Chorzów ( ; ; ) is a city in the
Silesia
Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...
region of 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 ...
, near
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 ...
. Chorzów is one of the central cities 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 ...
– a metropolis with a population of 2 million. It is located in the
Silesian Highlands
Silesian Upland or Silesian Highland () is a highland located in Silesia and Lesser Poland, 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 Ca ...
, on the
Rawa River
The Rawa (pronounced: ; older name ''Roździanka'') is a minor river (about 19.6 kilometres in total length) in Silesia, Poland.http://www.bspnews.kiss.pl/bspnews/991/991-34.htm#RAWA Rawa River Project It is the largest right tributary of the B ...
(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 ...
).
Administratively, Chorzów is 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 ...
since 1999, previously
Katowice Voivodeship
Katowice Voivodeship () can refer to one of two political entities in Poland:
Katowice Voivodeship (1), initially "Silesian-Dabrowa Voivodeship" (), was a unit of administrative division and local government in the years 1946–1975. It was super ...
, and before then, 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 ...
. Chorzów is one of the cities of the 2.7 million
conurbation
A conurbation is a region consisting of 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 ...
– 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 a 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 ...
with a population of about 5,294,000 people. The population within the city limits is 105,628 as of December 2021.
Chorzów is particularly known as the location of the
Silesian Stadium
The Silesian Stadium (; Polish: ) is a sport stadium located on the premises of Silesian Park in Chorzów, Poland. The stadium has a fully covered capacity of 54,378, after refurbishment completed in October 2017. The stadium hosted many Poland ...
, one of the largest and historically most important stadiums in Poland.
Ruch Chorzów
Ruch Chorzów () is a Polish professional association football, football club based in Chorzów, Upper Silesia. It is one of the most successful football teams in Poland, having won fourteen List of Polish football champions, Polish Championship ...
, one of the most accomplished Polish football clubs, is based in the city.
History
City name
The city of Chorzów was formed in 1934–1939 by a merger of 4 adjacent cities: Chorzów, Królewska Huta, Nowe Hajduki and Hajduki Wielkie. The name of the oldest settlement ''Chorzów'' was applied to the amalgamated city.

The etymology of the name is not known. Chorzów is believed to be first mentioned as ''Zversov'' or ''Zuersov'' in a document of 1136 by
Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II (; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as Pope was controversial, and the first eight years o ...
as a village with peasants, silver miners, and two inns. Another place-name likely indicating Chorzów is Coccham or Coccha, which is mentioned in a document of 1198 by the
Patriarch of Jerusalem, who awarded this place to the
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Chorzów is then mentioned as ''Chareu'' or ''Charev'' in 1257 and then ''Charzow'' in 1292. The last name may originate from the
personal name
A personal name, full name or prosoponym (from Ancient Greek ''prósōpon'' – person, and ''onoma'' –name) is the set of names by which an individual person or animal is known. When taken together as a word-group, they all relate to that on ...
''Charz'', short for ''Zachary'' and may mean ''Zachary's place''. The ''a'' in the early names may have been later modified to the current pronunciation with ''o'' perhaps due to similarity to the
common adjective ''chory''=''ill'' and a presence of a hospital (which was moved in 1299 to Rozbark at the gates of
Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital.
It is one ...
). Today, the place of the old village is a subdivision called ''Chorzów III'' or ''
Chorzów Stary'' = ''the Old Chorzów''.
The industrial and residential settlement south-west of Chorzów constructed since 1797 around the ''Royal Coal Mine'' and ''Royal Iron Works'' was named ''Królewska Huta'' by the Poles or ''Königshütte'' by the Germans, both names meaning ''Royal Iron Works''. As it was growing quickly this settlement was granted
city status
City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a monarch, national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose.
Historically, ci ...
in 1868. Today this neighbourhood is called ''Chorzów I'' or ''Chorzów-Miasto'' meaning ''Chorzów Centre''.
The etymology of ''Hajduki'' is ambiguous and is interpreted as either related to the German word for
moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of Habitat (ecology), habitat found in upland (geology), upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and the biomes of montane grasslands and shrublands, characterised by low-growing vegetation on So ...
(German: die Heide), or adopted from the German/Polish/Silesian term for
hajduk
A hajduk (, plural of ) is a type of Irregular military, irregular infantry found in Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries, especially from Hajdú–Bihar Count ...
(s) (Polish (plural): Hajduki; German (singular): Heiduck), which locally meant bandits. The place was first mentioned in 1627 as ''Hejduk'' and shown on 18th century maps as "Ober Heiduk" and "Nieder Heiduk" (i.e., Upper and Lower Heiduk). The later names ''Hajduki Wielkie'' and ''Nowe Hajduki'' mean ''Great Hajduks'' and ''New Hajduks'', respectively. The two settlements were merged in 1903 and named after the
Bismarck Iron Works An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and steel products are made.
Iron Works may also refer to:
* Iron Works, a neighborhood in Brookfield, Connecticut
* Clay City, Kentucky, known as Iron ...
''Bismarckhütte''. When the international borders shifted, the name of Bismarck was replaced with the name of the
Polish king
Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...
