View source for Silesia

{{Short description|Historical region of Central Europe}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Cilicia}}
{{Redirect-multi|2|Schlesien|Śląsk}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| native_name              = {{native name|pl|Śląsk}}<br />{{native name|szl|Ślōnsk}}<br />{{native name|cs|Slezsko}}<br />{{native name|de|Schlesien}}<br />{{native name|sli|Schläsing}}
| settlement_type          = [[Historical region]]
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage
| color = #ffffff
| photo1a = Ksiaz w jesiennej scenerii.jpg{{!}}Książ Castle, Wałbrzych
| photo1b = Wrocław square.jpg{{!}}Wrocław Old Town
| photo2a = Market Square Opole Southside 2019.jpg{{!}}Opole Old Town
| photo2b = Spodek.4.jpg{{!}}Spodek multipurpose arena, Katowice
| photo3a = Deptak Zielona Góra.jpg{{!}}Zielona Góra Old Town
| photo3b = Opava, Horní náměstí, divadlo a konkatedrála, 01.jpg{{!}}Horní náměstí, Opava
| spacing = 2
| border = 0
| size = 260
}}
| image_caption = {{hlist|From top, left to right: [[Książ Castle]], [[Wałbrzych]]|[[Wrocław Old Town]]|[[Opole]] Old Town|[[Spodek]], [[Katowice]]|[[Zielona Góra]]|[[Opava]]}}
| image_map                = Śląsk.png
| image_map1               = Silesia-map.svg
| image_flag               = Flag of Silesia.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Silesia on a map of Poland
| map_caption1             = {{Legend|#00ffff|[[Austrian Silesia]], 1740}}{{Legend|#ffffff|border=2px solid #ff0000|[[Prussian Silesia]], 1871}}{{Legend|#0000ff|[[Oder]] River}}Base map shows modern national borders.
| image_shield             = [[File:POL woj dolnoslaskie COA 2009.svg|80px]]
| coordinates              = {{coord|51.6|N|17.2|E|region:PL|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = {{plainlist|
*[[Poland]]
*[[Czech Republic]]
*[[Germany]]}}
| seat_type                = Largest city
| seat                     = [[Wrocław]]
| seat1                    = [[Wrocław]] ([[Lower Silesia]])<br>[[Opole]] ([[Upper Silesia]])
| population_demonym       = [[Silesians|Silesian]]
| area_total_km2           = 40400
| population_total         = c. 8000000
| population_density_km2   = 200
| demographics_type1       = GDP
| demographics1_footnotes  = <ref>{{cite web | url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00003/default/table?lang=en | title=EU regions by GDP, Eurostat | access-date=18 September 2023 | archive-date=27 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227213552/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00003/default/table?lang=en | url-status=live }}</ref>
|demographics1_title1     = Total
|demographics1_info1      = €150 billion (2022)
| demographics1_title2     = Per capita
|demographics1_info2      = €18,000 (2022)
| timezone                 = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset               = +1
| timezone_DST             = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST           = +2
}}
'''Silesia'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|s|aɪ|ˈ|l|iː|ʒ|ə|,_|s|aɪ|ˈ|l|iː|ʃ|i|ə}} {{respell|sy|LEE|zhə|,_|sy|LEE|shee|ə}}, {{IPAc-en|UKalso|s|aɪ|ˈ|l|iː|z|i|ə}} {{respell|sy|LEE|zee|ə}}, {{IPAc-en|USalso|s|aɪ|ˈ|l|iː|ʒ|i|ə|,_|s|aɪ|ˈ|l|iː|ʃ|ə|,_|s|ɪ|ˈ|l|iː|-}} {{respell|sy|LEE|zhee|ə|,_|sy|LEE|shə|,_|sil|EE|-}}.<ref>{{Cite American Heritage Dictionary|Silesia|access-date=23 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/silesia|title=Silesia|work=[[Collins English Dictionary]]|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|access-date=23 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Silesia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723000000/http://www.lexico.com/definition/Silesia |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-07-23 |title=Silesia |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Silesia|access-date=23 July 2019}}</ref>}} (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 {{convert|40000|km2|-2|abbr=on}}, 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 has a diverse culture, including [[Silesian architecture|architecture]], [[National costumes of Poland|costumes]], [[Silesian cuisine|cuisine]], traditions, and the [[Silesian language]] (minority in Upper Silesia). 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 and [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]s. It is also rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. The largest city and Lower Silesia's capital is [[Wrocław]]; the historic capital of Upper Silesia is [[Opole]]. The biggest metropolitan area is the [[Katowice metropolitan area]], the centre of which is [[Katowice]]. Parts of the Czech city of [[Ostrava]] and the German city of [[Görlitz]] are within Silesia's borders.
Silesia's borders and national affiliation have changed over time, both when it was a hereditary possession of [[feudalism|noble houses]] and after the rise of modern [[nation-states]], resulting in an abundance of [[List of castles in Poland|castles]], especially in the [[List of castles and palaces in Jelenia Góra valley|Jelenia Góra valley]]. The first known states to hold power in Silesia were probably those of [[Greater Moravia]] at the end of the 9th century and [[Duchy of Bohemia|Bohemia]] early in the 10th century. In the 10th century, Silesia was incorporated into the early Polish state, and after its fragmentation in the 12th century it formed the [[Duchy of Silesia]], a provincial duchy of Poland. As a result of further fragmentation, Silesia was divided into many [[Duchies of Silesia|duchies]], ruled by various lines of the Polish [[Piast dynasty]]. In the 14th century, it became a constituent part of the [[Lands of the Bohemian Crown|Bohemian Crown Lands]] under the [[Holy Roman Empire]], which passed to the Austrian [[Habsburg monarchy]] in 1526; however, a number of duchies remained under the rule of Polish dukes from the houses of Piast, [[Jagiellonian dynasty|Jagiellon]] and [[House of Sobieski|Sobieski]] as formal [[Bohemia|Bohemian]] fiefdoms, some until the 17th–18th centuries. As a result of the [[Silesian Wars]], the region was annexed by the German state of [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] from [[Archduchy of Austria|Austria]] in 1742.
After [[World War I]], when the Poles and Czechs regained their independence, the easternmost part of Upper Silesia became again part of Poland by the decision of the [[Triple Entente|Entente Powers]] after [[Silesian Uprisings|insurrections by Poles]] and the [[Upper Silesian plebiscite]], while the [[Austrian Silesia|remaining former Austrian parts of Silesia]] were divided between [[Czechoslovakia]] and Poland. During [[World War II]], as a result of German occupation the entire region was under control of [[Nazi Germany]]. In 1945, after [[World War II]], most of the German-held Silesia was transferred to Polish jurisdiction by the [[Potsdam Agreement]] between the victorious [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] and became again part of Poland, although with a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]-installed [[Polish People's Republic|communist regime]]. The small [[Lusatia]]n strip west of the [[Oder–Neisse line]], which had belonged to Silesia since 1815, became part of [[East Germany]].
