Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien;
Silesian German
Silesian (Silesian: ', german: Schlesisch), Silesian German or Lower Silesian is a nearly extinct German dialect spoken in Silesia. It is part of the East Central German language area with some West Slavic and Lechitic influences. Silesian G ...
: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of
Silesia, located today mostly in
Poland, with
small parts in the Czech Republic.
Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of (chronologically)
Greater Moravia
Great Moravia ( la, Regnum Marahensium; el, Μεγάλη Μοραβία, ''Meghálī Moravía''; cz, Velká Morava ; sk, Veľká Morava ; pl, Wielkie Morawy), or simply Moravia, was the first major state that was predominantly West Slavic to ...
, the Duchy of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohe ...
, the
Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the
Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the
Holy Roman Empire, as well as of the
Habsburg monarchy from 1526. In 1742 the greater part of Upper Silesia was annexed by the
Kingdom of Prussia, and in 1871 it became part of 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 hereditar ...
. After the
First World War the region was divided between
Poland (
East Upper Silesia East Upper Silesia (german: Ostoberschlesien) is the easternmost extremity of Silesia, the eastern part of the Upper Silesian region around the city of Katowice (german: Kattowitz).Isabel Heinemann, ''"Rasse, Siedlung, deutsches Blut": das Rasse- ...
) and
Germany (West Upper Silesia). After the
Second World War, West Upper Silesia also became Polish as the result of the
Potsdam Conference.
Geography
Upper Silesia is situated on the upper
Oder
The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows th ...
River, north of the
Eastern Sudetes
The Eastern Sudetes ( pl, Sudety Wschodnie, cs, Východní Sudety or ''Jesenická oblast'') are the eastern part of the Sudetes mountains on the border of the Czech Republic and Poland. They stretch from the Kłodzko Valley and the Eastern Neis ...
mountain range and the
Moravian Gate
The Moravian Gate ( cs, Moravská brána, pl, Brama Morawska, german: Mährische Pforte, sk, Moravská brána) is a geomorphological feature in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic and the Upper Silesia region in Poland. It is formed by the ...
, which form the southern border with the historic
Moravia region. Within the adjacent
Silesian Beskids to the east, the
Vistula River rises and turns eastwards, the
Biała 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 Mysłowi ...
tributaries mark the eastern border with
Lesser Poland. In the north, Upper Silesia borders on
Greater Poland
Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city ...
, and in the west on the
Lower Silesian lands (the adjacent region around
Wrocław also referred to as
Middle Silesia).
It is currently split into a larger
Polish and the smaller
Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia (, also , ; cs, České Slezsko; szl, Czeski Ślōnsk; sli, Tschechisch-Schläsing; german: Tschechisch-Schlesien; pl, Śląsk Czeski) is the part of the historical region of Silesia now in the Czech Republic. Czech Silesia is ...
n part, which is located within the
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech ...
regions of
Moravia-Silesia
The Moravian-Silesian Region ( cs, Moravskoslezský kraj; pl, Kraj morawsko-śląski; sk, Moravsko-sliezsky kraj) is one of the 14 administrative regions of the Czech Republic. Before May 2001, it was called the Ostrava Region ( cs, Ostravský ...
and
Olomouc. The Polish Upper Silesian territory covers most of the
Opole Voivodeship, except for the Lower Silesian counties of
Brzeg
Brzeg (; Latin: ''Alta Ripa'', German: ''Brieg'', Silesian German: ''Brigg'', , ) is a town in southwestern Poland with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021) and the capital of Brzeg County. It is situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on th ...
and
Namysłów, and the western half of the
Silesian Voivodeship (except for the
Lesser Polish counties of
Będzin
Będzin (; also ''Bendzin'' in English; german: Bendzin; yi, בענדין, Bendin) 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). Even though p ...
,
Bielsko-Biała
Bielsko-Biała (; cs, Bílsko-Bělá, german: Bielitz-Biala, szl, Bjylsko-Bjoło) is a city in southern Poland, with a population of approximately 168,319 as of December 2021, making it the 22nd largest city in Poland, and an area of . It is a ...
,
Częstochowa
Częstochowa ( , ; german: Tschenstochau, Czenstochau; la, Czanstochova) is a city in southern Poland on the Warta River with 214,342 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest city in Poland. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship (admin ...
with the city of
Częstochowa
Częstochowa ( , ; german: Tschenstochau, Czenstochau; la, Czanstochova) is a city in southern Poland on the Warta River with 214,342 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest city in Poland. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship (admin ...
,
Kłobuck
Kłobuck (german: Klobutzko) is a town in southern Poland, with 12,934 inhabitants (2019). Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, about 15 km northwest of Częstochowa, it is the capital of Kłobuck County. Historically, Kłobuck belongs to Le ...
,
Myszków,
Zawiercie
Zawiercie is a city in the south of Poland located in the Silesian Voivodeship with 49,334 inhabitants (2019). It is situated in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland near the source of the Warta River. The town lies near the historical region of Si ...
and
Żywiec
Żywiec () (german: Saybusch) is a town in southern Poland with 31,194 inhabitants (2019). Between 1975 and 1998, it was located within the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship, but has since become part of the Silesian Voivodeship.It is the capital of � ...
, as well as the cities of
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, see ...
