Zabrze (; 1915–1945: Hindenburg, , ) is an industrial city 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 million. It is in the Silesian Highlands, on the Bytomka River, a tributary of the Oder.

Zabrze is located in the Silesian Voivodeship. It is one of the cities composing the 2.7 million inhabitant conurbation referred to as the Katowice urban area, itself a major centre in the greater Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area which is populated by just over five million people. The population of Zabrze as of December 2021 was 168,946, down from June 2009 when the population was 188,122.

Biskupice, which is now a subdivision of Zabrze, was first mentioned in 1243 as Biscupici dicitur cirka Bitom. Zabrze (or Old Zabrze) was mentioned in 1295–1305 as Sadbre sive Cunczindorf (German for Konrad/Kunze's village; sive = "or"). According to historical sources, mining in Zabrze dates back to the 13th century. The present-day districts of Mikulczyce and Rokitnica were locations of motte-and-bailey castles from the 13th-15th century, which are now archaeological sites. In the 1970s, archaeologists discovered an Epipalaeolithic flintwork and flint tools from the Mesolithic at the Mikulczyce archaeological site. Until that time, it was among the few cities in Upper Silesia whose Polish name had been retained under German rule.

In 1904, the "Sokół" Polish Gymnastic Society was established in Zabrze as both a sporting and patriotic organization promoting Polish national identity. It was dissolved by Prussian authorities in 1911 but reactivated twice, in 1913 and 1918. In May 1921 the Third Silesian Uprising broke out and Hindenburg was captured by Polish insurgents, who held it until the end of the uprising. In 1928, among the largest cities in western Upper Silesia, Polish parties received the most votes in Zabrze. In the March 1933 elections, most of the citizens voted for the Nazi Party, followed by Zentrum and the Communist Party. Nazi politician became the city's mayor and remained in the position until 1945.

thumb|A monument commemorating the fallen in the fight for the liberation of Silesia in the [[Silesian uprisings and World War II]]

The anti-Polish organization Bund Deutscher Osten was very active in the city, it dealt with propaganda, indoctrination and espionage of the Polish community, as well as denouncing Poles to local authorities. When, the Barbórka (traditional holiday of miners) church services were organized separately for Poles and Germans in 1936, the Polish service enjoyed a greater attendance, however, due to Nazi oppression and propaganda, the attendance at Polish services in the 1930s gradually decreased, according to Bund Deutscher Osten. Polish activists were increasingly persecuted since 1937. People were urged to Germanise their names, Polish inscriptions were removed from tombstones. Some Polish priests were expelled from the city, both before and during World War II. As a result of German persecution the Jewish community dropped from 1,154 people in 1933 to 551 in 1939, and its remainder was deported to concentration camps in 1942. The town's synagogue, that had stood since 1872, was destroyed in the Kristallnacht pogroms of November 1938.

World War II

During World War II, the chiefs of the Polish police and further seven policemen of Kończyce, Makoszowy and Pawłów were murdered by the Russians in the Katyn massacre in 1940.

In 1941 the German authorities requisitioned church property and removed Polish symbols and memorabilia. Church bells were confiscated for war purposes in 1942. The Germans also established three forced labour subcamps of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner-of-war camp in the city, two of which operated in the local coal mines, and one subcamp of Auschwitz III was also located there. Another subcamp of Stalag VIII-B/344 (E51) operated at a coal mine in the present-day Mikulczyce district.

On 24 January 1945, the city was captured by the Red Army. According to historian Andrzej Hanich, around 100 inhabitants were killed during and after the takeover. Some inhabitants were later deported to the Soviet Union, and others were resettled west in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement.

Contemporary history

thumb|Ludwik coal mine, closed down in 1978

Following World War II, according to the Potsdam Agreement the city was handed over to Poland in 1945 and the town's name was changed to the historic Zabrze on 19 May 1945. The first post-war mayor of Zabrze was Paweł Dubiel, pre-war Polish activist and journalist in Upper Silesia, prisoner of the Dachau and Mauthausen concentration camps during the war. The pre-war Polish inhabitants of the region, who formed the majority of the city's population in 1948, New neighbourhoods were built from the 1950s to 1990s.

  • 1. Helenka
  • 2. Grzybowice
  • 3. Rokitnica
  • 4. Mikulczyce
  • 5. Młody Górnik estate
  • 6. Mikołaj Kopernik estate
  • 7. Biskupice
  • 8. Maciejów
  • 9. Tadeusz Kotarbiński estate
  • 10. Centrum Północ
  • 11. Centrum Południe
  • 12. Guido
  • 13. Zaborze Północ
  • 14. Zaborze Południe
  • 15. Pawłów
  • 16. Kończyce
  • 17. Makoszowy
  • 18. Zandka

Infrastructure

The Polish north–south A1 and east–west A4 motorways, which are parts of the European routes E75 and E40, respectively, run through Zabrze, and their junction is located just outside the city limits. In addition the Polish National roads 78, 88 and 94 also run through the city.

The Drogowa Trasa Srednicowa leads through the town.

Culture and sights

Among the cultural institutions of the town are the and ' ("New Theatre"). ' ("House of Music and Dance") indoor arena is located in Zabrze. The local museums are the , the and the . The mine shaft and the (Główna Kluczowa Sztolnia Dziedziczna), one of the longest such structures in Europe, are open for tourists. The historic coal mines of Zabrze are listed as a Historic Monument of Poland.