As the result of the [[Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950)|forced population shifts]] of 1945–48, today's inhabitants of Silesia speak the national languages of their respective countries. Previously German-speaking [[Lower Silesia]] had developed a new mixed Polish dialect and novel [[National costumes of Poland|costumes]]. There is ongoing debate about whether the [[Silesian language]], common in Upper Silesia, should be considered a dialect of [[Polish language|Polish]] or a separate language. The [[Lower Silesian language|Lower Silesian German dialect]] is nearing extinction due to its speakers' expulsion.
==Etymology==
[[File:Krainy-historyczne-Polski.png|thumb|left|Silesia (''Śląsk'') and other historical lands of Poland against the background of modern administrative borders (names in Polish)]]
The names of Silesia in different languages most likely share their etymology—{{langx|pl|Śląsk}} {{IPA|pl|ɕlɔ̃sk||Pl-Śląsk.ogg}}; {{langx|de|Schlesien}} {{IPA|de|ˈʃleːzi̯ən||De-Schlesien.oga}}; {{langx|cs|Slezsko}} {{IPA|cs|ˈslɛsko|}}; {{langx|sli|Schläsing}}; {{langx|szl|Ślōnsk}} {{IPA|szl|ɕlonsk|}}; {{langx|dsb|Šlazyńska}} {{IPA|dsb|ˈʃlazɨnʲska|}}; {{langx|hsb|Šleska}} {{IPA|hsb|ˈʃlɛska|}}; {{langx|sk|Sliezsko}}; {{langx|csb|Sląsk}}; [[Latin]], Spanish and English: ''Silesia''; {{langx|fr|link=no|Silésie}}; {{langx|nl|Silezië}}; {{langx|it|Slesia}}. The names all relate to the name of a river (now [[Ślęza]]) and mountain ([[Mount Ślęża]]) in mid-southern Silesia, which served as a place of cult for pagans before [[Christianization]].
''Ślęża'' is listed as one of the numerous [[Pre-Indo-European languages|Pre-Indo-European]] topographic names in the region (see [[old European hydronymy]]).<ref>Zbigniew Babik, "Najstarsza warstwa nazewnicza na ziemiach polskich w granicach średniowiecznej Słowiańszczyzny", Uniwersitas, Kraków, 2001.</ref> According to some [[Polish language|Polonists]], the name ''Ślęża'' {{IPA|pl|ˈɕlɛ̃ʐa|}} or ''Ślęż'' {{IPA|pl|ɕlɛ̃ʂ|}} is directly related to the Old Polish words ''ślęg'' {{IPA|pl|ɕlɛŋk|}} or ''śląg'' {{IPA|pl|ɕlɔŋk|}}, which means dampness, moisture, or humidity.<ref>Rudolf Fischer. Onomastica slavogermanica. Uniwersytet Wrocławski. 2007. t. XXVI. 2007. str. 83</ref> They disagree with the hypothesis of an origin for the name ''Śląsk'' from the name of the [[Silingi|Silings]] tribe, an etymology preferred by some German authors.<ref name='RGA'>{{cite encyclopedia |editor1=Jankuhn, Herbert |editor2=Beck, Heinrich | encyclopedia = [[Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde]] | title = Wandalen | language = de | edition = 2nd | year = 2006 | publisher = de Gruyter | volume = 33 | location = Berlin, Germany; New York City | quote = Da die Silingen offensichtlich ihren Namen im mittelalterlichen pagus silensis und dem mons slenz – möglicherweise mit dem Zobten gleichzusetzen [...] – hinterließen und damit einer ganzen Landschaft – Schlesien – den Namen gaben [...]|display-editors=etal}}
</ref>
In Polish common usage, "Śląsk" refers to traditionally Polish Upper Silesia and today's [[Silesian Voivodeship]], but less to Lower Silesia, which is different from Upper Silesia in many respects as its population was predominantly German-speaking from around the mid 19th century until 1945–48.<ref>{{cite book|publisher= C.H.Beck|title=Deutsche und Polen: Geschichte, Kultur, Politik|author=Andreas Lawaty, Hubert Orłowski|year= 2003|page=183|language=de}}</ref>
==History==
{{Main|History of Silesia}}
In the fourth century BC from the south, through the [[Kłodzko Valley]], the [[Celts]] entered Silesia, and settled around [[Mount Ślęża]] near modern [[Wrocław]], [[Oława]] and [[Strzelin]].<ref>R. Żerelik(in:) M. Czpliński (red.) Historia Śląska, Wrocław 2007, pp. 34–35</ref>
[[File:Polska 1102 - 1138.png|left|thumb|Poland with Silesia (''Śląsk'') during the rule of [[Bolesław III Wrymouth]], 1102-1138]]
[[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] [[Lugii]] tribes were first recorded within Silesia in the 1st century BC. [[West Slavs]] and [[Lechites]] arrived in the region around the 7th century,<ref>R. Żerelik(in:) M. Czpliński (red.) Historia Śląska, Wrocław 2007, pp. 37–38</ref> and by the early ninth century, their settlements had stabilized. Local West Slavs started to erect boundary structures like the [[Silesian Przesieka]] and the [[Silesia Walls]]. The eastern border of [[Silesian tribes|Silesian]] settlement was situated to the west of the [[Bytom]], and east from [[Racibórz]] and [[Cieszyn]]. East of this line dwelt a closely related Lechitic tribe, the [[Vistulans]]. Their northern border was in the valley of the [[Barycz (river)|Barycz]] River, north of which lived the [[Polans (western)|Western Polans]] tribe who gave [[Name of Poland|Poland its name]].<ref name="M. Czpliński 2007">R. Żerelik(in:) M. Czpliński (red.) Historia Śląska, Wrocław 2007, pp. 21–22</ref>
The first known states in Silesia were [[Greater Moravia]] and [[Duchy of Bohemia|Bohemia]]. In the 10th century, the Polish ruler [[Mieszko I]] of the [[Piast dynasty]] incorporated Silesia into the newly established [[Duchy of Poland (c. 960–1025)|Polish state]]. In 1000, the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wrocław|Diocese of Wrocław]] was established as the oldest [[Catholic]] diocese in the region, and one of the oldest dioceses in Poland, subjugated to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gniezno]]. Poland repulsed German invasions of Silesia in 1017 at [[Siege of Niemcza|Niemcza]] and in 1109 at [[Siege of Głogów|Głogów]]. During the [[History of Poland during the Piast dynasty|Fragmentation of Poland]], Silesia and the rest of the country were divided into [[Duchies of Silesia|many smaller duchies]] ruled by various [[Dukes of Silesia|Silesian dukes]]. In 1178, parts of the [[Duchy of Kraków]] around Bytom, [[Oświęcim]], [[Chrzanów]], and [[Siewierz]] were transferred to the Silesian Piasts, although their population was primarily Vistulan and not of Silesian descent.<ref name="M. Czpliński 2007"/>
[[Walloons]] came to Silesia as one of the first foreign immigrant groups in [[Poland]], probably settling in Wrocław since the 12th century, with further Walloon immigrants invited by Duke [[Henry the Bearded]] in the early 13th century.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Zientara|first=Benedykt|year=1975|title=Walonowie na Śląsku w XII i XIII wieku|magazine=Przegląd Historyczny|language=pl|issue=66/3|pages=353, 357}}</ref> Since the 13th century, [[Germanization|German cultural and ethnic influence]] increased as a result of [[Ostsiedlung|immigration from German-speaking states]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]].