Batory (so-chosen to preserve that initial "B", which appeared on an economically important local trademark). Today this city subdivision is called ''Chorzów IV'' or ''Chorzów-Batory''.
Village of Chorzów

In the 12th century, the
castellan
A castellan, or constable, was the governor of a castle in medieval Europe. Its surrounding territory was referred to as the castellany. The word stems from . A castellan was almost always male, but could occasionally be female, as when, in 1 ...
y of
Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital.
It is one ...
, including the Chorzów area, belonged to the
Seniorate Province
Seniorate Province, also known as the Senioral Province, was a district principality in the Duchy of Poland that was formed in 1138, following the fragmentation of the state.Kwiatkowski, Richard. The Country That Refused to Die: The Story of t ...
(Kraków Duchy) of Poland. In 1179 it was awarded by Duke
Casimir the Just to the Duke of
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 since that time the history of Chorzów has been connected to the history of
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 ...
(
Duchy of Opole
The Duchy of Opole (; ) or Duchy of Oppeln () was one of the duchies of Silesia ruled by the branch of Polish Piast dynasty, formed during the medieval fragmentation of Poland into provincial duchies. Its capital was Opole () in Upper Silesia.
S ...
).
The oldest part of the city, the village of Chorzów, today called ''
Chorzów Stary'', belonged since 1257 to the
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Already at that time silver and lead ores were mined nearby, later also the ores of iron. There is more documentation for 16th century developments.
From 1327, the Upper Silesian duchies were ruled by the dukes of the
Piast dynasty
The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented List of Polish monarchs, Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I of Poland, Mieszko I (–992). The Poland during the Piast dynasty, Piasts' royal rule in Pol ...
and were subject to
Bohemian
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers.
* Bohemian style, a ...
overlordship. The
Crown of Bohemia
The Lands of the Bohemian Crown were the states in Central Europe during the medieval and early modern periods with feudal obligations to the Bohemian kings. The crown lands primarily consisted of the Kingdom of Bohemia, an electorate of the Hol ...
elected Polish-Lithuanian
Jagiellons kings from 1471 and Austrian
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
s kings after 1526. In 1742, the area was conquered by the Prussian
Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern (, ; , ; ) is a formerly royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) German dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenburg, Prussia, the German Empire, and Romania. ...
s in
Silesian Wars
The Silesian Wars () were three wars fought in the mid-18th century between Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia (under King Frederick the Great) and Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg Austria (under Empress Maria Theresa) for control of the Central European ...
, setting the stage for the Prussian industrial might. The Prussian and then German period lasted for about 180 years and overlapped with the time of rapid industrialization.
Industrial revolution

With the discovery of
bituminous coal
Bituminous coal, or black coal, is a type of coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen or asphalt. Its coloration can be black or sometimes dark brown; often there are well-defined bands of bright and dull material within the coal seam, ...
deposits at the end of the 18th century by the Polish local priest
Ludwik Bojarski, new industrial sectors developed in the Chorzów area. In the years 1791–1797 the Prussian
state-owned
State ownership, also called public ownership or government ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, property, or enterprise by the national government of a country or state, or a public body representing a community, as opposed to ...
Royal Coal Mine was constructed (''Kopalnia Król'', ''Königsgrube'', later renamed several times with the changing political winds). In 1799, first
pig iron
Pig iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate good used by the iron industry in the production of steel. It is developed by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. Pig iron has a high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with si ...
was made in the Royal Iron Works (''Królewska Huta'', ''Königshütte''). At the time, it was a pioneering industrial establishment of its kind in
continental Europe
Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by som ...
. In 1819 the ironworks consisted of 4
blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being supplied above atmospheric pressure.
In a ...
s, producing 1,400 tons of pig-iron. In the 1800s the modern Lidognia Zinc Works was added in the area.
Settlements grew near the new coal and ironworks. Since 1797, one group of settlements was called ''Königshütte'' (''Królewska Huta'' in Polish) after the ironworks. In 1846 Królewska Huta received a
railway track
Railway track ( and UIC terminology) or railroad track (), also known as permanent way () or "P way" ( and Indian English), is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers ( railroad ties in American ...
to
Świętochłowice
Świętochłowice (; ; ) is a city with powiat rights in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is also one of the central cities of the Metropolis GZM, with a population of 2 million, and is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Rawa ...
and
Mysłowice, in 1857 to
Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital.
It is one ...
and until 1872 to all major cities in the Silesian region. Królewska Huta received city status in 1868 as part of
Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital.
It is one ...
County, and in 1898 it was made a separate
city-county.The population was increasing rapidly: from 19,500 inhabitants in 1870 to 72,600 in 1910. Among them 17,300 workers were employed in the industry (similar number for 1939). In 1871 there was a workers' rebellion in the city.
The Royal Iron Works were taken over in 1871 by the holding called ''Vereingte Königs- und Laurahütte
AG für Bergbau und Hüttenbetrieb'', which added a
steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-fini ...
