Sosnowiec is an industrial
city county in the
Dąbrowa Basin
The Dąbrowa Basin (also, Dąbrowa Coal Basin) or Zagłębie Dąbrowskie () is a geographical and historical region in southern Poland. It forms western part of Lesser Poland, though it shares some cultural and historical features with the neighbo ...
of southern
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
, in the
Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship, or Silesia Province ( pl, województwo śląskie ) is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centered on the historic region known as Upper Silesia ('), with Katowice serving as its capital.
Despite the Silesian ...
, which is also part of the
Silesian Metropolis
The Metropolis GZM ( pl, Metropolia GZM, formally in Polish Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia) is a metropolitan unit composed of 41 contiguous municipalities in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland. The seat of the metropolitan council is ...
municipal association.
—— Located in the eastern part of the
Upper Silesian Industrial Region
The Upper Silesian Industrial Region ( pl, Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy, , Polish abbreviation: ''GOP'' ; german: Oberschlesisches Industriegebiet) is a large industrial region in Poland.[Katowice urban area
The Katowice urban area ( pl, Konurbacja katowicka, ), also known as the Upper Silesian urban area ( pl, Konurbacja górnośląska, ), is an urban area/ conurbation in southern Poland, centered on Katowice. It is located in the Silesian Voivo ...]
, which is a
conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ca ...
with the overall population of 2.7 million people; as well as the greater
Upper Silesian metropolitan area
The Upper Silesian metropolitan area is a metropolitan area in southern Poland and northeastern Czech Republic, centered on the cities of Katowice and Ostrava in Silesia and has around 5 million inhabitants. Located in the three administrative ...
populated by about 5.3 million people. The population of the city is 194,818 as of December 2021.
Geography
It is believed that the name Sosnowiec originates from the Polish word ''
sosna
Sosna is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Jiří Sosna (born 1960), Czech judoka
* Kataržina Sosna (born 1990), Lithuanian racing cyclist
* Krzysztof Sosna (born 1969), Polish triathlete
See also
*
{{surname
Polish-langua ...
'', referring to the
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...
forests growing in the area prior to 1830. The village was originally known as ''Sosnowice''. Other variations of the name include ''Sosnowietz, Sosnowitz, Sosnovitz'' (
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
), ''Sosnovyts, Sosnowyts, Sosnovytz, Sosnowytz,'' and ''Sosnovetz''. There are five other smaller settlements in Poland also called Sosnowiec, located in the
Kielce Voivodship
Kielce Voivodeship ( pl, województwo kieleckie) is a former unit of administrative division and the local government in Poland. It was originally formed during Poland's return to independence in the aftermath of World War One, and recreated within ...
,
Łódź Voivodship
Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of canti ...
, and
Opole Voivodship
Opole Voivodeship, or Opole Province ( pl, województwo opolskie ), is the smallest and least populated voivodeship (province) of Poland. The province's name derives from that of the region's capital and largest city, Opole. It is part of Upper Si ...
.
![Górnośląski Związek Metropolitalny](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/G%C3%B3rno%C5%9Bl%C4%85ski_Zwi%C4%85zek_Metropolitalny.svg)
Sosnowiec serves as one of the administrative centres of the geographical and historical area of southern Poland known as the
Zagłębie Dąbrowskie Zagłębie in Polish means coalfield. It can refer to:
*Górnośląskie Zagłębie Węglowe, a mining region
*Zagłębie Dąbrowskie, a mining region
*Zagłębie Sosnowiec, an association football club
*Zagłębie Lubin, an association football clu ...
(the Dąbrowa Basin). It lies within the historic
Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a s ...
region near the border with
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
. It is located about north-east to the centre of
Katowice
Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most popul ...
and north-west of
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
, situated in the
Silesian Upland
Silesian Upland or Silesian Highland ( pl, Wyżyna Śląska) is a highland located in Silesia and Lesser Poland, Poland.
Its highest point is the St. Anne Mountain (406 m).