[[File:Silesia 1172-1177.jpg|thumb|Silesia in the early period of [[Piast Poland#Fragmentation and Invasion, (1146-1295)|Poland's fragmentation]], 1172–1177, Lower Silesia with [[Lubusz Land]] in orange, Upper Silesia in green and yellow]]
The first granting of [[town privileges|municipal privileges]] in Poland took place in the region, with the granting of rights for [[Złotoryja]] by Henry the Bearded. Medieval municipal rights modeled after [[Lwówek Śląski]] and [[Środa Śląska]], both established by Henry the Bearded, became the basis of municipal form of government for several cities and towns in Poland, and two of five local Polish variants of medieval town rights. The [[Book of Henryków]], which contains the earliest known sentence written in the Polish language, as well as a document which contains the oldest printed text in Polish, were created in [[Henryków, Lower Silesian Voivodeship|Henryków]] and Wrocław in Silesia, respectively.
In 1241, the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]] conducted their [[First Mongol invasion of Poland|first invasion of Poland]], causing widespread panic and mass flight. They looted much of the region and defeated the combined Polish, Moravian and German forces led by Duke [[Henry II the Pious]] at the [[Battle of Legnica]], which took place at [[Legnickie Pole]] near the city of [[Legnica]]. Upon the death of [[Orda Khan]], the Mongols chose not to press forward further into Europe, but returned east to participate in the election of a new Grand Khan (leader).
Between 1289 and 1292, Bohemian king [[Wenceslaus II]] became ''[[suzerain]]'' of some of the [[Upper Silesia]]n duchies. Polish monarchs had not renounced their hereditary rights to Silesia until 1335.<ref>R. Żerelik(in:) M. Czpliński (red.) Historia Śląska, Wrocław 2007, p. 81</ref> The province became part of the [[Lands of the Bohemian Crown|Bohemian Crown]] which was part of the Holy Roman Empire; however, a number of duchies remained under the rule of the Polish dukes from the houses of Piast, [[Jagiellonian dynasty|Jagiellon]] and [[House of Sobieski|Sobieski]] as formal Bohemian [[fief]]doms, some until the 17th–18th centuries. In 1469, sovereignty over the region passed to [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]], and in 1490, it returned to Bohemia. In 1526 Silesia passed with the Bohemian Crown to the [[Habsburg monarchy]].
In the 15th century, several changes were made to Silesia's borders. Parts of the territories that had been transferred to the Silesian Piasts in 1178 were bought by the [[Monarchs of Poland|Polish kings]] in the second half of the 15th century (the [[Duchy of Oświęcim]] in 1457; the [[Duchy of Zator]] in 1494). The Bytom area remained in the possession of the Silesian Piasts, though it was a part of the [[Diocese of Kraków]].<ref name="M. Czpliński 2007"/> The Duchy of [[Krosno Odrzańskie]] ({{lang|de|Crossen}}) was inherited by the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]] in 1476 and with the renunciation of King [[Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand I]] and the estates of Bohemia in 1538, became an integral part of Brandenburg. From 1645 until 1666, the [[Duchy of Opole and Racibórz]] was held in pawn by the Polish [[House of Vasa]] as dowry of the Polish queen [[Cecilia Renata of Austria|Cecylia Renata]].
[[File:Crown of Bohemia 1648.png|thumb|[[Lands of the Bohemian Crown]] between 1635 and 1742, before most of Silesia was ceded to [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]]]]
In 1742, most of Silesia was seized by King [[Frederick II of Prussia]] in the [[War of the Austrian Succession]], eventually becoming the Prussian [[Province of Silesia]] in 1815; consequently, Silesia became part of the [[German Empire]] when it was proclaimed in 1871. The Silesian capital Breslau became at that time one of the big cities in Germany. Breslau was a center of Jewish life in Germany and an important place of science (university) and industry (manufacturing of locomotives). German mass tourism started in the Silesian mountain region (Hirschberg, Schneekoppe).
After World War I, a part of Silesia, [[Upper Silesia]], was contested by Germany and the newly independent [[Second Polish Republic]]. The [[League of Nations]] organized a [[Upper Silesia plebiscite|plebiscite]] to decide the issue in 1921. It resulted in 60% of votes being cast for Germany and 40% for Poland.<ref>[http://www.gonschior.de/weimar/Preussen/Oberschlesien/Volksentscheide.html gonschior.de] (in German)</ref> Following the third [[Silesian uprising]] (1921), however, the easternmost portion of Upper Silesia (including Katowice), with a majority ethnic Polish population, was awarded to Poland, becoming the [[Silesian Voivodeship (1920–1939)|Silesian Voivodeship]]. The Prussian Province of Silesia within Germany was then divided into the provinces of [[Province of Lower Silesia|Lower Silesia]] and [[Province of Upper Silesia|Upper Silesia]]. Meanwhile, [[Austrian Silesia]], the small portion of Silesia retained by Austria after the [[Silesian Wars]], was mostly awarded to the new Czechoslovakia (becoming known as Czech Silesia and [[Trans-Olza]]), although most of [[Cieszyn]] and territory to the east of it went to Poland.