, rail mill and workshops. In the vicinity of the Royal Coal Mine, ''Countess Laura'' Coal Mine was opened in 1870, and by 1913–1914 coal production increased to 1 million tons a year. In 1898, a
thermal power plant
A thermal power station, also known as a thermal power plant, is a type of power station in which the heat energy generated from various fuel sources (e.g., coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, etc.) is converted to electrical energy. The heat ...
was commissioned which was, until the 1930s, the biggest electricity producer in Poland with a power of 100 MW (electrical). Today, it operates as
"ELCHO". In 1915, nitrogen chemical works (Oberschlesische Stickstoffwerke) were built nearby to produce fertilizers and explosives by newly invented processes: from the air, water and coal (see
Haber-Bosch process
The Haber process, also called the Haber–Bosch process, is the main industrial procedure for the ammonia production, production of ammonia. It converts atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3) by a reaction with hydrogen (H2) using finely di ...
). Today, it operates as "Zakłady Azotowe SA".
Another ironworks, Bismarck Iron Works (''Bismarckhütte''), later called Bathory Iron Works (''Huta Batory''), was opened in 1872 in the village of Hajduki Wielkie, just south of Chorzów and Królewska Huta. A large
carbochemical plant was started nearby in 1889, the first such
chemical plant
A chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures (or otherwise processes) chemicals, usually on a large scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical or biological transfor ...
in what was to later become the Polish state. Today the company operates as "Zakłady Koksochemiczne Hajduki SA".
Towards the end of the 19th century, Chorzów experienced a revival of Polish national feelings. Ethnic tensions were mixed with the religious and
class conflict
In political science, the term class conflict, class struggle, or class war refers to the economic antagonism and political tension that exist among social classes because of clashing interests, competition for limited resources, and inequali ...
s.
Karol Miarka was the editor of Polish books and newspapers including ''Katolik'' (The Catholic) published in Królewska Huta since 1868, ''Poradnik Gospodarski'' (''Economic Advisor'') since 1879. He was also the founder of several organizations: Upper Silesian Union, Upper Silesian Peasants Union.
Juliusz Ligoń was a Polish activist and poet. In 1920 the football club
Ruch Chorzów
Ruch Chorzów () is a Polish professional association football, football club based in Chorzów, Upper Silesia. It is one of the most successful football teams in Poland, having won fourteen List of Polish football champions, Polish Championship ...
was founded in the city. Later on, it would become one of the most successful Polish football teams.
Interwar Poland (1922–1939)
In the
Upper Silesia plebiscite
The Upper Silesia plebiscite was a plebiscite mandated by the Versailles Treaty and carried out on 20 March 1921 to determine ownership of the province of Upper Silesia between Weimar Germany and the Second Polish Republic. The region was ethni ...
a majority of 31,864 voters voted to remain in Germany while 10,764 votes were given for Poland Following three
Silesian Uprisings
The Silesian Uprisings (; ; ) were a series of three uprisings from August 1919 to July 1921 in Upper Silesia, which was part of the Weimar Republic at the time. Ethnic Polish and Polish-Silesian insurrectionists, seeking to have the area tran ...
, the eastern part of Silesia, including Chorzów and Królewska Huta, was separated from Germany and awarded to
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 ...
in 1922. Migrations of people followed. Because of its strategic value, the case of the nitrogen factory
Oberschlesische Stickstoffwerke was argued for years before the
Permanent Court of International Justice
The Permanent Court of International Justice, often called the World Court, existed from 1922 to 1946. It was an international court attached to the League of Nations. Created in 1920 (although the idea of an international court was several cent ...
, finally setting some new legal precedents on what is "just" in international relations. In 1934, the industrial communities of Chorzów, Królewska Huta and Nowe Hajduki were merged into one municipality with 81,000 inhabitants. The name of the oldest settlement ''Chorzów'' was given to the whole city. In April 1939, the settlement of Hajduki Wielkie with 30,000 inhabitants was added to Chorzów.
In part due to the German-Polish
trade war
A trade war is an economic conflict often resulting from extreme protectionism, in which states raise or implement tariffs or other trade barriers against each other as part of their commercial policies, in response to similar measures imposed ...
in the 1920s, the industry of Chorzów, a border city at that time, stagnated until 1933. In 1927, a division of
Huta Piłsudski was separated into a company making rail cars, trams and bridges; today it operates as
Alstom
Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
-Konstal. The State Factory of
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a Nonmetal (chemistry), nonmetal and the lightest member of pnictogen, group 15 of the periodic table, often called the Pnictogen, pnictogens. ...
Compounds (Państwowa Fabryka Związków Azotowych) was in 1933 merged with a similar company (largely its copy) in
Tarnów
Tarnów () is a city in southeastern Poland with 105,922 inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of 269,000 inhabitants. The city is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east– ...
-Mościce.
German occupation during World War II (1939–1945)
On the day of the outbreak of
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, Chorzów
was taken by
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
. Polish irregulars, mainly Silesian uprising veterans and
scouts
Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...
