Silesia - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Silesia | |
---|---|
Historical region | |
![]() Austrian Silesia, before 1740 Prussian annexation Prussian Silesia, 1871 Oder river Basemap shows modern national borders. | |
Coordinates: 51°36′N 17°12′E / 51.6°N 17.2°E | |
Country | |
Largest city | Wrocław |
Area | |
• Total | 40,000 km2 (20,000 sq mi) |
Population | |
• Total | c. 8,000,000 |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Silesia (Polish: Śląsk; German: Schlesien; Latin: Silesia; Silesian: Ślůnsk) is a historical region of Poland. From 1742 to 1945, it was a province in the east of Prussia and later Germany. In 1945, all of Poland was occupied by the Soviet Red Army. In the following years, the communist occupant enacted laws that in effect chased away all of the remaining owners.
Geography
[change | change source]Silesia is along the upper and middle Oder River, upper Vistula River, and along the Sudetes and the Carpathian Mountains.
The highest point of Silesia is the Śnieżka, in the Sudetes.
Cities
[change | change source]Here is a list of cities in Silesia with a population of over 20,000 in 2015:
Name | Population | Area | Country | Administrative | Historic subregion | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Wrocław | 632,067 | 293 km2 (113 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
2 | ![]() | Katowice | 304,362 | 165 km2 (64 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
3 | ![]() | Ostrava* | 287,968 | 214 km2 (83 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Czech Silesia/Moravia |
4 | ![]() | Gliwice | 185,450 | 134 km2 (52 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
5 | ![]() | Zabrze | 178,357 | 80 km2 (31 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
6 | ![]() | Bielsko-Biała* | 173,699 | 125 km2 (48 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia/Lesser Poland |
7 | ![]() | Bytom | 173,439 | 69 km2 (27 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
8 | ![]() | Ruda Śląska | 141,521 | 78 km2 (30 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
9 | ![]() | Rybnik | 140,173 | 148 km2 (57 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
10 | ![]() | Tychy | 128,799 | 82 km2 (32 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
11 | ![]() | Opole | 120,146 | 97 km2 (37 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
12 | ![]() | Zielona Góra | 118,405 | 58 km2 (22 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
13 | ![]() | Wałbrzych | 117,926 | 85 km2 (33 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
14 | ![]() | Chorzów | 110,761 | 33 km2 (13 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
15 | ![]() | Legnica | 101,992 | 56 km2 (22 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
16 | ![]() | Jastrzębie-Zdrój | 91,235 | 85 km2 (33 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
17 | ![]() | Jelenia Góra | 81,985 | 109 km2 (42 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
18 | ![]() | Mysłowice | 75,129 | 66 km2 (25 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
19 | ![]() | Lubin | 74,053 | 41 km2 (16 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
20 | ![]() | Havířov | 71,200 | 32 km2 (12 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Czech Silesia |
21 | ![]() | Głogów | 68,997 | 35 km2 (14 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
22 | ![]() | Siemianowice Śląskie | 68,844 | 25 km2 (10 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
23 | ![]() | Kędzierzyn-Koźle | 63,194 | 124 km2 (48 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
24 | ![]() | Żory | 62,038 | 65 km2 (25 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
25 | ![]() | Tarnowskie Góry | 60,957 | 84 km2 (32 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
26 | ![]() | Świdnica | 59,182 | 22 km2 (8 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
27 | ![]() | Opava | 57,676 | 91 km2 (35 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Czech Silesia |
28 | ![]() | Piekary Śląskie | 57,148 | 40 km2 (15 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
29 | ![]() | Frýdek-Místek* | 56,450 | 52 km2 (20 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Czech Silesia/Moravia |
30 | ![]() | Racibórz | 55,930 | 75 km2 (29 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
31 | ![]() | Görlitz** | 55,255 | 68 km2 (26 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Historically part of Lusatia, Görlitz was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1319–1329 and 1815–1945 |
32 | ![]() | Karviná | 52,128 | 57 km2 (22 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Czech Silesia |
33 | ![]() | Świętochłowice | 51,824 | 13 km2 (5 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
34 | ![]() | Wodzisław Śląski | 48,731 | 50 km2 (19 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
35 | ![]() | Nysa | 44,899 | 27 km2 (10 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
36 | ![]() | Mikołów | 39,776 | 79 km2 (31 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
37 | ![]() | Nowa Sól | 39,721 | 22 km2 (8 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
38 | ![]() | Bolesławiec | 39,603 | 24 km2 (9 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