[[File:Wrocław Rynek 18 sm.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Typical [[Silesian architecture|Silesian baroque]] architecture in [[Wrocław]]]]
Polish Silesia was among the first regions invaded during Germany's 1939 [[invasion of Poland|attack on Poland]], which started [[World War II]]. One of the claimed goals of [[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|Nazi German occupation]], particularly in Upper Silesia, was the extermination of those whom Nazis viewed as "[[Untermensch|subhuman]]", namely Jews and ethnic Poles. The Polish and Jewish population of the then Polish part of Silesia was subjected to genocide involving [[Expulsion of Poles by Nazi Germany|expulsions]], mass murder and deportation to [[Nazi concentration camps]] and [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] camps, while Germans were settled in pursuit of {{lang|de|[[Lebensraum]]}}.<ref>Piotr Eberhardt, Political Migrations in Poland, 1939–1948, Warsaw 2006, p.25</ref> Two thousand Polish intellectuals, politicians, and businessmen were murdered in the {{lang|de|[[Intelligenzaktion|Intelligenzaktion Schlesien]]}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Wardzyńska|first=Maria|year=2009|title=Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=[[Institute of National Remembrance|IPN]]}}</ref> in 1940 as part of a [[Germanisation in Poland (1939–1945)|Poland-wide Germanization program]]. Silesia also housed one of the two main wartime centers where medical experiments were conducted on [[Kidnapping of children by Nazi Germany|kidnapped Polish children]] by Nazis.<ref>Kamila Uzarczyk: Podstawy ideologiczne higieny ras. Toruń: Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek, 2002, pp. 285, 286, 289. {{ISBN|83-7322-287-1}}.</ref> Czech Silesia was [[German occupation of Czechoslovakia|occupied by Germany]] as part of so-called [[Sudetenland]]. In Silesia, [[Nazi Germany]] operated the [[Gross-Rosen concentration camp]], several [[German prisoner-of-war camps in World War II|prisoner-of-war camps]] for [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] POWs (incl. the major [[Stalag VIII-A]], [[Stalag VIII-B]], [[Stalag VIII-C]] camps), numerous Nazi prisons and thousands of [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] camps, including a network of forced labour camps solely for Poles ({{lang|de|[[Polenlager]]}}), [[Subcamp (SS)|subcamps]] of prisons, POW camps and of the Gross-Rosen and [[Auschwitz concentration camp|Auschwitz]] concentration camps.
The [[Potsdam Conference]] of 1945 defined the [[Oder-Neisse line]] as the border between Germany and Poland, pending a final peace conference with Germany which eventually never took place.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Politics Today Companion to West European Politics|author=Geoffrey K. Roberts, Patricia Hogwood|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2013|page=50|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q40tDwAAQBAJ|isbn=9781847790323}}; {{cite book|title=The United States and Poland|author=Piotr Stefan Wandycz|publisher=Harvard University Press|year= 1980|page=303|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_XaFaNshCrkC|isbn=9780674926851}}; {{cite book|title=The Oder-Neisse Line: a reappraisal under internaromtional law|author=Phillip A. Bühler|series=East European Monographs|year= 1990|page=33|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=riBpAAAAMAAJ|isbn=9780880331746}}</ref> At the end of WWII, Germans in Silesia fled from the battle ground, assuming they would be able to return when the war was over. However, they could not return, and those who had stayed were expelled and a new Polish population, including people displaced from [[Territories of Poland annexed by the Soviet Union|former Eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union]] and from Central Poland, joined the surviving native Polish inhabitants of the region. After 1945 and in 1946, nearly all of the 4.5&nbsp;million Silesians of German descent fled, or were interned in camps and expelled, including some thousand German Jews who survived the Holocaust and had returned to Silesia.
The newly formed [[Polish United Workers' Party]] created a [[Recovered Territories|Ministry of the Recovered Territories]] that claimed half of the available arable land for state-run collectivized farms. Many of the new Polish Silesians who resented the Germans for their invasion in 1939 and brutality in occupation now resented the newly formed Polish communist government for their population shifting and interference in agricultural and industrial affairs.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lukowski, Zawadski|first=Jerzy, Hubert|title=A Concise History of Poland|year=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge, UK|isbn=978-0-521-61857-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof00luko/page/278 278–280]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof00luko/page/278}}</ref>
The administrative division of Silesia within Poland has changed several times since 1945. Since 1999, it has been divided between [[Lubusz Voivodeship]], [[Lower Silesian Voivodeship]], [[Opole Voivodeship]], and [[Silesian Voivodeship]]. Czech Silesia is now part of the Czech Republic, forming part of the [[Moravian-Silesian Region]] and the northern part of the [[Olomouc Region]]. Germany retains the Silesia-Lusatia region ({{lang|de|Niederschlesien-Oberlausitz}} or {{lang|de|Schlesische Oberlausitz}}) west of the [[Lusatian Neisse|Neisse]], which is part of the federal state of [[Saxony]].
The region was affected by the [[1997 Central European flood|1997]], [[2010 Central European floods|2010]] and [[2024 Central European floods|2024]] Central European floods.
==Geography==
[[File:Landkarte von Schlesien.jpg|thumb|First map of Silesia by [[Martin Helwig]], 1561; north at the bottom]]
Most of Silesia is relatively flat, although its southern border is generally mountainous. It is primarily located in a swath running along both banks of the upper and middle [[Oder River|Oder (Odra)]] River, but it extends eastwards to the upper [[Vistula]] River. The region also includes many tributaries of the Oder, including the [[Bóbr]] (and its tributary the [[Kwisa]]), the [[Barycz (river)|Barycz]] and the [[Nysa Kłodzka]]. The [[Sudeten Mountains]] run along most of the southern edge of the region, though at its south-eastern extreme it reaches the [[Silesian Beskids]] and [[Moravian-Silesian Beskids]], which belong to the [[Carpathian Mountains]] range.
Historically, Silesia was bounded to the west by the [[Kwisa]] and [[Bóbr]] Rivers, while the territory west of the Kwisa was in Upper [[Lusatia]] (earlier ''Milsko''). However, because part of Upper Lusatia was included in the [[Province of Silesia]] in 1815, in Germany [[Görlitz]], [[Niederschlesischer Oberlausitzkreis]] and neighbouring areas are considered parts of historical Silesia. Those districts, along with Poland's Lower Silesian Voivodeship and parts of Lubusz Voivodeship, make up the geographic region of Lower Silesia.
Silesia has undergone a similar notional extension at its eastern extreme. Historically, it extended only as far as the [[Brynica]] River, which separates it from [[Zagłębie Dąbrowskie]] in the [[Lesser Poland]] region. However, to many Poles today, Silesia ({{lang|pl|Śląsk}}) is understood to cover all of the area around Katowice, including Zagłębie. This interpretation is given official sanction in the use of the name Silesian Voivodeship ({{lang|pl|województwo śląskie}}) for the province covering this area. In fact, the word {{lang|pl|Śląsk}} in Polish (when used without qualification) now commonly refers exclusively to this area (also called {{lang|pl|Górny Śląsk}} or Upper Silesia).
As well as the Katowice area, historical Upper Silesia also includes the [[Opole]] region (Poland's Opole Voivodeship) and Czech Silesia. Czech Silesia consists of a part of the [[Moravian-Silesian Region]] and the [[Jeseník District]] in the [[Olomouc Region]].