See also
*Silesian Lowlands
*Silesian-Lusatian Lowlands
* Silesian ...
on the rivers
Brynica
Brynica (German: ''Brinitz'') is a river in Silesia, Poland. It has a length of 55 km and is the main tributary of Czarna Przemsza. It has a source in Mysłów, and flows through Piekary Śląskie, Wojkowice, Czeladź, Siemianowice Śląskie ...
and
Przemsza
Przemsza (german: Przemsa) is a river in the south of Poland, a tributary of the Vistula. According to one view, it originates at the confluence of the Black ( pl, Czarna) Przemsza and White (''Biała'') Przemsza, between the towns of Mysłowice a ...
, a tributary of the
Vistula
The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland.
The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...
. The full list of rivers includes
Biała Przemsza
Biała Przemsza is a river of Poland, a tributary of the Przemsza near Mysłowice
Mysłowice ( szl, Myslowicy; german: Myslowitz) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The population of the city is 74,085.
It is located in ...
as well as Czarna Przemsza,
Brynica
Brynica (German: ''Brinitz'') is a river in Silesia, Poland. It has a length of 55 km and is the main tributary of Czarna Przemsza. It has a source in Mysłów, and flows through Piekary Śląskie, Wojkowice, Czeladź, Siemianowice Śląskie ...
, Bobrek, and Potok Zagórski creek. The city is part of the Silesian Voivodeship since its formation in 1999. Previously (since 1945), it was part of
Katowice Voivodeship
Katowice Voivodeship () can refer to one of two political entities in Poland:
Katowice Voivodeship (1), initially "Silesian-Dabrowa Voivodeship" ( pl, województwo śląsko-dąbrowskie), was a unit of administrative division and local government ...
, and before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Sosnowiec belonged to
Kielce Voivodeship
Kielce Voivodeship ( pl, województwo kieleckie) is a former unit of administrative division and the local government in Poland. It was originally formed during Poland's return to independence in the aftermath of World War One, and recreated within ...
.
History
![Zamek Sielecki](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Zamek_Sielecki.jpg)
The history of the city begins in 1902 when it was granted
city rights
Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...
after the merger a number of older settlements. However, the history of the village of Sosnowiec dates back to the year 1227, when it was mentioned for the first time. It was a small settlement in the Polish
Duchy of Kraków, located in close vicinity of much larger and better-developed villages of Sielce and
Zagórze (both are now districts of the city). Other districts are even older. Milowice was first mentioned in 1123 as ''Miley''. Documents from 1228 already mention Milowice, Klimontów, and
Zagórze. Furthermore, Milowice was placed on a 1561 map.
As part of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...
, Sosnowiec belonged to
Kraków Voivodeship Kraków Voivodeship may also refer to:
*Kraków Voivodeship (14th century – 1795)
* Kraków Voivodeship (1816–1837)
*Kraków Voivodeship (1919–1939)
*Kraków Voivodeship (1945–1975)
*Kraków Voivodeship (1975–1998)
The Kraków Voivodeshi ...
in the larger
. It became a
border town
A border town is a town or city close to the boundary between two countries, states, or regions. Usually the term implies that the nearness to the border is one of the things the place is most famous for. With close proximities to a different coun ...
after the neighbouring
Duchies of Silesia
The Duchies of Silesia were the more than twenty divisions of the region of Silesia formed between the 12th and 14th centuries by the breakup of the Duchy of Silesia, then part of the Kingdom of Poland. In 1335, the duchies were ceded to the King ...
passed to the
Bohemian Crown
The Lands of the Bohemian Crown were a number of incorporated states in Central Europe during the medieval and early modern periods connected by feudal relations under the Bohemian kings. The crown lands primarily consisted of the Kingdom of Bo ...
in 1335. In the result of the
third partition of Poland
The Third Partition of Poland (1795) was the last in a series of the Partitions of Poland–Lithuania and the land of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth among Prussia, the Habsburg monarchy, and the Russian Empire which effectively ended Polish ...
in 1795, however, it was seized by the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...
and was included into the newly established province of
New Silesia
New Silesia (german: Neuschlesien or ''Neu-Schlesien'') was a small Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1795 to 1807, created after the Partitions of Poland, Third Partition of Poland. It was located northwest of Kraków ...
