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Katowice Trade Hall Roof Collapse
On 28 January 2006, the roof of one of the buildings at the Katowice International Fair () collapsed in Chorzów/Katowice, Poland. 65 people died in this incident. At 16:15 GMT (17:15 local time), the central section of the roof of the hall collapsed, possibly due to the weight of snow on the building. According to the police there were roughly 700 people in the hall at the time of the collapse. A further collapse occurred 90 minutes later during rescue operations. Polish government spokesman Krzysztof Mejer confirmed that there had been 65 dead as well as more than 170 injured, including 13 foreigners. There are confirmed deaths of ten foreign tourists – one from Belgium, one from Germany, three from Slovakia, one from the Netherlands, one from Hungary and three from the Czech Republic. The trade hall was hosting the 56th National Exhibition of Carrier Pigeons, with over 120 exhibitors from all over Europe. Poland was at that time experiencing very cold weather with h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GMT+1
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the local mean time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight. At different times in the past, it has been calculated in different ways, including being calculated from noon; as a consequence, it cannot be used to specify a particular time unless a context is given. The term "GMT" is also used as one of the names for the time zone UTC+00:00 and, in UK law, is the basis for civil time in the United Kingdom. Because of Earth's uneven angular velocity in its elliptical orbit and its axial tilt, noon (12:00:00) GMT is rarely the exact moment the Sun crosses the Greenwich Meridian and reaches its highest point in the sky there. This event may occur up to 16 minutes before or after noon GMT, a discrepancy described by the equation of time. Noon GMT is the annual average (the arithmetic mean) moment of this event, which accounts for the word "mean" in "Greenwich Mean Time". Originally, astronomers considered a GMT day to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 8,000,000. Silesia is split into two main subregions, Lower Silesia in the west and Upper Silesia in the east. Silesia’s culture reflects its complex history and diverse influences, blending Polish, Czech, and German elements. The region is known for its distinctive Silesian language (still spoken by a minority in Upper Silesia), richly decorated folk National costumes of Poland, costumes, hearty regional Silesian cuisine, cuisine, and a mix of Gothic, Baroque, and industrial-era Silesian architecture, architecture seen in its cities and towns. The largest city of the region is Wrocław. Silesia is situated along the Oder River, with the Sudeten Mountains extending across the southern border. The region contains many historical landmarks ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Piekary Śląskie
Piekary Śląskie () () is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. One of the core cities of the Metropolis GZM – metropolis with a population of 2 million. Located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Brynica river (tributary of the Vistula). It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship. Piekary Śląskie is one of the cities of the 2.7 million conurbation – Katowice urban area and within a greater Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area populated by about 5,294,000 people. The population of the city is 54,226 (2021). Piekary is a spiritual center of Upper Silesia, a Marian shrine which is a pilgrimage site for thousands of the faithful, and a mining town. History Piekary Śląskie was created in 1934 in interwar Poland by merging the communes of Szarlej and Wielkie Piekary into Szarlej-Wielkie Piekary. In 1935 it was renamed Piekary Śląskie. Name and early history There are two legends about the founding of Piekary, according to one it was founded in the late 10th cen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 River, Vistula, see Przemsza). Even though Dąbrowa Górnicza belongs to the historic province of Lesser Poland, it now is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship. Dąbrowa Górnicza is one of the cities of the Katowice urban area (2.7 million people), and within the greater Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area (5.2 million people). The population of the city itself as of December 2021 is 116,971. Nature In Dąbrowa there are many green areas. Total area of local lakes is over 800 hectares, there are 180 hectares of parks (0.96%) and 4100 hectares of forests (21.7%). Particularly noteworthy is the complex of Pogoria (lakes). Furthermore, part of the Eagles' Nests Landscape Park reaches the outskirts of the city. The largest desert in P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 has been part of the Silesian Voivodeship since its formation in 1999. Previously, it was in Katowice Voivodeship, and before then, part of the Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship. Ruda Śląska is one of the cities in the Katowice urban area (population 2.7 million) and within the greater Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area (population 5,294,000). The population of the city is 135,008 (December 2021). History A large village is known to have existed at the location of the present day city center in 1243. The city name appears to indicate the awareness and perhaps exploitation of ores from early times. The area underwent rapid industrialization (coal, steel, zinc) in the 19th and the beginning of 20th century. However, it remained a clu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 