===Natural resources===
Silesia is a resource-rich and populous region. Since the middle of the 18th century, coal has been mined. The industry had grown while Silesia was part of Germany, and peaked in the 1970s under the [[History of Poland (1945–1989)|People's Republic of Poland]]. During this period, Silesia became one of the world's largest producers of coal, with a record tonnage in 1979.<ref name="en.poland.gov.pl">{{cite web|url=http://en.poland.gov.pl/Natural,Resources,310.html |title=Natural Resources &#124; poland.gov.pl |publisher=En.poland.gov.pl |access-date=19 November 2013}}</ref> Coal mining declined during the next two decades, but has increased again following the end of Communist rule.
[[File:KWK Bolesław Śmiały 01.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Bolesław Śmiały Coal Mine]], [[Łaziska Górne]]]]
The 41 coal mines in Silesia are mostly part of the [[Upper Silesian Coal Basin]], which lies in the Silesian Upland. The coalfield has an area of about {{Convert|4,500|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}.<ref name="en.poland.gov.pl"/> Deposits in Lower Silesia have proven to be difficult to exploit and the area's unprofitable mines were closed in 2000.<ref name="en.poland.gov.pl"/> In 2008, an estimated 35&nbsp;billion tonnes of [[lignite]] reserves were found near Legnica, making them some of the largest in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazetawyborcza.pl/1,82244,4820533.html |title=Mamy największe złoża węgla brunatnego na świecie |language=pl |publisher=Gazetawyborcza.pl |access-date=20 November 2013}}</ref>
From the fourth century BC, iron ore has been mined in the upland areas of Silesia.<ref name="en.poland.gov.pl"/> The same period had lead, copper, silver, and gold mining. Zinc, cadmium, arsenic,<ref>S.Z. Mikulski, "Late-Hercynian gold-bearing arsenic-polymetallic mineralization within Saxothuringian zone in the Polish Sudetes, Northeast Bohemian Massif". In: "Mineral Deposit at the Beginning of the 21st Century", A. Piestrzyński et al. (eds). Swets & Zeitinger Publishers [https://books.google.com/books?id=DcUk9rlWHuEC&pg=PA787&lpg=PA787 (Google books)]</ref> and [[uranium]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/index.html?http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/439-440/poland.html |title=Wise International &#124; World Information Service on Energy |publisher=0.antenna.nl |access-date=20 November 2013 |archive-date=10 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010053346/http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/index.html?http%3A%2F%2Fwww10.antenna.nl%2Fwise%2F439-440%2Fpoland.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> have also been mined in the region. Lower Silesia features large copper mining and processing between the cities of [[Legnica]], [[Głogów]], [[Lubin]], and [[Polkowice]]. In the Middle Ages, gold ({{langx|pl|link=no|złoto}}) and silver ({{langx|pl|link=no|srebro}}) were mined in the region, which is reflected in the names of the former mining towns of [[Złotoryja]], [[Złoty Stok]] and [[Srebrna Góra, Lower Silesian Voivodeship|Srebrna Góra]].
The region is known for stone quarrying to produce limestone, [[marl]], marble, and basalt.<ref name="en.poland.gov.pl"/>
{{Table alignment}}
{|class="wikitable col2right"
|+'''Annual production of minerals in Silesia'''
|-
!Mineral Name
!Production (tonnes)
!Reference
|-
|Bituminous coal
|95,000,000
|
|-
|Copper
|571,000
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/en/commodities/minerals/copper/copper_t21.html |title=Copper: World Smelter Production, By Country |publisher=Indexmundi.com |date=28 July 2011 |access-date=20 November 2013}}</ref>
|-
|Zinc
|160,000
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/en/commodities/minerals/zinc/zinc_table18.html |title=Zinc: World Smelter Production, By Country |publisher=Indexmundi.com |date=1 July 2004 |access-date=20 November 2013}}</ref>
|-
|Silver
|1,200
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/en/commodities/minerals/silver/silver_table08.html |title=Silver: World Mine Production, By Country |publisher=Indexmundi.com |date=13 August 2004 |access-date=20 November 2013}}</ref>
|-
|Cadmium
|500
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/en/commodities/minerals/cadmium/cadmium_t5.html |title=Cadmium: World Refinery Production, By Country |publisher=Indexmundi.com |date=18 May 2012 |access-date=20 November 2013}}</ref>
|-
|Lead
|70,000
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/en/commodities/minerals/lead/lead_t16.html |title=Lead: World Refinery Production, By Country |publisher=Indexmundi.com |date=24 June 2005 |access-date=20 November 2013}}</ref>
|}
The region also has a thriving agricultural sector, which produces cereals (wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn), potatoes, rapeseed, sugar beets and others. Milk production is well developed. The Opole Silesia has for decades occupied the top spot in Poland for their indices of effectiveness of agricultural land use.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://umwo.opole.pl/serwis/index.php?id=2009 |title=Samorząd Województwa Opolskiego |publisher=Umwo.opole.pl |access-date=20 November 2013}}</ref>
Mountainous parts of southern Silesia feature many significant and attractive tourism destinations (e.g., [[Karpacz]], [[Szczyrk]], [[Wisła]]). Silesia is generally well forested. This is because greenness is generally highly desirable by the local population, particularly in the highly industrialized parts of Silesia.
===Demographics===
Silesia has been historically diverse in every aspect. Nowadays, the largest part of Silesia is located in Poland; it is often cited as one of the most diverse regions in that country.