, put up resistance to the regular German forces for three days, afterwards the city was
occupied by Germany, and on September 6, 1939, the ''
Einsatzgruppe I
(, ; also 'task forces') were (SS) paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass murder, primarily by shooting, during World War II (1939–1945) in German-occupied Europe. The had an integral role in the impl ...
'' entered the city to commit various
atrocities against Poles. Most of the Polish defenders were murdered in mass executions. An execution of three Poles was carried out by the German ''
Freikorps
(, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European paramilitary volunteer units that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenaries or private military companies, rega ...
'' already on September 3, 1939. A unit of the ''Einsatzgruppe I'' was stationed in Chorzów, and it was responsible for many crimes against Poles committed in Chorzów and the nearby cities of
Czeladź
Czeladź () is a town in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie (part of historic Lesser Poland), in southern Poland, near Katowice and Sosnowiec. Located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Brynica river (tributary of the Vistula), it is the oldest urban center ...
and
Siemianowice Śląskie
Siemianowice Śląskie (; ; ) also known as Siemianowice is a city in Upper Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice, in the core of the Metropolis GZM - a metropolis with a population of 2 million people and is located in the Silesian Highlands, ...
. Polish property was confiscated, and Chorzów was promptly re-incorporated into German Silesia; the Upper Silesian industry being one of the pillars of the Nazi Germany
war effort
War effort is a coordinated mobilization of society's resources—both industrial and civilian—towards the support of a military force, particular during a state of war. Depending on the militarization of the culture, the relative si ...
. In 1939 and 1940, the Germans carried out mass arrests of Polish
intelligentsia
The intelligentsia is a status class composed of the university-educated people of a society who engage in the complex mental labours by which they critique, shape, and lead in the politics, policies, and culture of their society; as such, the i ...
, especially teachers, for which a prison was operated in the city (see ''
Intelligenzaktion
The ''Intelligenzaktion'' (), or the Intelligentsia mass shootings, was a series of mass murders committed against the Polish people, Polish intelligentsia (teachers, priests, physicians, and other prominent members of Polish society) during the ...
''). Local Polish teachers were among Poles murdered in 1939 in Chorzów and Strzybnica (present-day district of
Tarnowskie Góry
Tarnowskie Góry (; ; ) is a city in Silesia, southern Poland, located in the Silesian Highlands near Katowice and seat city of Tarnowskie Góry County Located in the north of the Metropolis GZM, a megalopolis (city type), megalopolis, the great ...
), and later in the
Dachau concentration camp
Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...
.
There were several
forced labour
Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...
camps in Chorzów, including one ''
Polenlager'' solely for Poles, two camps solely for
Jews
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
, the E246, E594 and E725 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 as Prisoner of war, prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, inte ...
, and, in years 1944–1945, a
subcamp of the
Auschwitz concentration camp
Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...
, in which approximately 200 Jews from German-occupied
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
and
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
were imprisoned.
In January 1945, the prisoners of the subcamp of Auschwitz were evacuated on foot to Gliwice, and then deported to the
Nordhausen-Dora concentration camp.
[ Chorzów was occupied by the Soviet ]Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
in January 1945 with the subsequent persecution of many ethnic Polish Silesians and Germans.
After 1945
At the end of World War II, Chorzów was given to Poland. Generally, the Chorzów industry suffered little damage during World War II due to its inaccessibility to Allied bombing
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...
, a Soviet Army enveloping manoeuvre in January 1945, and perhaps Albert Speer
Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as Reich Ministry of Armaments and War Production, Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of W ...
's slowness or refusal to implement the scorched earth
A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy of destroying everything that allows an enemy military force to be able to fight a war, including the deprivation and destruction of water, food, humans, animals, plants and any kind of tools and i ...
policy. This intact industry now played a critical role in the post-war reconstruction and industrialization of Poland. After the war, businesses were nationalized and operated, with minor changes, until 1989. Some were used as Soviet labour and concentration camps. Some industrial hardware and at least 100,000 Polish Silesians were deported to the Ukrainian Donbass region. At the "fall of communism" in 1989, the area was in decline. Since 1989, the region has been transitioning from heavy industry
Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
to a more diverse economy.
In 1954 as many as 103 miners have died in the .
On 28 January 2006, a roof collapsed at an exhibition hall
A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...
, killing 65 people.
In 2007, Chorzów became a part of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union (predecessor to 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 ...
), a voluntary union of a continuous chain of cities aimed at increasing the poor visibility of the area, improving its competitiveness, and modernizing the infrastructure.
The region experienced several waves of migrations, including those commencing in 1945 (to Germany and from Poland and Ukraine), in 1971–1976 (to Germany), in 1982 (to Western countries
The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also constitute the West. ...
), and from 2003 (to other countries of the EU).
Geography
Location
Chorzów is in the middle of the largest urban center
Urban Center may refer to:
* Urban center, human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment
* Urban Center Plaza, plaza on the Portland State University campus in Portland, Oregon, United States
* Urban Cen ...
in Poland. 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 ...
is the largest legally recognized urban entity in Poland with a population of 2 million.
Nine million people live within of Stadion Śląski in Chorzów. Six European capitals are located within : Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
, Bratislava
Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
, Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
and Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
.
