ZABRZE

'Zabrze' (pronounced: ; , from 1915-1945 ''Hindenburg'') is a city in southern Poland with 194,041 inhabitants (2004). Zabrze is part of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union, the largest legally-recognized urban entity in Poland with a population of 2.2 mln. The population of the metropolitan area is 3,487,000 (2004). Zabrze is situated in the Silesian Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Katowice Voivodship (1975-1998).

Contents

History

Politics

Sports

Economy

Sister cities

External links

History

Zabrze was first mentioned as a village in the 13th century. Beginning in the Late Middle Ages, the local Silesian Piast dukes invited German settlers to the territory resulting in increasing Germanization of the area. Zabrze was inherited by the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria in 1526 and was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia during the 18th century Silesian Wars. Zabrze became an important site for mining in the German Empire upon its foundation in 1871. The settlement received its city charter in 1922.
Zabrze was officially renamed ''Hindenburg'' in 1915 to honor Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg; the new name was used until 1945-05-19. After the city became part of Poland in that year following World War II, the original name Zabrze was restored and most of the remaining German inhabitants were expelled according to the Potsdam Conference.
Because of the pollution caused by the large concentration of industry, the triangle of land between Zabrze, Chorzów, and Bytom has locally been known as 'death triangle'. Since the collapse of communism in 1989, the environomental situation has steadily been improving due the restructuring of the Silesian industry.

Politics

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

★ Górnik Zabrze - men football team (Polish Champion 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988; Polish Cup winner 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972; Polish Supercup winner 1988; 1st league in season 2005/2006)

Economy

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

Sister cities

Zabrze is twinned with the following cities:

★ Sangerhausen, Germany

★ Seclin, France

★ Lund, Sweden

★ Sønderborg, Denmark

★ Hazleton, United States

★ Trnava, Slovakia

★ Opava, Czech Republic

★ Kaliningrad, Russia

★ Rivne, Ukraine

External links

★ Municipal website

★ Portal

★ Encyclopaedia Britannica Zabrze

★ Old images of the city