. During the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, it became part of the
Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw ( pl, Księstwo Warszawskie, french: Duché de Varsovie, german: Herzogtum Warschau), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during ...
in 1807 and later, of
Congress Poland
Congress Poland, Congress Kingdom of Poland, or Russian Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It w ...
ruled by the
namiestniks of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. Located at the borders with the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
and
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, Sosnowiec became famous for the
Three Emperors' Corner
Three Emperors' Corner ( pl, Trójkąt Trzech Cesarzy, german: Dreikaisereck, russian: Угол трёх императоров, Ugol tryokh imperatorov) is a former tripoint at the confluence of the Black and White Przemsza rivers, near the towns ...
tripoint
A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...
, which was located within current limits of the city. During the
January Uprising
The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...
, in February 1863, the
Battle of Sosnowiec
The Battle of Sosnowiec was one of battles of the January Uprising. It took place in the night of 6–7 February 1863, between Polish insurgents under Colonel Apolinary Kurowski, and the Imperial Russian Army garrison stationed in the town of So ...
was fought, in which Polish insurgents led by defeated the Russians.
The victory allowed the Poles to take control of the surrounding towns as well.
[
]
City rights
With effect from 10 June 1902, by the order of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Pola ...
, Sosnowiec was legally named a city with the area of and with 60,000 inhabitants. Obtaining the city rights helped the economic and cultural development of the town. Apart from steelworks and coal-mines and many enterprises of heavy and light industry, new cultural and social establishments were opened as well. The newly established town consisted of the districts of Sosnowiec, Pogoń, Ostra Górka, Sielec, Kuźnica and Radocha, all of which had been separate villages before. The very fact that Russian authorities waited for so long to grant Sosnowiec town rights is seen as a punishment for local support for the Polish January Uprising
The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...
1863/64, after which numerous towns had seen their status, and were reduced to a village status. Sosnowiec was the first post-1860s location in Congress Poland to have received town charter, the second being Puławy
Puławy (, also written Pulawy) is a city in eastern Poland, in Lesser Poland's Lublin Voivodeship, at the confluence of the Vistula and Kurówka Rivers. Puławy is the capital of Puławy County. The city's 2019 population was estimated at 47,417 ...
in 1906.
Natural resources and a good geographical location had an important influence on the development of Sosnowiec. The opening of a branch line of the Warsaw-Vienna Railway in 1859 was vitally important for the growth of the town. Development of industry with the new factory of rope and wire, rolling mill, steelworks, iron foundry, steam boilers factory, and later spinning mill, dye-house and paper mill sealed the new image of the town as entirely urban. The ''Summer Theatre'' and, in 1887, the ''Winter Theatre ''were founded, the second of which was called City Theatre from 1924 in independent Poland, and later the ''Theatre of Zagłębie''. In 1914, the village of Środula
Środula is a former village in Poland, now the northern district of the town of Sosnowiec, Poland.
Edward Gierek, a former leader of Poland (the 4th First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party) during the communist era, is buried there.
...
was incorporated into Sosnowiec.
Poland finally regained independence in 1918, after World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. In the Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of ...
, Sosnowiec became part of the Kielce Voivodeship
Kielce Voivodeship ( pl, województwo kieleckie) is a former unit of administrative division and the local government in Poland. It was originally formed during Poland's return to independence in the aftermath of World War One, and recreated within ...
, and in 1934 the ''City County of Sosnowiec'' was established. Sosnowiec suffered war damages during both major military conflicts in the 20th century: World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, which caused mainly destruction to industry, and World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, which brought about the terror of executions.
World War II
After the 1939 Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...
, which started World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the city was occupied
' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October 2 ...
by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
and renamed ''Sosnowitz''. On September 4, 1939, German troops murdered 10 Poles, including 15-year-old boy Henryk Słomka, in Sosnowiec in revenge for Polish defense. Around the same time, the Germans murdered nine Poles in nearby Klimontów (present-day district of Sosnowiec).[ The '' Einsatzgruppe zbV'' entered the city on September 12, 1939. The German police carried out mass searches of Polish houses. Initially under ]military administration
Military administration identifies both the techniques and systems used by military departments, agencies, and armed services involved in managing the armed forces. It describes the processes that take place within military organisations outsid ...
set up as part of the General Government
The General Government (german: Generalgouvernement, pl, Generalne Gubernatorstwo, uk, Генеральна губернія), also referred to as the General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region (german: Generalgouvernement für die be ...