The United States Immigration Commission, in its ''Dictionary of Races or Peoples'' (published in 1911, during a period of intense immigration from Silesia to the United States), considered Silesian as a geographical (not ethnic) term, denoting the inhabitants of Silesia. It is also mentioned the existence of both Polish Silesian and German Silesian dialects in that region.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/dictionaryofrace00unitrich#page/128/mode/1up/search/Silesian|title=Dictionary of Races or Peoples|last1=Dillingham|first1=William Paul|last2=Folkmar|first2=Daniel|last3=Folkmar|first3=Elnora|publisher=Washington, Government Printing Office|year=1911|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=128}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/dictionaryofrace00unitrich#page/105/mode/1up|title=Dictionary of Races or Peoples|last1=Dillingham|first1=William Paul|last2=Folkmar|first2=Daniel|last3=Folkmar|first3=Elnora|publisher=Washington, Government Printing Office|others=United States. Immigration Commission (1907–1910)|year=1911|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=105, 128}}</ref>
[[File:Polskie-nazwy śląskich miejscowosci z patentu Fryderyka II 1750.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Polish names of Silesian cities, from a 1750 Prussian official document published in [[Berlin]] during the [[Silesian Wars]]<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.sbc.org.pl/dlibra/doccontent?id=26222&from=FBC |title=Śląska Biblioteka Cyfrowa – biblioteka cyfrowa regionu śląskiego – Wznowione powszechne taxae-stolae sporządzenie, Dla samowładnego Xięstwa Sląska, Podług ktorego tak Auszpurskiey Konfessyi iak Katoliccy Fararze, Kaznodzieie i Kuratusowie Zachowywać się powinni. Sub Dato z Berlina, d. 8. Augusti 1750 |journal=225240 IV |publisher=Sbc.org.pl |access-date=20 November 2013}}</ref>]]
====Ethnicity====
Modern Silesia is inhabited by [[Polish people|Poles]], [[Silesians]], [[ethnic Germans|Germans]], and [[Czechs]]. Germans first came to Silesia during the [[Late Middle Ages|Late Medieval]] [[Ostsiedlung]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_CqpCAAAAIAAJ|title=Die Verbreitung und die Herkunft der Deutschen in Schlesien|last=Weinhold|first=Karl|publisher=J. Engelhorn|year=1887|location=Stuttgart|language=de|trans-title=The Spread and the Origin of Germans in Silesia}}</ref> The last Polish census of 2011 showed that the Silesians are the largest ethnic or national minority in Poland, Germans being the second; both groups are located mostly in Upper Silesia. The Czech part of Silesia is inhabited by Czechs, [[Moravians (ethnic group)|Moravians]], Silesians, and [[Polish minority in the Czech Republic|Poles]].
In the early 19th century the population of the [[Province of Silesia|Prussian part of Silesia]] was between 2/3 and 3/4 German-speaking, between 1/5 and 1/3 Polish-speaking, with [[Sorbs]], [[Czechs]], [[Moravians]] and Jews forming other smaller minorities (see Table 1. below).
Before the Second World War, Silesia was inhabited mostly by Germans, with Poles a large minority, forming a majority in [[Upper Silesia]].<ref name="Gumpert">{{cite book|title=Polen, Deutschland|author=Jobst Gumpert|publisher=Callwey |year= 1966|pages=138|language = de}}</ref> Silesia was also the home of Czech and Jewish minorities. The German population tended to be based in the urban centres and in the rural areas to the north and west, whilst the Polish population was mostly rural and could be found in the east and in the south.<ref>Hunt Tooley, T (1997). ''National Identity and Weimar Germany: Upper Silesia and the Eastern Border, 1918–1922,'' University of Nebraska Press, p.17.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Table 1. Ethno-linguistic structure of [[Province of Silesia|Prussian Silesia]] in years 1787–1823
!Ethnic group
!acc. G. Hassel in 1819<ref name="Georg Hassel"/>
!'''%'''
!acc. S. Plater in 1823<ref>{{Cite book|title=Jeografia wschodniey części Europy czyli opis krajów przez wielorakie narody sławiańskie zamieszkanych obeymujący Prussy, Xięztwo Poznańskie, Szląsk Pruski, Gallicyą, Rzeczpospolitę Krakowską, Królestwo Polskie i Litwę.|last=Plater|first=Stanisław|publisher=Wilhelm Bogumił Korn|year=1825|location=Wrocław|pages=60|language=pl}}</ref>
!'''%'''
!acc. T. Ładogórski in 1787<ref>{{Cite book|title=Ludność, in: Historia Śląska, vol. II: 1763–1850, part 1: 1763–1806|last=Ładogórski|first=Tadeusz|publisher=edited by W. Długoborski|year=1966|location=Wrocław|pages=150|language=pl}}</ref>
!'''%'''
|-
|'''Germans'''
|1,561,570
|'''75.6'''
|1,550,000
|'''70.5'''
|1,303,300
|'''74.6'''
|-
|'''Poles'''
|444,000
|'''21.5'''
|600,000
|'''27.3'''
|401,900
|'''23.0'''
|-
|'''Sorbs'''
|24,500
|'''1.2'''
|30,000
|'''1.4'''
|900
|'''0.1'''
|-
|'''Czechs'''
|5,500
|'''0.3'''
|
|
|32,600
|'''1.9'''
|-
|'''Moravians'''
|12,000
|'''0.6'''
|
|
|
|
|-
|'''Jews'''
|16,916
|'''0.8'''
|20,000
|'''0.9'''
|8,900
|'''0.5'''
|-
|'''Population'''
|'''c. 2.1&nbsp;million'''
|'''100'''
|'''c. 2.2&nbsp;million'''
|'''100'''
|'''c. 1.8&nbsp;million'''
|'''100'''
|}
Ethnic structure of Prussian [[Upper Silesia]] ([[Opole]] regency) during the 19th century and the early 20th century can be found in Table 2.:
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
!! colspan="18" | Table 2. Numbers of Polish, German and other inhabitants (Regierungsbezirk Oppeln)<ref name="Georg Hassel">{{cite book |author=Georg Hassel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=31DMAJgQV28C&pg=PA34 |title=Statistischer Umriß der sämmtlichen europäischen und der vornehmsten außereuropäischen Staaten, in Hinsicht ihrer Entwickelung, Größe, Volksmenge, Finanz- und Militärverfassung, tabellarisch dargestellt; Erster Heft: Welcher die beiden großen Mächte Österreich und Preußen und den Deutschen Staatenbund darstellt |publisher=Verlag des Geographischen Instituts Weimar |year=1823 |pages=33–34 |language=de |quote=}}</ref><ref name="Paul Weber1">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/diepoleninobersc00webeuoft|title=Die Polen in Oberschlesien: eine statistische Untersuchung|author=Paul Weber|publisher=Verlagsbuchhandlung von Julius Springer|year=1913|location=Berlin|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kalisch|first1=Johannes|last2=Bochinski|first2=Hans|date=1958|title=Stosunki narodowościowe na Śląsku w świetle relacji pruskich urzędników z roku 1882|url=http://sobotka.uni.wroc.pl/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Sobotka_13_1958_43-58.pdf|journal=Śląski Kwartalnik Historyczny Sobótka|location=Leipzig|volume=13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200201215644/http://sobotka.uni.wroc.pl/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Sobotka_13_1958_43-58.pdf|archive-date=1 February 2020}}</ref>
|-
!Year
!1819
!1831
!1834
!1837
!1840
!1843
!1846
!1852
!1855
!1858
!1861
!1867
!1890
!1900
!1905
!1910
|-
| '''''Polish'''''
|377,100
'''(67.2%)'''
| 418,837
'''(62.0%)'''
|468,691
'''(62.6%)'''
| 495,362
'''(62.1%)'''
| 525,395
'''(58.6%)'''
| 540,402
'''(58.1%)'''
| 568,582
'''(58.1%)'''
| 584,293
'''(58.6%)'''
|590,248
'''(58.7%)'''
| 612,849
'''(57.3%)'''
| 665,865
'''(59.1%)'''
| 742,153
'''(59.8%)'''
| 918,728 '''(58.2%)'''
| 1,048,230 '''(56.1%)'''
| 1,158,805 '''(57.0%)'''