Climate
The average annual temperature in Chorzów is . The annual precipitation is . Weak West winds (less than 2 m/s) prevail.
Demographics
Detailed data as of 31 December 2021:
Economy
Chorzów used to be one of the most important cities in the largest Polish economic area (the Upper Silesian Industry Area) with extensive industry in coal mining, steel, chemistry, manufacturing, and energy sectors. Many heavy-industry establishments were closed or scaled down in the last two decades because of environmental issues
Environmental issues are disruptions in the usual function of ecosystems. Further, these issues can be caused by humans (human impact on the environment) or they can be natural. These issues are considered serious when the ecosystem cannot recov ...
in the center of a highly urbanized area, and also because of decades-long lack of investment. Others were restructured and modernized. Wedged between a dozen of other cities, the population has been decreasing. The city character has been evolving towards the service economy
Service economy can refer to one or both of two recent economic developments:
* The increased importance of the service sector in industrialized economies. The current list of Fortune 500 companies contains more service companies and fewer m ...
as new industrial development takes mostly place at the border of the industrial area. The Unemployment rate is high (12.6% on 2007-12-31) but decreasing; the workforce is generally highly technically skilled.
Major industrial establishments are:
* – steel
* – steel
* Chorzów Power Station
* – carbochemistry
* – nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular dinitrogen () is converted into ammonia (). It occurs both biologically and abiological nitrogen fixation, abiologically in chemical industry, chemical industries. Biological nitrogen ...
and methanol
Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical compound and the simplest aliphatic Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol, with the chemical formula (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often ab ...
*Alstom
Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
-Konstal – transport manufacturing and construction
* KWK Polska Wirek, rejon Prezydent – coal mine
* ProLogis – logistics
*Messer – technical gases
Transport
Car:
*Freeway A4: from German Autobahn A4 at Görlitz
Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...
/Zgorzelec
Zgorzelec (, , , , Lower Sorbian: ''Zgórjelc'') is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland, with 30,374 inhabitants (2019). It is the seat of Zgorzelec County and of Gmina Zgorzelec (although it is not part of the territory ...
to Wrocław
Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
-Gliwice
Gliwice (; , ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. The city is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river (a tributary of the Oder River, Oder). It lies approximately 25 km west from Katowice, the regional capital ...
- Chorzów (Batory)-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 ...
-Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
(and towards Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
)
*Express Route ( DTŚ): 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 ...
-Chorzów-Ruda Śląska
Ruda Śląska (; ) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is a city in the Metropolis GZM, a metropolis with a population of two million. It is in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica River (tributary of the Oder).
It h ...
-Zabrze
Zabrze (; German: 1915–1945: , full form: , , ) is an industrial city put under direct government rule in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It lies in the western part of the Metropolis GZM, a metropolis with a population of around 2 m ...
*National Route DK79: 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 ...
-Chorzów-Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital.
It is one ...
Three railway stations on two major routes:
*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 ...
- Chorzów Batory-Gliwice
Gliwice (; , ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. The city is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river (a tributary of the Oder River, Oder). It lies approximately 25 km west from Katowice, the regional capital ...
*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 ...
- Chorzów Batory-Chorzów Miasto-Chorzów Stary-Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital.
It is one ...
Air:
*Katowice International Airport
Katowice Wojciech Korfanty Airport () is an international airport, located in Pyrzowice, north of Katowice, Poland. The airport is named after Wojciech Korfanty, a politician of the early years of Polish independence. It is List of airports in ...
Public transport:
*Chorzów is well connected within 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 ...
with Bus lines and tram lines. Silesian Interurbans is one of the largest streetcar systems in the world, in existence since 1894. The system spreads for more than (east-west) and covers the following cities: Będzin
Będzin (; also seen spelled ''Bendzin''; ) is a city in the Dąbrowa Basin, in southern Poland. It lies in the Silesian Highlands, on the Czarna Przemsza River (a tributary of the Vistula River, Vistula). Even though part of Silesian Voivodeship ...
, Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital.
It is one ...
, Chorzów, Czeladź
Czeladź () is a town in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie (part of historic Lesser Poland), in southern Poland, near Katowice and Sosnowiec. Located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Brynica river (tributary of the Vistula), it is the oldest urban center ...
, Dąbrowa Górnicza
Dąbrowa Górnicza () is a city in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie, southern Poland, near Katowice and Sosnowiec. It is located in eastern part of the Silesian Voivodeship, on the Czarna Przemsza and Biała Przemsza rivers (tributaries of the Vistula Rive ...
, Gliwice
Gliwice (; , ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. The city is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river (a tributary of the Oder River, Oder). It lies approximately 25 km west from Katowice, the regional capital ...
, 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 ...
, Mysłowice, Ruda Śląska
Ruda Śląska (; ) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is a city in the Metropolis GZM, a metropolis with a population of two million. It is in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica River (tributary of the Oder).
It h ...
, Siemianowice Śląskie
Siemianowice Śląskie (; ; ) also known as Siemianowice is a city in Upper Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice, in the core of the Metropolis GZM - a metropolis with a population of 2 million people and is located in the Silesian Highlands, ...