, Sosnowiec was annexed by Germany and incorporated into the Province of Silesia
The Province of Silesia (german: Provinz Schlesien; pl, Prowincja Śląska; szl, Prowincyjŏ Ślōnskŏ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1740 and established as an official p ...
on 20 November 1939. In March 1940, the Germans established a transit camp (''Gefangenensammellager'') for arrested Poles in Sosnowiec. Inhabitants of Sosnowiec were also among Poles murdered in Celiny in June 1940. The Germans operated three labour subcamps of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. P ...
in the city, and two more in the present-day district of Klimontów. The Polish underground resistance movement was active in the city.
In June 1943 thousands of Jews were deported from Sosnowiec Ghetto
The Sosnowiec Ghetto (german: Ghetto von Sosnowitz) was a World War II ghetto set up by Nazi German authorities for Polish Jews in the Środula district of Sosnowiec in the Province of Upper Silesia. During the Holocaust in occupied Poland, mos ...
to the Auschwitz concentration camp
Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
. The ghetto was liquidated two months later and almost all remaining Jews (around 15,000) were also deported to Auschwitz. Previously there had been considerable underground activity among them. The Germans established and operated two subcamps of the Auschwitz concentration camp in the city. In the first subcamp they held about 100 Polish forced labourers, and in the second, larger, they held hundreds of forced labourers, initially mostly Jews. In 1944, the Germans sent kidnapped Polish children from Sosnowiec to the Potulice concentration camp
Potulice concentration camp (german: UWZ Lager Lebrechtsdorf– Potulitz) was a concentration camp established and operated by Nazi Germany during World War II in Potulice near Nakło in the territory of occupied Poland. Until the spring of 1941 i ...
.
The Vistula–Oder Offensive of the Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
in January 1945 brought about the liberation of the city.
Post-war
After World War II, Sosnowiec further developed. On June 1, 1975, the metropolitan area was expanded when the neighbouring locations of Zagórze, Kazimierz Górniczy, Porąbka, Klimontów, and Maczki, became its districts. By 1977 the population of the city reached 200,000. Further growth was accelerated by the construction of Katowice Steelworks
Katowice Steelworks (Polish: ''Huta Katowice'') is a large steel plant, located in southern Poland, on the boundary between the historical provinces of Lesser Poland and Upper Silesia. The current name of the plant is ArcelorMittal Poland Dąbro ...
, and in 1981, the population of Sosnowiec was 250,000, reaching its peak in 1987, when it was 259,000. Since then, the population has been declining. In 1992, the city became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sosnowiec
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sosnowiec is a diocese located in the city of Sosnowiec in the Ecclesiastical province of Częstochowa in Poland. As of 2013 weekly Sunday mass attendance was 27.5%, up from 27.4% in the previous year.
History
* Mar ...
.
Economy
Sosnowiec is characterised by its urban dynamics, economic activity, cultural heritage, and natural environment. In recent years, Sosnowiec was further developed from an industrial centre (with mainly mining and heavy industries) into a hub of trade and services. Nevertheless, it still operates several important coal mines, steel factories and other industrial plants. Its Special Economic Zone, established in Sosnowiec thanks to the efforts of local authorities, plays a major role in attracting new businesses into the area. As a result, several companies with Polish and foreign capital opened their businesses in the city. Sosnowiec City Office was awarded the ISO 9001
The ISO 9000 family is a set of five quality management systems (QMS) standards that help organizations ensure they meet customer and other stakeholder needs within statutory and regulatory requirements related to a product or service. ISO 90 ...
2001 quality certificate for its management system for providing services for the local community.
From 2006, a new trade centre Expo Silesia began hosting numerous trade shows. Activities of Artistic and Literary Society of Zagłębie Dąbrowskie prove also that Sosnowiec as an industrial centre is not only a working-class environment.