| Census, monolingual Polish: '''1,169,340''' '''(53.0%)'''<ref name="Paul Weber2">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/diepoleninobersc00webeuoft|title=Die Polen in Oberschlesien: eine statistische Untersuchung|author=Paul Weber|publisher=Verlagsbuchhandlung von Julius Springer|year=1913|location=Berlin|page=27|language=de}}</ref>
'''or up to''' '''1,560,000''' together with bilinguals
|-
| '''''German'''''
|162,600
'''(29.0%)'''
| 257,852
'''(36.1%)'''
|266,399
'''(35.6%)'''
| 290,168
'''(36.3%)'''
| 330,099
'''(36.8%)'''
| 348,094
'''(37.4%)'''
| 364,175
'''(37.2%)'''
| 363,990
'''(36.5%)'''
|366,562
'''(36.5%)'''
| 406,950
'''(38.1%)'''
| 409,218
'''(36.3%)'''
| 457,545
'''(36.8%)'''
| 566,523 '''(35.9%)'''
| 684,397 '''(36.6%)'''
| 757,200 '''(37.2%)'''
|'''884,045''' '''(40.0%)'''
|-
|'''''Other'''''
|21,503
'''(3.8%)'''
|13,254
'''(1.9%)'''
|13,120
'''(1.8%)'''
|12,679
'''(1.6%)'''
|41,570
'''(4.6%)'''
|42,292
'''(4.5%)'''
|45,736
'''(4.7%)'''
|49,445
'''(4.9%)'''
|48,270
'''(4.8%)'''
|49,037
'''(4.6%)'''
|51,187
'''(4.6%)'''
|41,611
'''(3.4%)'''
|92,480
'''(5.9%)'''
|135,519
'''(7.3%)'''
|117,651
'''(5.8%)'''
|Total population: 2,207,981
|}
The [[Austrian Silesia|Austrian part of Silesia]] had a mixed German, Polish and Czech population, with Polish-speakers forming a majority in [[Cieszyn Silesia]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Geschichte des deutsch-slawischen Sprachkontaktes im Teschener Schlesien|last=Chromik|first=Grzegorz|isbn=978-3-88246-398-9|pages=258–322|language=de}}</ref>
====Religion====
[[File:Verbreitung der Konfessionen im deutschen Reich.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Confessions in the German Empire (Protestant/Catholic; c. 1890). Lower Silesia was mostly Protestant, while Glatz ([[Kłodzko]]) and Upper Silesia were mostly Catholic.]]
Historically, Silesia was about equally split between [[Protestants]] (overwhelmingly [[Lutherans]]) and [[Roman Catholics]]. In an 1890 census taken in the German part, Roman Catholics made up a slight majority of 53%, while the remaining 47% were almost entirely Lutheran.<ref>Meyers Konversationslexikon 5. Auflage</ref> Geographically speaking, Lower Silesia was mostly Lutheran except for the [[Kłodzko Land|Glatzer Land]] (now [[Kłodzko County]]). Upper Silesia was mostly Roman Catholic except for some of its northwestern parts, which were predominantly Lutheran. Generally speaking, the population was mostly Protestant in the western parts, and it tended to be more Roman Catholic the further east one went. In Upper Silesia, Protestants were concentrated in larger cities and often identified as German. After World War II, the religious demographics changed drastically as Germans, who constituted the bulk of the Protestant population, [[Flight and expulsion of Germans|were forcibly expelled]]. Poles, who were mostly Roman Catholic, were resettled in their place. Today, Silesia remains predominantly Roman Catholic.
Existing since the 12th century,<ref>Demshuk, A (2012) The Lost German East: Forced Migration and the Politics of Memory, 1945–1970, Cambridge University Press P40</ref> Silesia's Jewish community was concentrated around Wrocław and Upper Silesia, and numbered 48,003 (1.1% of the population) in 1890, decreasing to 44,985 persons (0.9%) by 1910.<ref>Kamusella, T (2007). ''Silesia and Central European nationalisms: the emergence of national and ethnic groups in Prussian Silesia and Austrian Silesia, 1848–1918,'' Purdue University Press, p.173.</ref> In Polish East Upper Silesia, the number of Jews was around 90,000–100,000.<ref>Christopher R. Browning (2000). ''Nazi Policy, Jewish Workers, German Killers,'' Cambridge University Press, 2000, p.147.</ref> Historically, the community had suffered a number of localised expulsions such as their 1453 expulsion from [[Wrocław]].<ref>van Straten, J (2011) The Origin of Ashkenazi Jewry: The Controversy Unravelled, Walter de Gruyter P58</ref> From 1712 to 1820 a succession of men held the title Chief Rabbi of Silesia ("Landesrabbiner"): Naphtali ha-Kohen (1712–16); Samuel ben Naphtali (1716–22); Ḥayyim Jonah Te'omim (1722–1727); Baruch b. Reuben Gomperz (1733–54); Joseph Jonas Fränkel (1754–93); Jeremiah Löw Berliner (1793–99); Lewin Saul Fränkel (1800–7); [[Aaron Karfunkel]] (1807–16); and Abraham ben Gedaliah Tiktin (1816–20).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7747-hirschberg |title=Silesia |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=1906 Jewish Encyclopedia |publisher=JewishEncyclopedia.com |access-date=6 December 2017}}</ref>
====Consequences of World War II====
After the German invasion of Poland in 1939, following [[Racial policy of Nazi Germany|Nazi racial policy]], the Jewish population of Silesia was subjected to Nazi genocide with executions performed by Einsatzgruppe z. B.V. led by [[Udo von Woyrsch]] and Einsatzgruppe I led by [[Bruno Streckenbach]],<ref>Popularna encyklopedia powszechna – Volume 10 – Page 660 Magdalena Olkuśnik, Elżbieta Wójcik – 2001 Streckenbach Bruno (1902–1977), funkcjonariusz niem. państwa nazistowskiego, Gruppenfuhrer SS. Od 1933 szef policji po- lit w Hamburgu. 1939 dow. Einsatzgruppe I (odpowiedzialny za eksterminacje ludności pol. i żydowskiej na Śląsku).</ref><ref>Zagłada Żydów na polskich terenach wcielonych do Rzeszy Page 53 Aleksandra Namysło, Instytut Pamięci Narodowej—Komisja Ścigania Zbrodni przeciwko Narodowi Polskiemu – 2008
W rzeczywistości ludzie Udona von Woyr- scha podczas marszu przez województwo śląskie na wschód dopuszczali się prawdziwych masakr ludności żydowskiej.</ref> imprisonment in ghettos and ethnic cleansing to the [[General Government]]. In their efforts to exterminate the Jews through murder and ethnic cleansing Nazi established in Silesia province the Auschwitz and Gross-Rosen camps. Expulsions were carried out openly and reported in the local press.<ref name="Steinbacher, S 2004 P126">Steinbacher, S. "In the Shadow of Auschwitz, The murder of the Jews of East Upper Silesia", in Cesarani, D. (2004) ''Holocaust: From the persecution of the Jews to mass murder,'' Routledge, P126</ref> Those sent to ghettos would from 1942 be expelled to concentration and work camps.<ref name="Steinbacher, S 2004 pp.110-138">Steinbacher, S. "In the Shadow of Auschwitz, The murder of the Jews of East Upper Silesia", in Cesarani, D. (2004) ''Holocaust: From the persecution of the Jews to mass murder,'' Routledge, pp.110–138.</ref> Between 5 May and 17 June, 20,000 Silesian Jews were sent to Birkenau to gas chambers<ref>The Origins of the Final Solution: The Evolution of Nazi Jewish Policy, September 1939 – March 1942 – Page 544
Christopher R. Browning – 2007
Between 5 May and 17 June, 20,000 Silesian Jews were deported to Birkenau to be gassed.</ref> and during August 1942, 10,000 to 13,000 Silesian Jews were murdered by gassing at Auschwitz.<ref>Christopher R. Browning (2007). ''The Origins of the Final Solution: The Evolution of Nazi Jewish Policy, September 1939 – March 1942,'' University of Nebraska Press, p.544.</ref> Most Jews in Silesia were exterminated by the Nazis. After the war Silesia became a major centre for repatriation of the Jewish population in Poland which survived Nazi German extermination<ref>The International Jewish Labor Bund After 1945: Toward a Global History David Slucki, page 63</ref> and in autumn 1945, 15,000 Jews were in Lower Silesia, mostly Polish Jews returned from territories now belonging to Soviet Union,<ref>A narrow bridge to life: Jewish forced labor and survival in the Gross-Rosen camp system, 1940–1945, page 229 Belah Guṭerman</ref> rising in 1946 to seventy thousand<ref>Kochavi, AJ (2001)Post-Holocaust politics: Britain, the United States & Jewish refugees, 1945–1948, University of North Carolina Press P 176</ref> as Jewish survivors from other regions in Poland were relocated.<ref name="Kochavi, AJ 2001 p.176">Kochavi, AJ (2001). ''Post-Holocaust politics: Britain, the United States & Jewish refugees, 1945–1948,'' University of North Carolina Press, p.176.</ref>
