Zawiercie

Zawiercie
Coat of arms
Zawiercie
Coordinates: 50°30′N 19°25′E / 50.5°N 19.417°E / 50.5; 19.417
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Silesian
County	Zawiercie County
Gmina	Zawiercie (urban gmina)
Government
- Mayor	Mirosław Mazur
Area
- Total	85.24 km2 (32.9 sq mi)
Highest elevation	400 m (1,312 ft)
Lowest elevation	300 m (984 ft)
Population (2006)
- Total	53,926
- Density	632.6/km2 (1,638.5/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	42-400 to 42-431
Car plates	SZA
Website	http://www.um.zawiercie.pl

Zawiercie [zaˈvjɛrt​͡ɕɛ] (zavʲertɕə) is a city in the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland with 55,800 inhabitants (2005). It is situated in the Kraków-Częstochowa highland near the source of the Warta River.

History

Neo-Gothic Collegiate Church dedicated to St Peter and Paul from 1900

The town lies near the historical region of Silesia but was not part of Silesia until the 20th century, when it was made a part of the Silesian Voivodeship.

In the 12th century the settlement was a village called Kromołów (currently a district of Zawiercie). It expanded in the 19th century and received town privileges in 1915. While Zawiercie was occupied by Nazi Germany, it was known in German as Warthenau between 1941 and 1945. During that time, many Jews were expelled to Zawiercie, where a ghetto was eventually established.^[1]

In 1847, the Warsaw-Vienna Railway was completed. The railroad connection facilitated the trade between Russia, Germany and Austria. The fact that Zawiercie was located less than one kilometre from the railroad triggered the rapid development of the region. Twenty-five years later, there were coal and iron ore mines in Zawiercie and an industry was developed around the mines in the town. The first industrial plant, a glass factory, started around 1870. Immediately other industries followed; a large cotton spinnery, large weaving mill, iron mining, cast iron, brick manufacturing, sawmill, chemical laboratories, steam and water flour mills, machining, etc. The flourishing economics accelerated the local population growth.

Education

• University of Administration and Management

Notes

1. ^ http://www.edwardvictor.com/Ghettos/2006/Zawiercie.htm

See also

• 1000th-Anniversary of Polish State Stadium

External links

• Official website

Coordinates: 50°29′20″N 19°26′00″E / 50.48889°N 19.4333333°E / 50.48889; 19.4333333

v • d • e Gminas of Zawiercie County Urban gminas Zawiercie (seat) • Poręba Urban-rural gminas Gmina Łazy • Gmina Ogrodzieniec • Gmina Pilica • Gmina Szczekociny Rural gminas Gmina Irządze • Gmina Kroczyce • Gmina Włodowice • Gmina Żarnowiec

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