Districts
For Sosnowiec's 100th birthday, the downtown area was thoroughly rebuilt, to harmonise its architectural layout and give the city a more modern image. In 2004 Sosnowiec authorities and designers were awarded the Grand Prix for the rebuilding of the downtown area in a competition for the best public space in the ''Śląskie'' Provinces. This investment had been accompanied by a program designed to improve the esthetic qualities of the city, under which a comprehensive program for unifying the colors of the elevations, and advertisements entitled “rainbow city” were introduced. Among the city districts there are:
*Dańdówka
* Dębowa Góra
*Jęzor
*Juliusz
*Kazimierz Górniczy
*Klimontów
*Maczki
*Milowice
*Modrzejów
*Niwka
*Ostra Górka
*Ostrowy Górnicze
*Pogoń district in Sosnowiec
*Porąbka
*Radocha
*Rudna district of Sosnowiec
*Sielec
*Stary Sosnowiec
*Środula
Środula is a former village in Poland, now the northern district of the town of Sosnowiec, Poland.
Edward Gierek, a former leader of Poland (the 4th First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party) during the communist era, is buried there.
...
*Sosnowiec Śródmieście
* Zagórze
Points of interest
There are many relics of the industrial era, especially residences of industrialists. Most of them are located outside the strict city center, on the Czarna Przemsza
Przemsza (german: Przemsa) is a river in the south of Poland, a tributary of the Vistula. According to one view, it originates at the confluence of the Black ( pl, Czarna) Przemsza and White (''Biała'') Przemsza, between the towns of Mysłowice a ...
river bank. One of the oldest is a 17th-century castle known as the Sielecki Castle. Other main tourist attractions include:
* The Dietel Palace
* Schöen Palace and museum
* Oskar Schöen's Palace called also New Schöen Palace
* Wilhelm Palace
* Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
* Orthodox Church of the Holy Virgin, Hope, Luby and their mother Zofia
* St. John Evangelical Church
* St Thomas Church
* Railway Station Sosnowiec Główny
* Railway Station Sosnowiec Maczki
* Huta Buczek
* Old Jewish cemetery
* Three Emperors' Corner
Three Emperors' Corner ( pl, Trójkąt Trzech Cesarzy, german: Dreikaisereck, russian: Угол трёх императоров, Ugol tryokh imperatorov) is a former tripoint at the confluence of the Black and White Przemsza rivers, near the towns ...
Parks and gardens
Sosnowiec has more than 2,250 ha of green areas occurring as parks, squares, protection zones, lot gardens and forests. In the area of the city preserved many parks established at the residence of industrialists, and also created a lot of new. Many of them present historical and natural value. Main parks and green areas include the Sielecki Park, which is a historical park at the castle with many natural monuments; the historical Dietel Park; the Park-Palace Complex of Schöen with two palaces; the Millennium Park, the Środula Park with a sports complex; the nature park "Szopienice-Borki"; as well as the peat bog "Bory" protected area, part of Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...
.
Education and science
Institutions of higher learning in Sosnowiec include:
* The University of Silesia in Katowice
The University of Silesia in Katowice ( pl, Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach, UŚ) is an autonomous state-run university in Silesia Province, Katowice, Poland.
The university offers higher education and research facilities. It offers undergrad ...
(schools of modern languages, natural science, technology and a language teacher training college)
** Faculty of Earth Science
** Faculty of Computer and Materials Science
** Faculty of Philology
* The Medical University of Silesia in Katowice,
** Faculty of Pharmacy
* The private School of Marketing and Management
* The Silesian University of Technology
The Silesian University of Technology (Polish name: Politechnika Śląska; ) is a university located in the Polish province of Silesia, with most of its facilities in the city of Gliwice. It was founded in 1945 by Polish professors of the Lwow P ...
** Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science
* The private School of Ecology
Among general secondary level schools in Sosnowiec there are high-schools such as the II Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Emilii Plater, III Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Bolesława Prusa, and IV Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Stanisława Staszica.
Sports
* Zagłębie Sosnowiec
Zagłębie Sosnowiec () is a football club based in Sosnowiec, Poland. The club was established in 1906. It won Polish Cup four times (1962, 1963, 1977, 1978), and also was four times Polish runner up (1955, 1964, 1967, 1972). Apart from footbal ...