,
Jaworzno
Jaworzno is a city in southern Poland, near Katowice. It lies in the Silesian Highlands, on the Przemsza river (a tributary of the Vistula). Jaworzno belongs to the historic province of Lesser Poland. The city is situated in the Silesian Voivo ...
and
Sosnowiec).
Divided
Cieszyn Silesia
Cieszyn Silesia, Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( pl, Śląsk Cieszyński ; cs, Těšínské Slezsko or ; german: Teschener Schlesien or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český Tě ...
as well as former
Austrian Silesia
Austrian Silesia, (historically also ''Oesterreichisch-Schlesien, Oesterreichisch Schlesien, österreichisch Schlesien''); cs, Rakouské Slezsko; pl, Śląsk Austriacki officially the Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia, (historically ''Herzogth ...
are historical parts of Upper Silesia.
History
According to the 9th century
Bavarian Geographer The epithet "Bavarian Geographer" ( la, Geographus Bavarus) is the conventional name for the anonymous author of a short Latin medieval text containing a list of the tribes in Central- Eastern Europe, headed ().
The name "Bavarian Geographer" wa ...
, the West Slavic
Opolanie
Opolans ( pl, Opolanie; cs, Opolané; german: Opolanen) were the West Slavic tribe that lived in the region of upper Odra. Their main settlement ( gord) was Opole. They were mentioned in the Bavarian Geographer, under the name Opolini, as one of ...
tribe had settled on the upper Oder River since the days of the
Migration Period, centered on the
gord of
Opole. At the time of Prince
Svatopluk I (871–894), all Silesia was a part of his
Great Moravian realm. Upon its dissolution after 906, the region fell under the influence of the
Přemyslid rulers of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohe ...
, Duke
Spytihněv I (894–915) and his brother
Vratislaus I
Vratislaus (or Wratislaus) I ( cs, Vratislav I.; – 13 February 921), a member of the Přemyslid dynasty, was Duke of Bohemia from 915 until his death.
Life
He was a son of Duke Bořivoj I of Bohemia by his wife Ludmila and the younger brothe ...
(915–921), possibly the founder and name giver of the Silesian capital Wrocław ( cz, Vratislav).
Polish rule
By 990 the newly installed
Piast
The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great.
Branc ...
duke
Mieszko I
Mieszko I (; – 25 May 992) was the first ruler of Poland and the founder of the first independent Polish state, the Duchy of Poland. His reign stretched from 960 to his death and he was a member of the Piast dynasty, a son of Siemomysł and ...
of the
Polans had conquered large parts of Silesia. From the Middle Silesia fortress of
Niemcza
Niemcza (german: Nimptsch) is a town in Dzierżoniów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Niemcza.
The town lies on the Ślęza River, approximately ...
, his son and successor
Bolesław I the Brave
Bolesław I the Brave ; cs, Boleslav Chrabrý; la, Boleslaus I rex Poloniae (17 June 1025), less often known as Bolesław the Great, was Duke of Poland from 992 to 1025, and the first King of Poland in 1025. He was also Duke of Bohemia betwe ...
(992–1025), having established the
Diocese of Wrocław
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
, subdued the Upper Silesian lands of the pagan Opolanie, which for several hundred years were part of
Poland, though contested by Bohemian dukes like
Bretislaus I, who from 1025 invaded Silesia several times. Finally, in 1137, the Polish prince
Bolesław III Wrymouth
Bolesław III Wrymouth ( pl, Bolesław III Krzywousty; 20 August 1086 – 28 October 1138), also known as Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed, was the duke of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz between 1102 and 1107 and over the whole of Poland between ...
(1107–1138) came to terms with Duke
Soběslav I of Bohemia, when a peace was made confirming the border along the
Sudetes
The Sudetes ( ; pl, Sudety; german: Sudeten; cs, Krkonošsko-jesenická subprovincie), commonly known as the Sudeten Mountains, is a geomorphological subprovince in Central Europe, shared by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. They consi ...
.
However, this arrangement fell apart when upon the death of Bolesław III and
his testament the fragmentation of Poland began, which decisively enfeebled its central authority. The newly established
Duchy of Silesia
The Duchy of Silesia ( pl, Księstwo śląskie, german: Herzogtum Schlesien, cs, Slezské knížectví) with its capital at Wrocław was a medieval duchy located in the historic Silesian region of Poland. Soon after it was formed under the Piast ...
became the ancestral homeland of the
Silesian Piasts, descendants of Bolesław's eldest son
Władysław II the Exile : ''This article refers to the 12th century Polish monarch. For the 14th century founder of the Jagiellon dynasty, see Jogaila, and for other monarchs with similar names, see Ladislaus II (disambiguation).''
Vladislaus II the Exile ( pl, Władys ...
, who nevertheless saw themselves barred from the succession to the Polish throne and only were able to regain their Silesian home territory with the aid of the
Holy Roman Emperor.
