Wodzisław Śląski

Wodzisław Śląski
Old City Square
Wodzisław Śląski
Gmina	Wodzisław Śląski (urban gmina)
City rights	1257
Government
• City mayor	Mieczysław Kieca
Area
• City	49.62 km2 (19.16 sq mi)
Highest elevation	290 m (950 ft)
Lowest elevation	210 m (690 ft)
Population  (2019-06-30[1])
• City	47,992
• Density	970/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
• Metro	650,000
Postal code	44-286 to 44–373
Website	www.wodzislaw-slaski.pl

Wodzisław Śląski (Polish:

It was previously in Katowice Voivodeship (1975–1998); close to the border with the Czech Republic, about 350 kilometres (217 miles) south of Warsaw and about 150 kilometres (93 miles) west of Kraków, on the southern outskirts of the metropolitan area known as the Upper Silesian Coal Basin.

Geography

Location

Wodzisław Śląski is an urban gmina in the south-eastern part of

The climate of the area is continental humid. The average temperature is 8 °C (46 °F) (average −1.7 °C (28.9 °F) in January and up to average 17.7 °C (63.9 °F) in July). Yearly rainfall averages at 786 mm (30.94 in), the most rainy month being July. The area's characteristic weak and medium winds blow at about 4 m/s from the south-west (Moravian Gate).

Districts

The town is divided into 9 districts that have its own administrative body:

• Jedłownik Szyb
• Jedłownik-Turzyczka-Karkoszka
• Kokoszyce
• Nowe Miasto (new city)
• Trzy Wzgórza (Three Hills)
• Radlin II
• Stare Miasto (old city)
• Wilchwy
• Zawada

History

Being a borderland town, Wodzisław Śląski is a centre of the Wodzisław County, formed during a historical process lasting many centuries. Rich excavations the oldest finds dated back to the Stone Age give evidence about its ancient inhabitants.

Middle Ages

The city's name derives from the

The city's origins can be traced back into the 10th and 11th century, when three Slavic settlements existed on Wodzisław's present-day territory which eventually merged to form one town. In the course of the medieval eastward migration of

After the end of World War I in 1918, Polish statehood was restored. Amidst an atmosphere of ethnic unrest, a referendum was organized to determine the future national affiliation of Upper Silesia. Although an overall majority had opted for Germany, the area was divided in an attempt to satisfy both parties. Although both parties considered the territory they were assigned insufficient, the division was justified insofar as in the German and Polish parts a majority had voted in favour of the respective nation.

The lowest numbers of pro-German votes were registered in the districts of

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the border city Wodzisław returned under the rule of Germany, being in the part of Poland that was directly incorporated into the German state. The population was ethnically categorized and either "re-Germanized" or disfranchised and partially deported into the General Government as Poles.

On 22 January 1945 a

In March 1945 the Soviet army arrived near Wodzisław. Approximately 80% of the town was destroyed in World War II.[6] From 26 March 1945 Wodzisław was once more integrated into Poland.^[7] The Old Town, including the Market Square, was fully restored after the war.

Transport

Wodzisław Śląski is situated at the junction of several major lines of road, railway and air communication. Only 5 km (3 mi) from center the town crossing motorway A1. The town is crossed by one national road ( "DK78" ) and tree regional roads running from Gliwice to Ostrava and regional roads from Żory and Jastrzębie-Zdrój to Racibórz ( "DW932", "DW933", "DW936" ). The railway junction at "Wodzisław Śląski" is a major transshipment point.

The town is very well connected to three international

Wodzisław Śląski is center and capital of the Wodzisław County. City is situated on the main highway from nord Poland to south Poland and border with Czech Republic.

Coal centre

Wodzisław Śląski is a medium coal and industrial centre. Although there is no coal mines in the town (1 Maja Coal Mine closed in 2001), there are a few in its neighborhood (Radlin – Marcel Coal Mine, Pszów, Rydułtowy – Rydułtowy-Anna Coal Mine, Jastrzębie – Jas-Mos Coal Mine) and a coke manufacture in Radlin. The window factory Eko-Okna is also located in Wodzisław Śląski.

Culture

The town has one library, one museum and one cinema.

Tourism

In contrast to the central part of the

• the medieval gothic church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity (pol. Kościół św. Trójcy), erected in 1257;
• the Monastery from 17th century ( "Klasztor franciszkański" ), erected in 1257;
• the
  neo-gothic church
  of "Assumption of St. Mary" (Kościół WNMP),
• the building of the former district authority (19th century),
• the neo-classical
  Wall tower
  ("Baszta rycerska"),
• the Classicist Palace oldest in Poland from 1745. (Today Museum),
• the old town square (Rynek),
• the Palace in Kokoszyce (Pałac w Kokoszycach), built in 1823,
• the Synagogue (Synagoga) from 1826 ( today "Rosmann")
• the Balaton small lake in the forest (Grodzisko)

Education

In Wodzisław Śląski there are:

• 19 kindergartens
• 13 primary schools
• 4 gimnasia
• 5
  high schools
• 2 colleges

Sport

• Odra Wodzisław
  – football team
• MOSiR Stadium
• WSP Wodzisław Śląski (juniors)

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Wodzisław Śląski is twinned with:^[8]

Gallery

• 
  Tenement house at the market square
• 
  Old city in Wodzisław
• 
  Palace in Wodzisław-Kokoszyce
• 
  "Piastów" new housing estate
• 
  "Three Hills" Park

References

External links

• http://www.Wodzislaw-Slaski.pl/
• http://www.wodzislaw.zobacz.slask.pl/
• Jewish Community in Wodzisław Śląski on Virtual Shtetl

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wodzisław Śląski.