– men's football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team, four times Polish Cup
The Polish Cup in football ( pl, Puchar Polski w piłce nożnej ) is an elimination tournament for Polish football clubs, held continuously from 1950, and is the second most important national title in Polish football after the Ekstraklasa title. ...
winner
* KH Zagłębie Sosnowiec
KH Zagłębie Sosnowiec is an ice hockey team from Sosnowiec, Poland. They play in the Polska Hokej Liga, the top-level ice hockey league in Poland.
Sosnowiec was founded in 1937. They won five PLH titles in six years from 1980–1985, and one Po ...
– ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
team, which competes in the Polska Hokej Liga
The Polska Hokej Liga is the premier ice hockey league in Poland. Previously, it was known as the I Liga or Ekstraklasa from 1926 to 1999, and the Polska Liga Hokejowa from 1999 to 2013. In 2013, it was reorganized as a limited liability company ...
(top division), five times Polish champions
* Płomień Sosnowiec
Płomień Sosnowiec was a men's volleyball team based in Sosnowiec in southern Poland, founded in 1992. The successor of Płomień Milowice. One time Polish Champion (1996) and two–time Polish Cup winner (2003, 2004).
In 2008, due to financi ...
– men's volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
team playing in Polish Volleyball League
The PlusLiga is the highest level of men's volleyball in Poland, a professional league competition featuring volleyball clubs located in this country. It is overseen by Polska Liga Siatkówki SA (PLS SA). It is currently a 16 teams league from Oc ...
(top division), phoenix club of Płomień Milowice
GKS Płomień Milowice was a volleyball section of the same name club from Poland, located in the city of Sosnowiec, founded in 1961. Płomień Milowice was one of the most important sports clubs in Poland during the PRL era. In 1992, the club ...
, in total 3 times Polish champions and winners of the 1977–78 CEV Champions League
The CEV Champions League is the top official competition for men's volleyball clubs from the whole of Europe. The competition is organised every year by the European Volleyball Confederation.
Formula (2018–19 to present) Qualification
A tot ...
* Czarni Sosnowiec
Kolejowy Klub Sportowy Czarni Sosnowiec, commonly referred to as Czarni Sosnowiec, is a football club from Sosnowiec, Poland. The club was founded in 1924, and its home ground is the Jan Ciszewski's Stadium. It has a women's and a men's section.
...
– most accomplished Polish women's football club, 12 times Polish champions, playing in the Ekstraliga (top division)
Notable people
*Ignaz von Szyszylowicz Ignaz is a male given name, related to the name Ignatius. Notable people with this name include:
* Franz Ignaz Beck (1734–1807), German musician
* Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644–1704), Bohemian-Austrian musician
* Ignaz Brüll (1846–1907), ...
(1857–1910), Polish botanist
*Shlomo Chanoch Rabinowicz
Shlomo Chanoch Hakohen Rabinowicz (also spelled Rabinowitz, Rabinowich, Rabinovitch) (1882 – 1 August 1942) was the fourth and last rebbe of the Radomsk hasidic dynasty. He was the eldest son of the third Radomsker rebbe, Yechezkel Rabinowicz ...
(1882–1942), fourth and last Rebbe of the Radomsk Hasidic dynasty
*Jacek Mierzejewski
Jacek Mierzejewski (1883, Sosnowiec - 1925, Otwock) was a Polish painter, associated with "Formism", a Polish art movement that combined Cubism, Impressionism and Futurism.
Biography
He began his studies at the Warsaw School of Drawing, then ...
(1883–1925), Polish painter
*Shlomo Sztencl
Shlomo Sztencl ( he, שלמה שטנצל, pronounced ''Shtentzel'') (1884 – 1919) was a Polish Orthodox Jewish rabbi. He served as Chief Rabbi of Czeladź, Poland and Rav, '' dayan'', and rosh yeshiva of Sosnowiec, Poland. He is the author of ...
(1884–1919), Polish Orthodox Jewish rabbi
*Władysław Szafer
Prof Władysław Szafer PAS HFRSE (July 23, 1886 – November 16, 1970) was a Polish botanist, palaeobotanist, quaternary geologist and professor of botany at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. He was a world pioneer in nature conservation ...