The failure of the
Agnatic seniority
Agnatic seniority is a patrilineal principle of inheritance where the order of succession to the throne prefers the monarch's younger brother over the monarch's own sons. A monarch's children (the next generation) succeed only after the males o ...
principle of inheritance also led to the split-up of the Silesian province itself: in 1172 Władysław's second son
Mieszko IV Tanglefoot
Mieszko IV Tanglefoot ( pl, Mieszko IV Plątonogi) (c. 1130 – 16 May 1211) was Duke of Kraków and High Duke of Poland from 9 June 1210 until his death one year later. He was also Duke of Silesia from 1163 to 1173 (with his brother as co-ruler) ...
claimed his rights and received the Upper Silesian
Duchy of Racibórz as an allodium from the hands of his elder brother Duke
Bolesław I the Tall
Bolesław I the Tall ( pl, Bolesław I Wysoki) (born 1127 – died Leśnica (now part of Wrocław), 7 or 8 December 1201) was Duke of Wroclaw from 1163 until his death in 1201.
Early years
He was the eldest son of Władysław II the Exile by h ...
of Silesia. In the struggle around the Polish throne, Mieszko additionally received the former
Lesser Polish lands of
Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', german: Beuthen O.S.) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital ...
,
Oświęcim
Oświęcim (; german: Auschwitz ; yi, אָשפּיצין, Oshpitzin) is a city in the Lesser Poland ( pl, Małopolska) province of southern Poland, situated southeast of Katowice, near the confluence of the Vistula (''Wisła'') and Soła riv ...
,
Zator,
Siewierz
Siewierz is a town in southern Poland, in the Będzin County in the Silesian Voivodeship, seat of Gmina Siewierz.
History
Siewierz was first mentioned in 1125, and was administered by the Castellan of Bytom. In 1177, Casimir II of Poland grant ...
and
Pszczyna
Pszczyna (german: Pleß, cs, Pština) is a town in southern Poland with 25,823 inhabitants (2019), and a seat of a local gmina (commune). It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship, and was a part of the Katowice Voivodeship from 1975 until a ...
from the new Polish High Duke
Casimir II the Just
Casimir II the Just ( pl, Kazimierz II Sprawiedliwy; 28 October 1138 – 5 May 1194) was a Lesser Polish Duke of Wiślica from 1166–1173, and of Sandomierz after 1173. He became ruler over the Polish Seniorate Province at Kraków and thereby Hi ...
in 1177. When in 1202 Mieszko Tanglefoot had annexed the
Duchy of Opole
Duchy of Opole ( pl, Księstwo opolskie; german: Herzogtum Oppeln; cs, Opolské knížectví) was one of the duchies of Silesia ruled by the Piast dynasty. Its capital was Opole (Oppeln, Opolí) in Upper Silesia.
Duke Boleslaw III 'the Wrymou ...
of his deceased nephew
Jarosław, he ruled over all Upper Silesia as
Duke of Opole and Racibórz.
In the early 13th century the ties of the Silesian Piasts with the neighbouring
Holy Roman Empire grew stronger as several dukes married scions of German nobility. Promoted by the Lower Silesian Duke
Henry I the Bearded
Henry the Bearded ( pl, Henryk (Jędrzych) Brodaty, german: Heinrich der Bärtige; c. 1165/70 – 19 March 1238) was a Polish duke from the Piast dynasty.
He was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201, Duke of Kraków and High Duke of all P ...
, from 1230 also regent over Upper Silesia for the minor sons of his late cousin Duke
Casimir I of Opole
Casimir I of Opole ( pl, Kazimierz I opolski; – 13 May 1230), a member of the Piast dynasty, was a Silesian duke of Opole and Racibórz from 1211 until his death.
Early life
Casimir was the eldest child and only son of Duke Mieszko I Tangle ...
, large parts of the Silesian lands were settled with
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
immigrants in the course of the ''
Ostsiedlung
(, literally "East-settling") is the term for the Early Medieval and High Medieval migration-period when ethnic Germans moved into the territories in the eastern part of Francia, East Francia, and the Holy Roman Empire (that Germans had alr ...
'', establishing numerous cities according to
German town law. The plans to re-unify Silesia shattered upon the
Mongol invasion of Poland and the death of Duke
Henry II the Pious at the 1241
Battle of Legnica
The Battle of Legnica ( pl, bitwa pod Legnicą), also known as the Battle of Liegnitz (german: Schlacht von Liegnitz) or Battle of Wahlstatt (german: Schlacht bei Wahlstatt), was a battle between the Mongol Empire and combined European forces ...
. Upper Silesia further fragmented upon the death of Duke
Władysław Opolski
Vladislaus I of Opole ( pl, Władysław opolski) ( – 27 August/13 September 1281/2) was a Duke of Kalisz during 1234–1244, Duke of Wieluń from 1234 to 1249 and Duke of Opole–Racibórz from 1246 until his death.
He was the second so ...
in 1281 into the duchies of
Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', german: Beuthen O.S.) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital ...
, Opole, Racibórz and
Cieszyn
Cieszyn ( , ; cs, Těšín ; german: Teschen; la, Tessin; szl, Ćeszyn) is a border town in southern Poland on the east bank of the Olza River, and the administrative seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship. The town has 33,500 inhabitants ...
. About 1269 the
Duchy of Opava
The Principality of Opava ( cs, Opavské knížectví; pl, Księstwo Opawskie) or Duchy of Troppau (german: Herzogtum Troppau) was a historic territory split off from the Margraviate of Moravia before 1269 by King Ottokar II of Bohemia to prov ...
was established on adjacent Moravian territory, ruled by the Přemyslid duke
Nicholas I, whose descendants inherited the Duchy of Racibórz in 1336. As they ruled both duchies in
personal union, Opava grew into the Upper Silesian territory.