39 | ![]() | Knurów | 39,090 | 34 km2 (13 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
40 | ![]() | Oleśnica | 37,303 | 21 km2 (8 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
41 | ![]() | Brzeg | 36,980 | 15 km2 (6 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
42 | ![]() | Cieszyn | 35,918 | 29 km2 (11 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
43 | ![]() | Czechowice-Dziedzice | 35,684 | 33 km2 (13 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
44 | ![]() | Třinec | 35,002 | 85 km2 (33 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Czech Silesia |
45 | ![]() | Dzierżoniów | 34,428 | 20 km2 (8 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
46 | Hoyerswerda/Wojerecy** | 33,843 | 96 km2 (37 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Historically part of Lusatia, Hoyerswerda was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1825–1945 | |
47 | ![]() | Oława | 32,240 | 27 km2 (10 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
48 | ![]() | Zgorzelec** | 31,890 | 16 km2 (6 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Historically part of Lusatia, Zgorzelec was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1319–1329 and 1815–1945 |
49 | ![]() | Bielawa | 31,186 | 36 km2 (14 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
50 | ![]() | Kluczbork | 24,207 | 12 km2 (5 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
51 | ![]() | Lubliniec | 24,105 | 89 km2 (34 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
52 | ![]() | Krnov | 24,079 | 44 km2 (17 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Czech Silesia |
53 | ![]() | Jawor | 23,650 | 19 km2 (7 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
54 | ![]() | Żagań | 23,235 | 40 km2 (15 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
55 | ![]() | Świebodzice | 23,197 | 30 km2 (12 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
56 | ![]() | Nowa Ruda | 22,823 | 37 km2 (14 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
57 | ![]() | Polkowice | 22,535 | 24 km2 (9 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
58 | ![]() | Łaziska Górne | 22,413 | 21 km2 (8 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
59 | ![]() | Świebodzin | 21,963 | 11 km2 (4 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Lower Silesia |
60 | ![]() | Rydułtowy | 21,741 | 15 km2 (6 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
61 | ![]() | Prudnik | 21,472 | 21 km2 (8 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Upper Silesia |
62 | ![]() | Bohumín | 21,340 | 31 km2 (12 sq mi) | ![]() | ![]() | Czech Silesia |
* Only partly in Silesia
Famous people
[change | change source]There are many famous people who were born in Silesia:
- Writers, poets and playwrights like Andreas Gryphius, Martin Opitz, Fürst von Pückler-Muskau, Carl Hauptmann, Gerhart Hauptmann (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1912), Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Gustav Freytag
- Members of the German Resistance such as Peter Graf Yorck von Wartenburg, Helmuth James Graf von Moltke
- Military officers like Manfred von Richthofen, Erwin von Witzleben
- Painters like Adolph von Menzel
- Philosophers like Jakob Böhme
- Actors like Dieter Hildebrandt, Victor de Kowa, Ludwig M. Lommel, Wolfgang Neuss, Willy Fritsch, Hanna Schygulla, Georg Thomalla
- Politicians like Paul Löbe (SPD), Klaus Töpfer (CDU), Manfred Kanther (CDU), Ferdinand Lassalle, Erich Mende (FDP)
- Scientists like Hans G. Dehmelt (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1989), Paul Ehrlich (Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1908), Friedrich Bergius (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1931), Max Born (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1954), Fritz Haber (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1918), Reinhard Selten (Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, 1994), Konrad Bloch (Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1964), Bernhard Grzimek, Johannes Winkler, Maria Goeppert-Mayer (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1963), Kurt Alder (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1950), Otto Stern (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1943)
- Builder and architects like Carl Gotthard Langhans
- Musicians like Katja Ebstein, Roy Etzel, Michael Jary
Gallery
[change | change source]- First map of Silesia (1561)
- City hall of Breslau, Germany between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900. View from the east.
- Krummhuebel, Church of Wang (German: Kirche Wang) between 1890 and 1905.
- Postcard of the market square in the city of Oppeln in 1904.
- Hotel "Haus Oberschlesien" (transl.: Upper Silesia House) in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia, Germany, 1928
Other websites
[change | change source]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Silesia.
- http://www.schlesien-lm.de - official website of the Landsmannschaft Schlesien
- http://www.schlesierbund.de - Schlesierbund from Nürnberg, Germany
- http://www.deutsche-schutzgebiete.de/provinz_schlesien.htm - Deutsche Schutzgebiete - Provinz Schlesien