(1886–1970), Polish botanist and palaeobotanist
*Zbigniew Babiński
Zbigniew Juliusz Babiński (13 May 1896 – April 1940) was a Polish military and sports aviator.
He was born in Sosnowiec. While in school he constructed two simple biplane gliders in 1912 and 1913 in Milanówek. The first one crashed during ...
(1896–1940), Polish military and sports aviator
*Shlomo Zev Zweigenhaft
Rabbi Shlomo Zev Zweigenhaft (Hebrew: ) was a Rosh Hashochtim of Poland (overseeing the country's kosher slaughterers) before the Holocaust. After the Holocaust he was Chief Rabbi of Hanover and Lower Saxony. Later, after emigrating to the Unit ...
(1915–2005), Orthodox Jewish Rabbi
*Jan Kiepura
Jan Wiktor Kiepura (May 16, 1902 – August 15, 1966) was a Polish singer (tenor) and actor.
Life and career
Jan Kiepura was born in Sosnowiec, Poland, the son of Miriam (née Neuman), a former professional singer, and Franciszek Kiepura, a b ...
(1902–1966), Polish singer and actor
*Paul Godwin
Paul Godwin (1902–1982) was a violinist and the leader of a popular German dance orchestra in the 1920s and 30s.
Biography
Paul Godwin (b. Pinchas Goldfein) was born on 28 March 1902 in Sosnowitz (Russian Empire; now Poland). Early recordin ...
(1902–1982), Polish-German violinist
*Jędrzej Giertych
Jędrzej Giertych (7 January 1903 – 9 October 1992) was a Polish right-wing politician, journalist and writer.
Biography
Jędrzej Giertych was born in Sosnowiec on 7 January 1903, the son of Franciszek Giertych (1868–1938), an engineer. He ...
(1903–1992), Polish politician
* Władysław Spiegelman (1906–1982), father of Art Spiegelman
Art Spiegelman (; born Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev Spiegelman on February 15, 1948) is an American cartoonist, editor, and comics advocate best known for his graphic novel ''Maus''. His work as co-editor on the comics magazines ''Arcade (comics maga ...
* Yehiel Feiner (1909–2001), the widely translated writer of Holocaust novels known by his pseudonym Ka-Tzetnik
*Władysław Szpilman
Władysław Szpilman (; 5 December 1911 – 6 July 2000) was a Polish pianist and classical composer of Jewish descent. Szpilman is widely known as the central figure in the 2002 Roman Polanski film '' The Pianist'', which was based on Szpilman ...
(1911–2000), Polish pianist and classical composer, widely known as the central figure in the 2002 Roman Polanski
Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...
film '' The Pianist''
*Edward Gierek
Edward Gierek (; 6 January 1913 – 29 July 2001) was a Polish communism in Poland, Communist politician and ''de facto'' leader of Poland between 1970 and 1980. Gierek replaced Władysław Gomułka as General Secretary of the Communist Party, F ...
(1913–2001), Polish communist politician; first secretary of the ruling Polish United Workers' Party
The Polish United Workers' Party ( pl, Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza; ), commonly abbreviated to PZPR, was the communist party which ruled the Polish People's Republic as a one-party state from 1948 to 1989. The PZPR had led two other lega ...
(PZPR)
*Haim Hefer
Haim Hefer ( he, חיים חפר 29 October 1925 – 18 September 2012) was a Polish-born Israeli songwriter, poet and writer. He wrote for numerous composers and musical artists, as well as for military bands. Several of his songs, including "H ...
(1925–2012), Israeli poet and songwriter
* Stanisław Jaros (1932–1963), Polish anti-communist activist
* Krystyna Czajkowska (born 1936), Polish volleyball player
*James Spigelman
James Jacob Spigelman (born 1 January 1946) is a former Australian judge who served as Chief Justice of New South Wales from 1998 to 2011. He was also Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales from 1998 to 2012. He served on the Court of Final App ...
(born 1946), Australian judge who served as Chief Justice of New South Wales from 1998 to 2011
*Jacek Majchrowski
Jacek Maria Majchrowski (born 13 January 1947 in Sosnowiec) is a Polish politician, lawyer, historian, professor at the Jagiellonian University, and the current mayor of Kraków since 2002; making him the longest serving mayor in the history of ...