Among the historical architecture there are many industrial facilities, as well as various churches, houses, public buildings, etc. Important monuments of architecture were built the Expressionist and modernist styles, eg. the (1924-1927), (1927-1928) and St Joseph's Church (1930-1931, designed by Dominikus Böhm). There are also numerous monuments referring to the history of the city, especially the Silesian uprisings fought here and World War II.

There is also a and several parks in Zabrze.

<gallery mode="packed">

Muzeum Górnictwa Węglowego w Zabrzu.jpg|Coal Mining Museum

Zabrze - Teatr Nowy.JPG|New Theatre

Main post office in Zabrze, Poland, June 2019.jpg|Main post office

Zabrze, ul. 3 Maja 21 - Budynek Sądu Rejonowego A 354 11 z 14.11.2011 KS.JPG|Regional Court in Zabrze

Zabrze, budynek nadszybia z wieżą wyciągową Szybu Maciej 34.JPG|Maciej mine shaft

Zabrze kopalnia Guido 01.jpg|Guido mine shaft

GKSD - chodnik wodny.jpg|Main Key Adit

Zabrze_Admiralspalast_1.jpg|Admiralspalast Hotel

Zabrze Wyspiańskiego 10 12 2011 PC100967.jpg|Housing estate on Słowiański Square

Zabrze St. Joseph's Church facade.jpg|St Joseph's Church

Botanical garden in Zabrze kz2.jpg|Botanical garden

</gallery>

Politics

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Bytom/Gliwice/Zabrze constituency

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Members of Parliament (Sejm) elected from Bytom/Gliwice/Zabrze constituency

  • Chojnacki Jan, SLD-UP
  • Dulias Stanisław, Samoobrona
  • Gałażewski Andrzej, PO
  • Janik Ewa, SLD-UP
  • Kubica Józef, SLD-UP
  • Martyniuk Wacław, SLD-UP
  • Okoński Wiesław, SLD-UP
  • Szarama Wojciech, PiS
  • Szumilas Krystyna, PO
  • Widuch Marek, SLD-UP

Sports

thumb|[[Ernest Pohl Stadium, home venue of Górnik Zabrze]]

The city's most renown sports team is Górnik Zabrze, one of the most accomplished Polish football clubs, 14 times Polish champions, 7 times Polish Cup winners, and 1969–70 European Cup Winners' Cup runners-up, as the only Polish team to reach the final stage of a major European football competition. Other popular team is NMC Górnik Zabrze, two times Polish men's handball champions and three times Polish Cup winners. Both teams compete in the national top leagues, the Ekstraklasa and Superliga respectively.

Many sportspeople were born in Zabrze, including footballers Jerzy Gorgoń, Łukasz Skorupski and Adam Bodzek, and pro ice hockey player of the National Hockey League, Wojtek Wolski.

Economy

Like other towns in this populous region, it is an important manufacturing centre, having coal-mines, iron, wire, glass, chemical and oil works, and local Upper Silesia Brewery, etc.

Notable people

thumb|upright|[[Krystian Zimerman]]

upright|thumb|[[Sebastian Kawa]]

thumb|upright|[[Wojtek Wolski]]

  • James Kleist (1873–1949), German-American Jesuit scholar
  • Heinz Fiebig (1897–1964), Wehrmacht general
  • Jerzy Gorgoń (born 1949), Polish former football player
  • Fritz Katz (1898–1969), pioneer of adrenal transplants
  • Wolfgang Jörchel (1907–1945), Standartenführer in the Waffen SS
  • Władysław Turowicz (1908–1980), Polish-Pakistani military scientist
  • Vinzent Porombka (1910-1975), Communist activist
  • Fritz Laband (1925–1982), German footballer
  • Werner Heiduczek (1926–2019), German author
  • Friedrich Nowottny (born 1929), German television journalist
  • Janosch (born 1931), German author
  • Joachim Kroll (1933–1991), German serial killer
  • Joachim Kerzel (born 1941), German actor
  • Jan Sawka (1946–2012), Polish-American artist, architect
  • Krystian Zimerman (born 1956), Polish classical pianist
  • Waldemar Sorychta (born 1967), Polish heavy metal musician and producer
  • Sebastian Kawa (born 1972), Polish glider pilot, sixteen-time World Champion
  • Czesław Śpiewa, (born 1979), Polish singer
  • Wojtek Wolski (born 1986), Polish-Canadian ice-hockey player.
  • Margarete Stokowski (born 1986), Polish-German writer
  • Bartosz Bednorz (born 1994), Polish volleyball player
  • The Dumplings (born 1996-1997), Polish electropop duo
  • Damian Michał Heinisch (born 1968), Polish-German-Norwegian photographer

International relations

Consulates

There is an Honorary Consulate of Armenia in Zabrze. There is a khachkar in Zabrze commemorating the Armenian–Polish friendship.

Twin towns – sister cities

Zabrze is twinned with:

  • Essen, Germany
  • Lund, Sweden
  • Rivne, Ukraine
  • Rotherham, England, United Kingdom
  • Sangerhausen, Germany
  • Seclin, France
  • Trnava, Slovakia
  • Zahlé, Lebanon
  • Sønderborg, Denmark

References

Bibliography

  • Municipal website
  • Zabrze Community
  • Portal Zabrze.com.pl
  • Encyclopædia Britannica Zabrze
  • Jewish Community in Zabrze on Virtual Shtetl