, Sosnowiec
Sosnowiec is an industrial city county in the Dąbrowa Basin of southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship, which is also part of the Metropolis GZM municipal association.—— Located in the eastern part of the Upper Silesian Industrial Re ...
, Świętochłowice
Świętochłowice (; ; ) is a city with powiat rights in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is also one of the central cities of the Metropolis GZM, with a population of 2 million, and is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Rawa ...
, and Zabrze
Zabrze (; German: 1915–1945: , full form: , , ) is an industrial city put under direct government rule in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It lies in the western part of the Metropolis GZM, a metropolis with a population of around 2 m ...
. Part of the public transport system provided by 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 ...
is metropolitan bicycle system MetroBike, operated by Nextbike which has 924 stations with over 7000 bicycles in Chorzów and in surrounding cities. Rides under 30 minutes costs PLN 1, less than 1 hour costs PLN 2.50 and each additional hour becomes more expensive.
Higher education
Within the city limits of Chorzów:
* University of Silesia (''Uniwersystet Śląski''), two faculties
* WSB Merito Universities – WSB Merito University in Chorzów (''Wyższa Szkoła Bankowa'')
* Górnośląska Wyższa Szkoła Pedagogiczna (Upper-Silesian Teachers College)
* Górnośląska Wyższa Szkoła Przedsiębiorczości im. Karola Goduli ( Karl Godulla Upper-Silesian Higher Business School)
* Śląska Wyższa Szkoła Informatyki (Silesian Higher School of Information Technology)
* Numerous general and technical high schools
The nearby cities 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 ...
and Gliwice
Gliwice (; , ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. The city is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river (a tributary of the Oder River, Oder). It lies approximately 25 km west from Katowice, the regional capital ...
are far larger academic centers than Chorzów.
Sights
Architecture
*St Hedwig's Church
*St Barbara's Church
*Saint Mary Magdalene's Church
*Saint Mary's Church
*Saint Joseph's Church
* Main post office
*Municipal Savings Bank Building
Industrial heritage
*Museum of metallurgy in the former power station of the Royal Iron Works
*Headframe
A headframe (gallows frame, winding tower, hoist frame,Ernst, Dr.-Ing. Richard (1989). ''Wörterbuch der Industriellen Technik'' (5th ed.). Wiesbaden: Oscar Brandstetter, 1989. pit frame, shafthead frame, headgear, headstock, poppethead) is t ...
of the closed ''President'' coal mine
Silesian Central Park
The nationally known Silesian Central Park covers about 30% of the city area
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
and features:
* Silesian Zoological Garden
* Stadion Śląski, the largest sports stadium in Poland
* Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory
*A large rose-exhibition garden (7 hectares, 385 varieties of roses)
* Legendia Theme Park
* Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park
* International Exhibition Grounds
*A swimming-pool complex
*A water sports center
*A tennis court
A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...
complex
*Green areas
Chorzów also features other notable nature areas, including:
* nature-landscape protected area " Żabie Doły" (at the border with Bytom and Piekary Śląskie),
* nature-landscape protected area of "Uroczysko Buczyna" (at the border with Katowice and Ruda Śląska),
* aquatic complex "Amelung".
Kosciol sw Jadwigi.JPG, St Hedwig's Church
Chorzów - Kościół Św. Barbary 01.jpg, St Barbara's Church
Chorzów, ul. Bożogrobców 31, Kościół św. Marii Magdaleny, 1889-1903.jpg, Saint Mary Magdalene's Church
Chorzow Batory kosciol NMP transept i wieza.JPG, Saint Mary's Church
Saint Joseph church Chorzow.jpg, Saint Joseph's Church
Chorzow poczta2.jpg, Main post office
DSC07127 chorzow drapacz.jpg, Municipal Savings Bank Building
Chorzów Muzeum Hutnictwa exterior 2022 3.jpg, Museum of metallurgy in the former power station of the Royal Iron Works
Presidnet Headframe.JPG, Headframe
A headframe (gallows frame, winding tower, hoist frame,Ernst, Dr.-Ing. Richard (1989). ''Wörterbuch der Industriellen Technik'' (5th ed.). Wiesbaden: Oscar Brandstetter, 1989. pit frame, shafthead frame, headgear, headstock, poppethead) is t ...
of the closed ''President'' coal mine
Żyrafa Park Śląski.jpg, ''The Giraffe'', a sculpture at the Silesian Park
Sports
Clubs:
*Ruch Chorzów
Ruch Chorzów () is a Polish professional association football, football club based in Chorzów, Upper Silesia. It is one of the most successful football teams in Poland, having won fourteen List of Polish football champions, Polish Championship ...
– a men's 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 ...
team (14 time national champion, 3-time winner of the Polish Cup
The Polish Cup in Association football, football ( ) is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout football competition for Polish football club (association football), football clubs, held continuously since 1950, and is the second most i ...
), and female handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
team (9 time national champion).