(born 1947), Polish politician and historian, Mayor of Kraków
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
* Magdalena Piekorz (born 1974), Polish film director and screenwriter
* Piotr Łukasiewicz (born 1974) is a Polish diplomat
*Łukasz Simlat
Łukasz Simlat (born 11 December 1977) is a Polish actor. He has appeared in more than 60 films and television shows since 2000.
Biography
Graduate of the Secondary School named after Emilia Plater in Sosnowiec. For two years he attended the ...
(born 1977), Polish actor
*Joanna Krupa
Joanna Krupa (; born April 23, 1979) is a Polish-born American model and actress. She is known internationally as the host and head judge of Polish ''Top Model'' as well as for appearances on reality television shows '' Dancing with the Stars'' ...
(born 1979), Polish-American model, actress and animal rights activist
* Marcin Drzymont (born 1981), Polish footballer
*Marcin Koniusz
Marcin Krzysztof Koniusz (born 12 September 1983 in Sosnowiec) is a Polish sabre fencer. He won a total of four medals, including a silver in the individual event, at the European Fencing Championships (2003 in Bourges, France, 2004 in Copenhagen ...
(born 1983), Polish sabre fencer
*Eugen Polanski
Eugen Polanski (; born Bogusław Eugeniusz Polański on 17 March 1986) is a Polish former professional association football, footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder.
He amassed Bundesliga totals of 254 matches and 14 goals over 12 ...
(born 1986), Polish footballer
*Paula Kania
Paula or PAULA may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Paula, in video game ''EarthBound''
* Paula, in ''The Larry Sanders Show''
* Paula Campbell (''EastEnders''), in 2003
Film and television
* ''Paula'' (1915 film), a si ...
(born 1992), Polish tennis player
Twin towns – sister cities
Sosnowiec is twinned with:
* Derhachi
Derhachi (, ; ) is a city in Kharkiv Raion, Kharkiv Oblast (Oblast, province) of eastern Ukraine. The city is located northwest of the oblast capital, Kharkiv. The settlement was founded in the second half of the 17th century as a sloboda. It hos ...
, Ukraine
* Dziwnów
Dziwnów (formerly german: Dievenow) is a town in north-western Poland situated on the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the river Dziwna which divides it into the right-bank part containing the center of the town, belonging to historical Farther Pome ...
, Poland
* Idar-Oberstein
Idar-Oberstein () is a town in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. As a ''Große kreisangehörige Stadt'' (large city belonging to a district), it assumes some of the responsibilities that for smaller municipalities in ...
, Germany
* Komárom
Komárom (Hungarian: ; german: Komorn; la, Brigetio, later ; sk, Komárno) is a city in Hungary on the south bank of the Danube in Komárom-Esztergom County. Komárno, Slovakia, is on the northern bank. Komárom was formerly a separate villag ...
, Hungary
* Maârif (Casablanca), Morocco
* Les Mureaux
Les Mureaux () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre Zer ...
, France
* Roubaix
Roubaix ( or ; nl, Robaais; vls, Roboais) is a city in northern France, located in the Lille metropolitan area on the Belgian border. It is a historically mono-industrial commune in the Nord department, which grew rapidly in the 19th century ...
, France
* Suceava
Suceava () is the largest urban settlement and the seat town ( ro, oraș reședință de județ) of Suceava County, situated in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania, and at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central and Eastern E ...
, Romania
Notelist
References
External links
Official web site of Sosnowiec
Sosnowiec on an old photography
(in Polish)
Local weather in Sosnowiec, Weather.com
Mapquest link to 6 towns in Poland called Sosnowiec
Pictures of Sosnowiec
(in Polish)
Jewish Community in Sosnowiec
on Virtual Shtetl
Note about Haim Hefer (1925–2012)
(in Hebrew)
*
{{Authority control
City counties of Poland
Cities and towns in Silesian Voivodeship
Kraków Voivodeship (14th century – 1795)
Kielce Voivodeship (1919–1939)
Holocaust locations in Poland
Nazi war crimes in Poland