Bieruń (, ) is a town in
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia ( ; ; ; ; Silesian German: ; ) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, located today mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic. The area is predominantly known for its heav ...
, in southern
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, seat of the
Bieruń-Lędziny County in the
Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship ( ) is an administrative province in southern Poland. With over 4.2 million residents and an area of 12,300 square kilometers, it is the second-most populous, and the most-densely populated and most-urbanized region of Poland ...
. It is located about south of
Katowice
Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...
.
Geography
It is located in the
Silesian Highlands, on the
Gostynia river, a tributary of the
Vistula
The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland.
The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...
. It is located in the southern part of the
Metropolis GZM
The Metropolis GZM (, formally in Polish (Upper Silesian-Dąbrowa Basin Metropolis)) is a metropolitan association () composed of 41 contiguous gminas, with a total population of over 2 million, covering most of the Katowice metropolitan area i ...
- metropolis with a population of about 2 million.
Bieruń is one of the towns of the 2.7 million conurbation – the
Katowice urban area
The Katowice urban area (, ), also known as the Upper Silesian urban area (, ), is an urban area/conurbation in southern Poland, centered on Katowice. It is located in the Silesian Voivodeship. The Katowice urban area is the largest urban are ...
, and within the greater
Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area
The Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan areaBrookings Institutionbr>Redefining global cities: The seven types of global metro economies(2016), p. 16. European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON"''Metroborder: Cross-border Polycentric Metropol ...
populated by about 5,294,000 people. The population of the town itself is 19,334 (December 2021).
Bieruń includes
dzielnica
In the Polish system of local administration, a dzielnica (Polish plural ''dzielnice'') is an administrative subdivision or quarter of a city or town. A dzielnica may have its own elected council ('' rada dzielnicy'', or ''dzielnica council'') ...
s Bieruń Stary, Bieruń Nowy, Ściernie, Jajosty, Bijasowice and Czarnuchowice and is bordered with
Lędziny,
Tychy
Tychy (Polish pronunciation: ; ) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, approximately south of Katowice. Situated on the southern edge of the Upper Silesian industrial district, the city borders Katowice to the north, Mikołów to the west, Bie ...
,
Chełm Śląski,
Bojszowy and
Oświęcim
Oświęcim (; ; ; ) is a town in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland, situated southeast of Katowice, near the confluence of the Vistula (''Wisła'') and Soła rivers.
Oświęcim dates back to the 12th century, when it was an im ...
.
History

The territory became part of the emerging Polish state in the 10th century. Following the fragmentation of Poland, it formed part of various
Piast-ruled provincial duchies of Poland, incl.
Opole
Opole (; ; ; ) is a city located in southern Poland on the Oder River and the historical capital of Upper Silesia. With a population of approximately 127,387 as of the 2021 census, it is the capital of Opole Voivodeship (province) and the seat of ...
and
Racibórz
Racibórz (, , , ) is a city in Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the administrative seat of Racibórz County.
With Opole, Racibórz is one of the historic capitals of Upper Silesia, being the residence of the Duchy of Racibórz, Du ...
. Bieruń Stary was the location of a
motte-and-bailey castle from the 13th–14th century, which is now an archaeological site. In the 14th century, it passed under
Bohemian rule. The settlement of ''Berouna'' was first mentioned in a 1376 deed. The name is most probably related to the, similarly spelled, Slavic deity
Perun
In Slavic paganism, Slavic mythology, Perun () is the highest god of the Pantheon (religion), pantheon and the god of sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility and oak trees. His other attributes were fire, mountains, wind, ir ...
, remains of its cultic place still present at nearby
Lędziny.
John II, the
Přemyslid duke of
Racibórz
Racibórz (, , , ) is a city in Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the administrative seat of Racibórz County.
With Opole, Racibórz is one of the historic capitals of Upper Silesia, being the residence of the Duchy of Racibórz, Du ...
granted it
town privileges
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 traditio ...
in 1387. Later on, it returned to the Polish dukes of the Piast dynasty as part of the united
Duchy of Opole and Racibórz. After the extinction of the Opole line of the Piasts, in 1532, Bieruń was incorporated by the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
.
With most of Silesia, it was conquered by
Prussia
Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
in the
First Silesian War
The First Silesian War () was a war between Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia and Habsburg monarchy, Austria that lasted from 1740 to 1742 and resulted in Prussia's seizing most of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland) from Austria. The ...
of 1740–42 and afterwards incorporated into the
Silesia Province. In the mid-19th century, the town's population was predominantly
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
by confession.
[ On 18 June 1845, a fire destroyed large areas of the town; King Frederick William IV of Prussia personally donated 9000 talers for its reconstruction. Cigarette and munitions factories were set up in the town in the mid-19th century. It became part of the ]German Empire
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
in 1871 under the Germanized name ''Berun''. In Polish it was known as both ''Bieruń'' and ''Beruń''.[ Seven annual ]fair
A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...
s were held in the town in the late 19th century. Located near the border with Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name ''Małopolska'' (; ), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a separate cult ...
and Austrian Silesia, ''Berun'' until 1919 was the most southeasterly town of Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.
After the restoration of independent Poland in 1918, the Third Silesian Uprising of 1921 and the subsequent Upper Silesia plebiscite (in which 1,427 or 82.1% of residents in Bieruń Stary and 292 or 58.4% of residents in Bieruń Nowy voted for Poland), Bieruń was reintegrated with Poland, within which it formed part of the Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship ( ) is an administrative province in southern Poland. With over 4.2 million residents and an area of 12,300 square kilometers, it is the second-most populous, and the most-densely populated and most-urbanized region of Poland ...
.
Following the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...
, which started World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in September 1939, the town was occupied by Germany until 1945. After the war it was administratively part of the Katowice Voivodeship until 1998. From 1975 until 1991 it was a district of the neighbouring Tychy
Tychy (Polish pronunciation: ; ) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, approximately south of Katowice. Situated on the southern edge of the Upper Silesian industrial district, the city borders Katowice to the north, Mikołów to the west, Bie ...
municipality.
Sports
The local football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
clubs are Unia Bieruń and Piast Bieruń. Both compete in the lower leagues.
International relations
Twin towns - sister cities
Bieruń is twinned with:
* Gundelfingen, Germany, since 1997
* Meung-sur-Loire
Meung-sur-Loire () is a commune in the Loiret department, north-central France.
It was the site of the Battle of Meung-sur-Loire in 1429.
Geography
Meung-sur-Loire lies 15 km to the west of Orléans on the north bank of the river Loir ...
, France since 2008
* Moravský Beroun, Czech Republic, since 1992
* Ostroh, Ukraine, since 2005
Gallery
Kościół p.w. Św Bartłomieja w Bieruniu.jpg, Church of Saint Bartholomew
Wnętrze Sanktuarium.jpg, Interior of the Sanctuary of Saint Valentine
Jarmark w Bieruniu.jpg, Christmas market
A Christmas market is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent. These markets originated in Germany, but are now held in many countries. Some in the U.S. have Phono-semantic matching, adapted ...
Jezioro Łysina.jpg, Łysina Lake
References
External links
Official website
Jewish Community of Bieruń
on Virtual Shtetl
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bierun
Cities and towns in Silesian Voivodeship
Bieruń-Lędziny County