Bohemia, Austria and Prussia
In 1327 the Upper Silesian dukes, like most of their Lower Silesian cousins, had sworn allegiance to King
John of Bohemia, thereby becoming vassals of the
Bohemian kingdom
The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...
. During the re-establishment of Poland under King
Casimir III the Great
Casimir III the Great ( pl, Kazimierz III Wielki; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, and fought to retain the title in the Galicia-Volhynia Wars. He ...
, all Silesia was specifically excluded as non-Polish land by the 1335
Treaty of Trentschin becoming a land of 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 B ...
and — indirectly — of the Holy Roman Empire. By the mid-14th century, the influx of German settlers into Upper Silesia was stopped by the
Black Death
The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causing ...
pandemic. Unlike in Lower Silesia, the
Germanization
Germanisation, or Germanization, is the spread of the German language, people and culture. It was a central idea of German conservative thought in the 19th and the 20th centuries, when conservatism and ethnic nationalism went hand in hand. In li ...
process was halted; still a majority of the population spoke Polish and
Silesian as their native language, often together with German (
Silesian German
Silesian (Silesian: ', german: Schlesisch), Silesian German or Lower Silesian is a nearly extinct German dialect spoken in Silesia. It is part of the East Central German language area with some West Slavic and Lechitic influences. Silesian G ...
) as a second language. In the southernmost areas, also
Lach dialects
The Lach dialects, also known as Lachian dialects ( cs, lašská nářečí, laština, pl, gwary laskie), are a group of West Slavic dialects that form a transition between the Polish and Czech language. They are spoken in parts of Czech Siles ...
were spoken. While Latin, Czech and German language were used as official languages in towns and cities, only in the 1550s (during the
Protestant Reformation) did records with Polish names start to appear.
Upper Silesia was hit by the
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Ca ...
and in 1469 was conquered by King
Matthias Corvinus
Matthias Corvinus, also called Matthias I ( hu, Hunyadi Mátyás, ro, Matia/Matei Corvin, hr, Matija/Matijaš Korvin, sk, Matej Korvín, cz, Matyáš Korvín; ), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several mi ...
of
Hungary, while the Duchies of Oświęcim and Zator fell back to the Polish Crown. Upon the death of the
Jagiellonian
The Jagiellonian dynasty (, pl, dynastia jagiellońska), otherwise the Jagiellon dynasty ( pl, dynastia Jagiellonów), the House of Jagiellon ( pl, Dom Jagiellonów), or simply the Jagiellons ( pl, Jagiellonowie), was the name assumed by a cad ...
king
Louis II in 1526, the Bohemian crown lands were inherited by the Austrian
House of Habsburg. In the 16th century, large parts of Silesia had turned
Protestant, promoted by reformers like
Caspar Schwenckfeld
Caspar (or Kaspar) Schwen(c)kfeld von Ossig () (1489 or 1490 – 10 December 1561) was a German theologian, writer, physician, naturalist, and preacher who became a Protestant Reformer and spiritualist. He was one of the earliest promoters o ...
. After the 1620
Battle of White Mountain
), near Prague, Bohemian Confederation(present-day Czech Republic)
, coordinates =
, territory =
, result = Imperial-Spanish victory
, status =
, combatants_header =
, combatant1 = Catholic L ...
, the
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Emperors of the Habsburg dynasty forcibly re-introduced Catholicism, led by the
Jesuits.
Lower Silesia and most of Upper Silesia were occupied by the
Kingdom of Prussia in 1742 during the
First Silesian War and annexed by the terms of the
Treaty of Breslau
The Treaty of Breslau was a preliminary peace agreement signed on 11 June 1742 following long negotiations at the Silesian capital Wrocław (german: Breslau) by emissaries of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria and King Frederick II of Prussia ...
. A small part south of the
Opava River remained within the Habsburg-ruled Bohemian Crown as the "Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia", colloquially called
Austrian Silesia
Austrian Silesia, (historically also ''Oesterreichisch-Schlesien, Oesterreichisch Schlesien, österreichisch Schlesien''); cs, Rakouské Slezsko; pl, Śląsk Austriacki officially the Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia, (historically ''Herzogth ...
. Incorporated into the Prussian
Silesia Province
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 ...
from 1815, Upper Silesia became an industrial area taking advantage of its plentiful
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dead ...
and
iron ore. Prussian Upper Silesia became a part of 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 hereditar ...
in 1871.
Ethnolinguistic structure before the plebiscite
The earliest exact census figures on
ethnolinguistic
Ethnolinguistics (sometimes called cultural linguistics) is an area of anthropological linguistics that studies the relationship between a language and the nonlinguistic cultural behavior of the people who speak that language.
__NOTOC__
Examples ...
or
national structure (Nationalverschiedenheit) of the Prussian part of Upper Silesia, come from year 1819. The last pre-WW1 general census figures available, are from 1910 (if not including the 1911 census of school children - Sprachzählung unter den Schulkindern - which revealed a higher percent of Polish-speakers among school children than the 1910 census among the general populace). Figures (Table 1.) show that large demographic changes took place between 1819 and 1910, with the region's total population quadrupling, the percent of German-speakers increasing significantly, and that of Polish-speakers declining considerably. Also, the total land area in which Polish language was spoken, as well as the land area in which it was spoken by the majority, declined between 1790 and 1890.