* Alba Echo Chorzów – men's basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
team (2nd division)
* SCS Sokół Chorzów – women'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 (B division, 6th place in 2003/2004)
* Clearex Chorzów – 5-player football team
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
(Polish Cup winner, 1st division, 2nd in 2003/2004)
Historically notable is the former club AKS Chorzów.
Stadion Śląski is a former home stadium for the Poland national football team
The Poland national football team () represents Poland in men's international Association football, football competitions since their first match in 1921. It is governed by the Polish Football Association (PZPN), the governing body for football ...
, and used for international football games and other events (for example, it has held the Speedway World Championship
The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest-ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world, run under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). The first official championsh ...
s four times, with the 1973 World Final attracting over 120,000 spectators, the world record attendance for Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...
). From year 2009 have held there track and field competitions. Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, which was part of the inaugural meeting World Athletics Continental Tour
The World Athletics Continental Tour is an annual series of independent track and field athletic competitions, recognised by World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF). The Tour forms the second tier of international one-day meetings after the ...
in 2020 and Diamond League
The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fifteen invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics one-day meet competitions.
The inaugural season was ...
series since 2022. At the 2024 edition of the meeting, two world records were set, one by Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3000m 7.17,55) and the other by Armand Duplantis
Armand "Mondo" Gustav Duplantis (born 10 November 1999), is a Swedish and American pole vaulter who competes for Sweden. Regarded as the greatest pole vaulter of all time, Duplantis is the current List of world records in athletics, world recor ...
(pole vault 6.26, just 20 days after last set up in Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
). The stadium also hosts large music concerts. Throughout its history it has featured such artists and groups as The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
, Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...
, AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
, U2, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
, Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...
, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
, Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
and The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...
.
Notable people
Born in Chorzów
*Kurt Alder
Kurt Alder (; 10 July 1902 – 20 June 1958) was a German chemist and Nobel laureate.
Biography
Alder was born in the industrial area of Königshütte, Silesia (modern day Chorzów, Upper Silesia, Poland), where he received his early schoo ...
(1902–1958), German chemist, Nobel Prize in chemistry
* Reinhard Appel (1927–2011), German journalist and television presenter
* Gerard Cieślik (1927–2013), Polish footballer
* Marcin Dylla (born 1976), Polish classical guitarist
* Jakub Dziółka (born 1980), Polish former footballer
* August Froehlich (1891–1942), German Roman Catholic priest, member of the resistance against Nazism and martyr
*Karolina Gluck, Polish victim of the 7/7 Bombing in London on 7 July 2005 (killed on the Number 30 bus at Tavistock Square
Tavistock Square is a public square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden near Euston Station.
History
Tavistock Square was built shortly after 1806 by the property developer James Burton and the master builder Thomas Cubitt for Fr ...
)
* George Golla (born 1935), Australian jazz musician
* Monika Hojnisz (born 1991), biathlete
* Szymon Kapias (born 1984), Polish footballer
* Agnieszka Krukówna (born 1971), actress
* Marek Kubisz (born 1974), Polish footballer
* Olgierd Łukaszewicz (born 1946), Polish actor
* Janusz Michallik (born 1966), former American national team soccer player, currently a commentator for ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
* Walter Mixa (born 1941), Bishop of Augsburg
Diocese of Augsburg () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Munich.
History Early history
The present city of Augsburg appears in Strabo as ''Damasia'', a stronghold of t ...
and military Bishop of the Bundeswehr
The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...
* Helga Molander (1896–1986), German actress, and mother of Hans Eysenck
Hans Jürgen Eysenck ( ; 4 March 1916 – 4 September 1997) was a German-born British psychologist. He is best remembered for his work on intelligence and personality psychology, personality, although he worked on other issues in psychology. At t ...
* Paul Mross or Paweł Mróz (1910–1991), Polish and German chess player
* Leonard Piątek (1913–1967), Polish soccer star of the interbellum period
* Antoni Piechniczek (born 1942), Polish soccer coach (lead twice the national team at World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
)
*Ladislaus Pilars de Pilar
Ladislaus Baron Pilars de Pilar (, Opatówek, 3 March 1874 - Chorzów, 22 November 1952) was a Polish people, Polish poet, historian, entrepreneur and a literature professor at the University of Warsaw.
Biography
He was a son of Edward Gustaw Pil ...
(1874–1952), Polish poet and entrepreneur
*Ryszard Riedel
Ryszard Henryk Riedel (7 September 1956 – 30 July 1994) was the original lead singer of blues-rock band Dżem (Polish language, Polish for 'Jam'). He is often regarded as one of the most popular and well known
Silesian vocalist, along with an ...
(1956–1994), blues rock
Blues rock is a fusion music genre, genre and form of rock music, rock and blues music that relies on the chords/scales and instrumental improvisation of blues. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electri ...
vocalist
* Günther Rittau (1893–1971), German cameraman and film director
*Oskar Seidlin
Oskar Seidlin (February 17, 1911 – December 11, 1984) was a Jewish emigre from Nazi Germany first to Switzerland and then to the U.S. He taught German language and literature as a professor at Smith College, Middlebury College, Ohio State Un ...
