Kukiz'15	2,276	3.18	0	±0
	Democratic Left Alliance – Left Together	1,717	2.40	0	±0
	Electoral Committee of Monika Socha	403	0.56	0	±0
Valid votes		71,615	97.93
Blank and invalid votes		1,517	2.07
Total		73,132	100	25	±0
Abstentions		60,726	45.36
Registered voters / Turnout		133,858	54.64
(Source: National Electoral Commission)

In the Sejm elections, Bielsko-Biała is part of constituency No. 27 along with Bielsko, Cieszyn, Pszczyna and Żywiec counties. The following deputies represent the constituency in the 2023-2027 term:

Party		Names of elected deputies	% of votes for the party in the constituency	% of votes for the party in the city of Bielsko-Biała
	Law and Justice (PiS)	Przemysław Drabek Krzysztof Gaża Grzegorz Puda Stanisław Szwed	36.71	30.13
	Civic Coalition (KO)	Mirosława Nykiel Małgorzata Pępek Apoloniusz Tajner	28.67	35.53
	Poland 2050 / Third Way	Mirosław Suchoń	14.55	14.49
	Confederation Liberty and Independence	Bronisław Foltyn	7.84	7.26
(Source: National Electoral Commission)

In the

Senate elections, Bielsko-Biała is part of constituency No. 78 along with Bielsko and Pszczyna counties. For the 2032-2027 term, the constituency is represented by Agnieszka Gorgoń-Komor of the Civic Coalition

.

Bielsko-Biala is the seat of the Bielsko County authorities and one of the three—along with Žilina and Frýdek-Místek—capitals of the Euroregion Beskydy. It also houses the delegations of the Silesian Voivodeship Office and the Marshal's Office of the Silesian Voivodeship.

Twin towns – sister cities

Bielsko-Biała is twinned with:^[57]

• Acre, Israel
• Baia Mare, Romania
• Besançon, France
• Berdyansk
  , Ukraine
• Frýdek-Místek, Czech Republic
• Grand Rapids, United States
• Kirklees, United Kingdom
• Kragujevac, Serbia
• Nyíregyháza, Hungary
• Szolnok, Hungary
• Tienen, Belgium
• Třinec, Czech Republic
• Ustka, Poland
• Wolfsburg, Germany
• Žilina, Slovakia

Notable people

Further information: Category:People from Bielsko-Biała

• Hebrew University
• Carl Josef Bayer (1847–1904), chemist who invented the Bayer process
• Maurice Bloomfield (1855–1928), philologist and Sanskrit scholar
• Peter Michal Bohúň (1822–1879), painter
• Heinrich Conried (1855–1909), theatrical manager and director
• Marek Dopierała (born 1960), sprint canoeist, two-time Olympic medallist
• Urszula Dudziak (born 1943), jazz vocalist
• Piotr Fijas (born 1958), ski jumper, all-time parallel style world record holder
• Mateusz Gamrot (born 1990), mixed martial artist
• Alfred Hetschko (1898–1967), music educator
• Adolf Hyła (1897–1965), painter and art teacher, known for painting the most popular version of the Divine Mercy image
• Jolanta Januchta (born 1955), middle-distance runner
• Małgorzata Klimek (born 1957), mathematical physicist
• Sławomir Kołodziej (born 1961), mathematician
• Jacek Koman (born 1956), actor and singer
• Maria Koterbska (born 1924), singer
• Jan Kotrč (1862–1943), chess master, chess publisher and chess problem composer
• Alfred von Kropatschek (1838–1911), weapons designer and general of the Austro-Hungarian Army
• dramatic coloratura soprano
• Jacek Lech (1947–2007), singer
• Przemysław Lechowski (born 1977), classical pianist
• Tadeusz Pietrzykowski (1917–1991), boxer and soldier, known as the "boxing champion of Auschwitz"
• Radosław Piwowarski (born 1948), film director, screenwriter and actor
• Zbigniew Preisner (born 1955), film score composer best known for his work with Krzysztof Kieślowski
• Renata Przemyk (born 1966), singer and songwriter
• Aneta Sablik (born 1989), singer and songwriter
• Artur Schnabel (1882–1951), classical pianist, composer and pedagogue
• Hugo von Seeliger (1849–1924), astronomer
• Oswald Seeliger (1858–1908), zoologist
• Kriss Sheridan (born 1989), singer, songwriter, actor, model and traveler
• Bohdan Smoleń (1947–2016), comedian, singer and actor
• Josef Strzygowski (1862–1941), art historian
• Evangelical-Augsburg Church in Poland
• Gerda Weissmann Klein (1924–1922), Holocaust survivor, writer and human rights activist
• Sabina Wojtala (born 1981), figure skater
• Karol Wojtyła (1879–1941), Austro-Hungarian and Polish army officer, father of Pope John Paul II
• Jakub Wolny (born 1995), ski jumper
• Aleksander Zawadzki (1798–1868), Polish naturalist
• Emil Zegadłowicz (1888–1941), poet, prose writer, novelist, playwright and translator
• Sigmund Zeisler (1860–1931), lawyer, known for his defense of radicals in Chicago in the 1880s
• Wojciech H. Zurek (born 1951), theoretical physicist and a leading authority on quantum theory

Notes

1. ^ Nevertheless, the use of this term is a subject of considerable controversy and is often rejected by people with a clear Silesian or Lesser Polish identity. See Borówka, Tomasz (2022-11-06). "Mamy na Śląsku wyimaginowaną krainę. Kto i kiedy właściwie wymyślił nazwę "Podbeskidzie"?" (in Polish). Ślązag. Retrieved 12 July 2023.; Drost, Jacek (2016-02-25). "Co to jest Podbeskidzie? Podręcznik edukacji regionalnej utrwala taką nazwę" (in Polish). Dziennik Zachodni. Retrieved 12 July 2023.; "Podbeskidzie? Małopolska? Górny Śląsk? Beskidy? – Czyli gdzie leży Żywiecczyzna". Stowarzyszenie Beskidzki Dom (in Polish). zywiec.info.pl. 2022-05-22. Retrieved 12 July 2023.

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External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bielsko-Biała.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bielsko-Biała.

• Official website of the Municipal Office
• VisitBB – tourist information centre
• Historical and contemporary photographs of Bielsko-Biała on fotopolska.eu
• Jewish community of Bielsko-Biała on Virtual Shtetl