Polish authors before 1918 estimated the number of Poles in Prussian Upper Silesia as slightly higher than according to official German censuses.
United States Immigration Commission in 1911 classified Polish-speaking Silesians as Poles.
Plebiscite and partition
In 1919, after
World War I, the eastern part of Prussian Upper Silesia (with a majority of ethnic Poles) came under Polish rule as the
Silesian Voivodeship, while the mostly German-speaking western part remained part of the
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...
as the newly established
Upper Silesia Province. In early 1919, the
Polish–Czechoslovak War
The Poland–Czechoslovakia War, also known mostly in Czech sources as the Seven-day war ( cs, Sedmidenní válka) was a military confrontation between Czechoslovakia and Poland over the territory of Cieszyn Silesia in early 1919.
After a vai ...
broke out around Cieszyn Silesia, whereafter
Czechoslovakia gained the
Zaolzie
Trans-Olza ( pl, Zaolzie, ; cs, Záolží, ''Záolší''; german: Olsa-Gebiet; Cieszyn Silesian: ''Zaolzi''), also known as Trans-Olza Silesia (Polish: ''Śląsk Zaolziański''), is a territory in the Czech Republic, which was disputed betwee ...
strip in addition to the
Hlučín Region
Hlučín Region ( cs, Hlučínsko, german: Hultschiner Ländchen, pl, Ziemia hulczyńska) is a historically significant part of Czech Silesia, now part of the Moravian-Silesian Region in the Czech Republic. It is named after its largest town, Hlu ...
.
From 1919-1921 three
Silesian Uprisings occurred among the Polish-speaking populace of Upper Silesia; the
Battle of Annaberg
The Battle of (the) Annaberg ( pl, Bitwa o Górę Św. Anny) was the biggest battle of the Silesian Uprisings. The battle, which took place between May 21–26, 1921, was fought at the Annaberg (Polish: ''Góra Św. Anny''), a strategic hill ...
was fought in the region in 1921. In the
Upper Silesia plebiscite of March 1921, a majority of 59.4% voted against merging with Poland and a minority of 40.6% voted for, with clear lines dividing Polish and German communities. The plan to divide the region was suggested by the Inter-Allied Commission on Upper Silesia, headed by the French general
Henri Le Rond
Henri Le Rond (9 October 1864 – 29 May 1949) was a French General, officer of the Deuxième Bureau and Head of the Inter-Allied Administrative and Plebiscite Commission in Upper Silesia ("C.I.H.S"; French: ''Commission interalliée de gouvernemen ...
. The plan was decided by an ambassadors conference in Paris on 20 October 1921. The exact border, the maintenance of cross-border railway traffic and other necessary co-operations, as well as equal rights for all inhabitants in both parts of Upper Silesia, were all fixed by the
German-Polish Accord on East Silesia German Polish or Polish German may refer to:
* German–Polish relations
*German minority in Poland
*Polish minority in Germany
Poles in Germany are the second largest Polish diaspora (''Polonia'') in the world and the biggest in Europe. Estimat ...
,
signed in Geneva on May 15, 1922. On June 20, 1922, the
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...
ceded the
East Upper Silesia East Upper Silesia (german: Ostoberschlesien) is the easternmost extremity of Silesia, the eastern part of the Upper Silesian region around the city of Katowice (german: Kattowitz).Isabel Heinemann, ''"Rasse, Siedlung, deutsches Blut": das Rasse- ...
region to Poland. The area became part of Silesian Voivodeship of the
Second Polish Republic.
After the 1939
German invasion of Poland, Polish Silesia
was annexed to the
Nazi German Reich as part of the
''Gau'' of
Silesia. In 1941 Upper and Lower Silesia were split into separate ''Gauer''.
After 1945, almost all of Upper Silesia that was not ceded to Poland in 1922 was placed under the administration of the
Republic of 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 populo ...
. German civilians, as well as Nazi criminals, were interned in labor camps such as the
Zgoda labour camp
Zgoda () was a labour camp (sometimes also described as a concentration camp),
set up in February 1945 in Zgoda district of Świętochłowice, Silesia. It was controlled by the communist secret police until its closure in November of the same ye ...
. The majority of the German-speaking population that had not fled
was expelled, an activity that was euphemized as "transfers
obe effected in an orderly and humane manner" in accordance with the decision of the victorious Allied powers at their 1945 meeting at
Potsdam
Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of ...
. This expulsion program also included German-speaking inhabitants of Lower Silesia, eastern Brandenburg, eastern Pomerania,
Gdańsk (Danzig), and East Prussia. The German expellees were transported to the present-day Germany (including the former
East Germany), and Polish migrants, a sizeable part of whom were themselves expelleés from former Polish provinces taken over by the USSR in the east, settled in Upper Silesia. A good many German-speaking Upper Silesians were relocated in Bavaria. A small part of Upper Silesia stayed as part of
Czechoslovakia as
Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia (, also , ; cs, České Slezsko; szl, Czeski Ślōnsk; sli, Tschechisch-Schläsing; german: Tschechisch-Schlesien; pl, Śląsk Czeski) is the part of the historical region of Silesia now in the Czech Republic. Czech Silesia is ...