(1911–1984), American scholar
* Tino Schwierzina (1927–2003), last mayor of East Berlin
East Berlin (; ) was the partially recognised capital city, capital of East Germany (GDR) from 1949 to 1990. From 1945, it was the Allied occupation zones in Germany, Soviet occupation sector of Berlin. The American, British, and French se ...
* Hanna Schygulla (born 1943), German actress and chanson singer
* Stephan Stompor (1931–1995), musicologist
* Adam Taubitz (born 1967), German jazz and classic musician
*Franz Waxman
Franz Waxman (né Wachsmann; December 24, 1906February 24, 1967) was a German-born composer and conductor of Jewish descent, known primarily for his work in the film music genre. His film scores include ''Bride of Frankenstein'', ''Rebecca (194 ...
(1906–1967), American composer
* Friedrich Weißler (1891–1937), lawyer
* Gerard Wodarz (1913–1982), Polish soccer star of the interbellum period
Associated with Chorzów
* Friedrich Wilhelm von Reden (1752–1815), German pioneer in mining
* John Baildon (1772–1846), Scottish pioneer in metallurgy
* Adolph Menzel (1815–1905), German artist
*Ignacy Mościcki
Ignacy Mościcki (; 1 December 1867 – 2 October 1946) was a Polish chemist and politician who was the country's president from 1926 to 1939. He was the longest serving president in Polish history. Mościcki was the President of Poland when Ge ...
(1867–1946), Polish chemist and then President of Poland
The president of Poland ( ), officially the president of the Republic of Poland (), is the head of state of Poland. His or her prerogatives and duties are determined in the Constitution of Poland. The president jointly exercises the executive ...
*Fritz Haber
Fritz Jakob Haber (; 9 December 1868 – 29 January 1934) was a German chemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his invention of the Haber process, a method used in industry to synthesize ammonia from nitrogen gas and hydrog ...
(1868–1934), German chemist
* Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski (1888–1974), eminent Polish economist and politician
*Joe Wickham
Joe Wickham (1890 in Phibsboro, Dublin – 3 November 1968 in Katowice, Poland) was the General Secretary of the Football Association of Ireland from the 1930s until his death in 1968 at the age of 78. He took over from Jack Ryder in 1936, having ...
(1890–1968), Irish sportsperson
* Ernest Wilimowski (1916–1997), Silesian soccer star
*Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek (; born 3 July 1940) is a Polish politician and former Member of the European Parliament from Poland. He has served as Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001, since being elected to the European Parliament in 2004, he serv ...
(born 1940), Prime minister of Poland, former President of the European Parliament
The president of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. They also represent the Parliament within the European Union (EU) and internationally. The president's signature is required for Euro ...
Twin towns – sister cities
Chorzów is twinned with:
* Creil
Creil () is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department, northern France. The Creil station is an important railway junction.
History
Archaeological remains in the area include a Neolithic site as well as a late ...
, France
* Iserlohn
Iserlohn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Iserlaun'') is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region.
Geogr ...
, Germany
* Ózd
Ózd () is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, from the county seat of Miskolc. Ózd is the second largest municipality in the county.
History
The area has been inhabited since ancient times. The village of Ózd was fir ...
, Hungary
* Termoli
Termoli ( Molisano: ''Térmëlë'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) on the south Adriatic coast of Italy, in the province of Campobasso, region of Molise. It has a population of around 32,000, having expanded quickly after World War II, and it is a ...
, Italy
* Ternopil
Ternopil, known until 1944 mostly as Tarnopol, is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret River. Ternopil is one of the major cities of Western Ukraine and the historical regions of Galicia and Podolia. The populatio ...
, Ukraine
* Zlín
Zlín (in 1949–1989 Gottwaldov; ; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 75,000 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Zlín Region and it lies on the Dřevnice River. It is known as an industrial centre. The development of the modern city ...
, Czech Republic
References
Further reading
*J. Janas, ''Historia Kopalni Król w Chorzowie 1871–1945'', Katowice 1962
*A. Stasiak, '' Miasto Królewska Huta. Zarys rozwoju społeczno-gospodarczego i przestrzennego w latach 1869–1914'', Warszawa 1962
*J. Surowiński, ''75 lat Zakładów Koksochemicznych Hajduki 1888–1963'', Warszawa 1963
*L. Pakuła, ''Chorzów'', n:''Encyklopedia Historii Gospodarczej Polski do 1945'', Warszawa 1981
*''Chorzów'', n:J.Bochiński, J.Zawadzki, ''Polska. Nowy podział terytorialny, przewodnik encyklopedyczny'', Warszawa 1999
External links
Gallery of historical and contemporary photos
Chorzow-Silesia web forum
Jewish Community in Chorzów
on Virtual Shtetl
Chorzów City Forum "ChorzowART"
Chorzów City official site
{{Authority control
Cities in Silesia
City counties of Poland
Cities and towns in Silesian Voivodeship
Cities with powiat rights
Intelligenzaktion massacre locations
Holocaust locations in Poland
Sites of Soviet World War II crimes in Poland