Region, Sosnowiec is one of the cities of the Katowice urban area, which is a conurbation with a total population of 2.7 million people; as well as the greater Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area populated by about 5.3 million people. The population of the city is 189,178 as of December 2022. Geography It is believed that the name Sosnowiec originates from the Polish word '' sosna'', referring to the pine forests growing in the area prior to 1830. The village was originally known as ''Sosnowice''. Other variations of the name include ''Sosnowietz, Sosnowitz, Sosnovitz'' (Yiddish), ''Sosnovyts, Sosnowyts, Sosnovytz, Sosnowytz,'' and ''Sosnovetz''. There are five other smaller settlements in Poland also called Sosnowiec, located in the Kielce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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, on the Brynica river (tributary of the Vistula River, Vistula). It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since its formation in 1999, previously in Katowice Voivodeship, and before then in the Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship. Siemianowice is one of the cities of the 2.7 million conurbation, the Katowice urban area, at the heart of the greater Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area populated by about 5,294,000 people. The population of the city is 65,684 (2021). Siemianowice Śląskie borders six cities: Piekary Śląskie, Chorzów, Czeladź, Będzin, Wojkowice, and the voivodeship capital Katowice. Etymology There are three hypothetical explanations for the origins of the name Siemianowice: either it comes from seven huts which were called ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 of the oldest cities in the Upper Silesia, and the former seat of the Silesian Piasts, Piast dukes of the Duchy of Bytom. Until 1532, it was in the hands of the Piast dynasty, then it belonged to the House of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern dynasty. After 1623 it was a state country in the hands of Henckel von Donnersmarck, the Donnersmarck family. From 1742 to 1945 the town was within the borders of Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia and Germany, and played an important role as an economic and administrative centre of the Katowice urban area, local industrial region. Until the outbreak of World War II, it was the main centre of national, social, cultural and publishing organisations fighting to preserve Polish identity in Upper Silesia. In the interbe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mine Rescue
Mine rescue or mines rescue is the specialised job of rescuing miners and others who have become trapped or injured in underground mines because of mining accidents, roof falls or floods and disasters such as explosions. Background Mining laws in developed countries require trained, equipped mine rescue personnel to be available at all mining operations at surface and underground mining operations. Mine rescue teams must know the procedures used to rescue miners trapped by various hazards, including fire, explosions, cave-ins, toxic gas, smoke inhalation, and water entering the mine. Most mine rescue teams are composed of miners who know the mine and are familiar with the mining machinery they may encounter during the rescue, the layout of workings and geological conditions and working practices. Local and state governments may have teams on-call ready to respond to mine accidents. Rescuers and equipment The first mines rescuers were the colliery managers and volunteer c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Szczyrk
Szczyrk (; ; ) is a town in the Beskid Śląski mountains of southern Poland, situated in the valley of the Żylica river. It is part of the Silesian Voivodeship (since 1999), previously being part of the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship (1975–1998). It has a population of 5,734 people (2019). __TOC__ History First permanent human settlements in the area of present-day Szczyrk were reported in 16th century. According to chronicles, the village was inhabited by around 100 people in the 1730s. Initially, the majority of inhabitants were exclusively engaged in agriculture and sheep farming. Over the course of time, they began producing cloth from sheep's wool. Timber felling was also carried out in the area. In the 19th century, the process of timber felling expanded rapidly and numerous water mills and sawmills started to be constructed. In the early 20th century, Szczyrk slowly bagan transforming into a resort town by attracting more and more tourists. In the 1920s, the area wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GOPR
Mountain Volunteer Search and Rescue () is a partially volunteer-run non-profit mountain rescue organisation in Poland, which helps people who have come into danger in the mountains, helps prevent accidents and protects wildlife. It aids both tourists who are visiting the mountains and hiking trails and residents of small, hard-to-reach mountain towns. In 2022, GOPR conducted over 2,550 operations, helping 2,699 people. History The first attempts to create a mountain rescue service in the partitioned Poland took place in 1909. In 1952, all mountain rescue units started to operate under the GOPR umbrella, with the team responsible for the Tatra Mountains breaking out into its own organization in 1991. Currently, the service is governed by the Polish Parliament's 2011 ''Act on safety and rescue in mountains and on organized ski areas'' (). According to this Act, mountain rescue services are financed from the national budget, local budgets, national park entry fees, and other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