.
The expulsions of German-speakers did not totally eliminate the presence of a population that considered itself German. In contrast to the situation in
Lower Silesia, where almost the totality of the pre-war population that was expelled was exclusively German-speaking, the pre-war population of Upper Silesia was in considerable number Roman Catholic mixed bilingual that spoke both German and Polish dialects, and their Polish linguistic skills were considered solid enough for them to be kept in the area.
The area formally became part of the Republic of Poland by virtue of the German-Polish border treaty of November 14, 1990. With the fall of communism and Poland's joining the European Union, there were enough of these remaining in Upper Silesia to allow for the recognition of the
German minority in Poland by the Polish government.
Major cities and towns
The historical capital of Upper Silesia is
Opole, nevertheless the largest towns of the region, including
Katowice, are located in the
Upper Silesian Industrial Region, the total population of which is about 3,000,000.
Population figures as of 1995 (all in Poland unless otherwise indicated)
*
Katowice (354,200)
*
Ostrava (320,000) – Czech Republic (eastern districts of former Slezská Ostrava)
*
Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', german: Beuthen O.S.) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital ...
(227,600)
*
Gliwice (214,000)
*
Zabrze
Zabrze (; German: 1915–1945: ''Hindenburg O.S.'', full form: ''Hindenburg in Oberschlesien'', Silesian language, Silesian: ''Zŏbrze'', yi, זאַבזשע, Zabzhe) is an industrial city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The west d ...
(201,600)
*
Bielsko-Biała
Bielsko-Biała (; cs, Bílsko-Bělá, german: Bielitz-Biala, szl, Bjylsko-Bjoło) is a city in southern Poland, with a population of approximately 168,319 as of December 2021, making it the 22nd largest city in Poland, and an area of . It is a ...
(196,307)
*
Ruda Śląska
Ruda Śląska (formerly ) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is a district in the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union, a metropolis with a population of two million. It is in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica Riv ...
(166,300)
*
Rybnik
Rybnik (Polish pronunciation: ; szl, Rybńik) is a city in southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship, around 38 km (24 mi) southwest of Katowice, the region's capital, and around 19 km (11 miles) from the Czech border. It is o ...
(144,300)
*
Tychy (140,900)
*
Opole (130,600)
*
Chorzów
Chorzów ( ; ; german: link=no, Königshütte ; szl, Chorzōw) is a city in the Silesia region of southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central cities of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – a metropolis with a population ...
(125,800)
*
Jastrzębie Zdrój Jastrzębie may refer to:
* Jastrzębie, Brodnica County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central Poland)
* Jastrzębie, Lipno County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central Poland)
* Jastrzębie, Świecie County in Kuyavian-Pome ...
(103,500)
*
Havířov
Havířov (; pl, ) is a city in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 69,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the region. Havířov lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia. ...
(85,000) – Czech Republic
*
Mysłowice (80,000)
*
Siemianowice Śląskie
Siemianowice Śląskie also known as Siemianowice (; german: Siemianowitz-Laurahütte; szl, Siymianowice) is a city in Upper Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice, in its central district in the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metropoli ...
(78,100)
*
Kędzierzyn-Koźle (70,700)
*
Tarnowskie Góry
Tarnowskie Góry (German: ''Tarnowitz''; szl, Tarnowske Gōry) is a town in Silesia, southern Poland, located in the Silesian Highlands near Katowice. On the south it borders the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union, a megalopolis, the greater S ...
(67,200)
*
Piekary Śląskie
Piekary Śląskie () (german: Deutsch Piekar; szl, Piekary) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The north district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – metropolis with the population of 2 million. Located in the Silesi ...
(67,200)
*
Żory
Żory (; german: Sohrau, szl, Żory) is a town and city county in Silesian Voivodeship, Poland with 62,462 inhabitants (2019). Previously it was in Katowice Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is located in the historic Upper Silesia region about sout ...
(66,300)
*
Racibórz
Racibórz (german: Ratibor, cz, Ratiboř, szl, Racibōrz) 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 ...
(65,100)
*
Karviná
Karviná (; pl, Karwina, , german: Karwin) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 50,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Olza River in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.
Karviná is known as an industr ...
(64,200) – Czech Republic
*
Opava (62,000) – Czech Republic
*
Świętochłowice
Świętochłowice (; german: Schwientochlowitz; szl, Świyntochłowice) is a town in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is also the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union metropolis, with a population of 2 million, a ...
(59,600)
*
Wodzisław Śląski
Wodzisław Śląski (; german: Loslau, cs, Vladislav, la, Vladislavia, yi, וואידסלוב, Voydislav, szl, Władźisłůw) is a city in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland with 47,992 inhabitants (2019). It is the seat of Wodzisław Cou ...
(50,500)
*
Nysa (49,000)
*
Mikołów
Mikołów (german: Nikolai, szl, Mikołōw) is a town in Silesia, in southern Poland, near the city of Katowice. It borders the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union, a metropolis with a population of over 2 million, and is within a greater Sil ...
(38,900)
*
Cieszyn
Cieszyn ( , ; cs, Těšín ; german: Teschen; la, Tessin; szl, Ćeszyn) is a border town in southern Poland on the east bank of the Olza River, and the administrative seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship. The town has 33,500 inhabitants ...
(37,300)
*
Orlová
Orlová (; pl, ; german: Orlau) is a town in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 28,000 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Orlová is made up of four town parts: Lazy, Lutyně, Město and Poru ...
(35,900) – Czech Republic
*
Czechowice-Dziedzice
Czechowice-Dziedzice (, szl, Czechowice-Dziydzice), previously known until 1958 as Czechowice, is a town in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland with 35,684 inhabitants as of December 2021. It lies on the northeastern edge of t ...
(35,600)
*
Pszczyna
Pszczyna (german: Pleß, cs, Pština) is a town in southern Poland with 25,823 inhabitants (2019), and a seat of a local gmina (commune). It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship, and was a part of the Katowice Voivodeship from 1975 until a ...
(34,600)
*
Kluczbork
Kluczbork (german: Kreuzburg O.S., szl, Kluczborek) is a town in southern Poland with 23,554 inhabitants (2019), situated in the Opole Voivodeship. It is the capital of Kluczbork County and an important railroad junction. In Kluczbork the majo ...
(26,900)
*
Lubliniec
Lubliniec (german: Lublinitz) is a town in southern Poland with 23,784 inhabitants (2019). It is the capital of Lubliniec County, part of Silesian Voivodeship (since 1999); previously it was in Częstochowa Voivodeship (1975–1998).
Geograp ...
(26,900)
*
Český Těšín
Český Těšín (; pl, Czeski Cieszyn ; german: Tschechisch-Teschen) is a town in the Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants.
Český Těšín lies on the west bank of the Olza ...
(26,300) – Czech Republic (Czech part of Cieszyn)
*
Krnov (25,400) – Czech Republic
*
Prudnik (24,300)
*
Rydułtowy
Rydułtowy (german: Rydultau) is a town in southern Poland, in the Wodzisław County of the Silesian Voivodeship. Rydułtowy is in the south-western part of the Silesian Highland, on the Rybnik Plateau, in the Oświęcim-Racibórz Valley.
A min ...
(24,100)
*
Łaziska Górne
Łaziska Górne (german: Ober Lazisk, szl, Gōrne Łaziska) is a town in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Borders on the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – metropolis with the population of 2 million. Located in the Silesian Highlan ...
(23,000)
*
Bohumín
Bohumín (; ; pl, , german: Oderberg) is a town in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Bohumín is made up of town parts and villages of Nový Bohumín, ...
(22 894) – Czech Republic
*
Bieruń
Bieruń (german: Berun, szl, Bieruń) is a town in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland, seat of the Bieruń-Lędziny County in the Silesian Voivodeship. It is located about south of Katowice.
Geography
It is located in the Silesian Highlands, o ...
(22,100)
*
Pyskowice
Pyskowice (german: Peiskretscham) is a town in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Borders on the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – metropolis with the population of 2 million. Located in the Silesian Highlands.
It is situated in th ...
(21,900)
*
Strzelce Opolskie (21,900)
Culture
Silesian cuisine
Upper Silesian cuisine belongs to
Central European cuisine
Central European cuisine consists of the culinary customs, traditions and cuisines of the nations of Central Europe.
The cuisines within each country in the region is strongly influenced by the local climate. For example, German, Polish, Aus ...
s and is therefore characterized by high calorific value of dishes. For centuries, Polish, Czech and German cuisine was mixed here. Typical Upper Silesian dishes are consumed here, as well as dishes that are also present in
Lesser Poland and
Greater Poland
Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city ...
at the same time. In the second half of the twentieth century, dishes from the Polish borderland cuisine (potato pancakes, dumplings with cheese, red
borscht
Borscht () is a sour soup common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. In English, the word "borscht" is most often associated with the soup's variant of Ukrainian origin, made with red beetroots as one of the main ingredients, which give ...
,
bigos
Bigos (; be, бігас, ', or бігус, ', lt, bigusas), often translated into English as hunter's stew, is a Polish dish of chopped meat of various kinds stewed with sauerkraut and shredded fresh cabbage. It is served hot and can be enriche ...
) gained popularity in Upper Silesia.
Clothes
Silesian women's clothes vary depending on the region and even the individual towns and villages they come from. The ways of dressing intertwined with the movement of people in the 19th and 20th century. The inhabitants of Silesia also started to adapt their outfits to the urban fashion, which changed the appearance of the outfit even more.
The men's outfit consists of a shacket, a shirt (vest), a white shirt, a silk shirt (silk scarf) or a dressing gown (ribbons), galot (trousers) or bizoków (trousers ironed to the edge) and szczewików (shoes). The man's costume is now called an ''ancug'', this name is mainly associated with a suit.
Crafts
In Upper Silesia, metallurgy, mining and other heavy industry branches are developed.
Agriculture plays a secondary role, developed mainly in Opole Silesia.
Architecture
*
Familok
Familok is a type of house for many families, designed for workers of the heavy industry, mainly coal miners, built at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century in the cities and towns of Silesia.
"Familok" is a Silesian w ...
Media
On the territory of Upper Silesia,
TVP Info
TVP Info is a Polish free-to-air television news channel, run by the public broadcaster, state media TVP. It is focused on newscasts, airing nationwide news bulletins from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Its main offices are located at the TV ...
broadcasts the regional channels
TVP Opole and
TVP Katowice
TVP3 Katowice a.k.a. TV Katowice also Television Katowice is one of the regional branches of the TVP, Poland's public television broadcaster. It serves the entire Silesian Voivodeship with particular dedication to the Upper Silesian Metropolis a ...
of the public Polish Television. In addition, the private television station
TVS is aimed at viewers in the Silesian Voivodeship. Another channel is TVT.
Regionally oriented radio stations are
Polskie Radio Opole and Polskie Radio Katowice of the state radio station. A private Upper Silesian station is Radio Piekary.
Radio Mittendrin is a German-Polish Internet radio station of the German minority.
Local politics
The
autonomy movement is relatively young and was only founded in 1990 by Rudolf Kolodziejczyk in
Rybnik
Rybnik (Polish pronunciation: ; szl, Rybńik) is a city in southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship, around 38 km (24 mi) southwest of Katowice, the region's capital, and around 19 km (11 miles) from the Czech border. It is o ...
. It is supposed to continue the traditions of the German period, but also of
Silesia under the
Second Polish Republic. The current head of the movement is
Jerzy Gorzelik. Its main aim is to improve the self-government of the Upper Silesian provinces of Opolskie and Slaskie.
In 2010, RAS (Ruch Autonomii Śląska) had 8.49% of the votes in the
Silesian Regional Assembly
The Silesian Voivodeship Sejmik ( pl, Sejmik Województwa Śląskiego) is the regional legislature of the Voivodeship of Silesia in Poland. It is a unicameral parliamentary body consisting of forty-five councillors elected for a five-year term. T ...
, i.e. 122,781 votes and three mandates. In 2018 they failed to get any mandates with 3.10%.
See also
*
Silesia
*
East Upper Silesia East Upper Silesia (german: Ostoberschlesien) is the easternmost extremity of Silesia, the eastern part of the Upper Silesian region around the city of Katowice (german: Kattowitz).Isabel Heinemann, ''"Rasse, Siedlung, deutsches Blut": das Rasse- ...
*
Opole Silesia
Opole Silesia or Opolian Silesia ( pl, Śląsk Opolski, also known as ''Opolszczyzna'', german: Oppelner Schlesien, szl, Ôpolski Ślōnsk, cs, Opolské Slezsko), is a loosely defined historical region of Poland, part of Upper Silesia.
Throug ...
*
Lower Silesia
*
Middle Silesia
*
Silesian Interurbans
Silesian Trams ( pl, Tramwaje Konurbacji Śląskiej) is one of the largest tram systems in the world and the largest and longest tram system in Poland, located entirely within the Silesian Voivodeship. Started as a part of the German Empire in 18 ...
*
Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union
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 i ...
*
Upper Silesian Industrial Area
*
Upper Silesian Coal Basin
The Upper Silesian Coal Basin ( pl, Górnośląskie Zagłębie Węglowe, GZW, cs, Hornoslezská uhelná pánev) is a coal basin in Silesia, in Poland and the Czech Republic.[Wojciech Korfanty
Wojciech Korfanty (; born Adalbert Korfanty; 20 April 1873 – 17 August 1939) was a Polish activist, journalist and politician, who served as a member of the German parliaments, the Reichstag and the Prussian Landtag, and later, in the Polish ' ...]
Notes
References
Sources
* H. Förster, B. Kortus (1989) "Social-Geographical Problems of the Cracow and Upper Silesia Agglomerations", Paderborn. (Bochumer Geographische Arbeiten No. 51)
*
Bernhard Gröschel (1993) ''Die Presse Oberschlesiens von den Anfängen bis zum Jahre 1945: Dokumentation und Strukturbeschreibung''. Schriften der Stiftung Haus Oberschlesien: Landeskundliche Reihe, Bd. 4 (in German). Berlin: Gebr. Mann, p. 447.
*
Bernhard Gröschel (1993) ''Studien und Materialien zur oberschlesischen Tendenzpublizistik des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts''. Schriften der Stiftung Haus Oberschlesien: Landeskundliche Reihe, Bd. 5 (in German). Berlin: Gebr. Mann, p. 219.
*
Bernhard Gröschel (1993) ''Themen und Tendenzen in Schlagzeilen der Kattowitzer Zeitung und des Oberschlesischen Kuriers 1925 - 1939: Analyse der Berichterstattung zur Lage der deutschen Minderheit in Ostoberschlesien''. Schriften der Stiftung Haus Oberschlesien: Landeskundliche Reihe, Bd. 6 (in German). Berlin: Gebr. Mann, p. 188.
* Krzysztof Gwozdz (2000) "The Image of Upper Silesia in geography textbooks 1921-1998", in: Boleslaw Domanski (Ed.), Prace Geograficzne, No. 106, Institute of Geography of the
Jagiellonian University Kraków. pp. 55–68
*
Rudolf Carl Virchow.
Report on the Typhus Epidemic in Upper Silesia" (1848) Am J Public Health 2006;96 2102–2105. (Excerpted from: Virchow RC. Collected Essays on Public Health and Epidemiology. Vol 1. Rather LJ, ed. Boston, Mass: Science History Publications; 1985:204–319.)
External links
Silesian Digital LibrarySilesian Tourism Portal
{{Authority control
Opole Voivodeship
Historical regions in Poland
Czech geographic history
Silesian Voivodeship
Upper Silesia