The majority of Germans fled or were expelled from the present-day Polish and Czech parts of Silesia during and after World War II. From June 1945 to January 1947, 1.77&nbsp;million Germans were expelled from Lower Silesia, and 310,000 from Upper Silesia.<ref>DB Klusmeyer & DG Papademetriou (2009). ''Immigration policy in the Federal Republic of Germany: negotiating membership and remaking the nation,'' Berghahn, p.70.</ref> Today, most German Silesians and their descendants live in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, many of them in the [[Ruhr area]] working as miners, like their ancestors in Silesia. One of its most notable but controversial spokesmen was the [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|Christian Democratic Union]] politician [[Herbert Hupka]].
The expulsion of Germans led to widespread underpopulation. The population of the town of [[Głogów]] fell from 33,500 to 5,000, and from 1939 to 1966 the population of Wrocław fell by 25%.<ref>Scholz, A (1964). ''Silesia: yesterday and today,'' Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, p.69.</ref> Attempts to repopulate Silesia proved unsuccessful in the 1940s and 1950s,<ref>Mazower, M (1999). ''Dark Continent: Europe's 20th Century,'' Penguin, p.223.</ref> and Silesia's population did not reach pre-war levels until the late 1970s. The Polish settlers who repopulated Silesia were partly from the former Polish [[Kresy|Eastern Borderlands]], which was annexed by the [[Soviet Union]] in 1939. Wrocław was partly repopulated with refugees from the formerly Polish city of [[Lviv|Lwów]].
===Cities and towns===
The following table includes the cities and towns in Silesia with a population greater than 20,000 (2022).
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!style="width:1%;"|
!style="width:1%;"|
! Name
!style="width:6%;"| Population
!style="width:11%;"| Area
!style="width:4%;"| Country
!Administrative
!style="width:15%;"|Historic subregion
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 1 || [[File:Herb wroclaw.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Wrocław]]''' || style="text-align:center;"| 673,923 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|293|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] [[Lower Silesian Voivodeship]] || [[Lower Silesia]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 2 || [[File:Ostrava CoA CZ.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Ostrava]]'''* || style="text-align:center;"| 283,504 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|214|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|CZE}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Flag of Moravian-Silesian Region.svg|border|22px]] [[Moravian-Silesian Region]] || [[Czech Silesia]]/[[Moravia]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 3 || [[File:Katowice Herb.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Katowice]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 281,418 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|165|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] [[Silesian Voivodeship]] || [[Upper Silesia]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 4 || [[File:Gliwice herb.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Gliwice]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 171,896 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|134|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 5 || [[File:POL Bielsko-Biała COA.svg|center|48px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Bielsko-Biała]]'''*|| style="text-align:center;"| 167,509 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|125|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia/[[Lesser Poland]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 6 || [[File:POL Zabrze COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Zabrze]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 156,082 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|80|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 7 || [[File:Bytom herb.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Bytom]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 150,594 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|69|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 8 || [[File:POL Zielona Góra COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Zielona Góra]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 139,503 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|58|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo lubuskie flag.svg|border|22px]] [[Lubusz Voivodeship]] || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 9 || [[File:POL Rybnik COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Rybnik]]''' || style="text-align:center;"| 132,266 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|148|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 10 || [[File:POL Ruda Śląska COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Ruda Śląska]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 132,040 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|78|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 11 || [[File:POL Opole COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Opole]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 126,623 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|97|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo opolskie flag.svg|border|22px]] [[Opole Voivodeship]] || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 12 || [[File:POL Tychy COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Tychy]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 123,562 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|82|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 13 || [[File:Chorzów herb.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Chorzów]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 102,564 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|33|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 14 || [[File:POL Wałbrzych COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Wałbrzych]]''' || style="text-align:center;" | 102,490 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|85|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 15 || [[File:Legnica herb.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Legnica]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 93,473 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|56|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 16 || [[File:POL Jastrzębie-Zdrój COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Jastrzębie-Zdrój]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 83,477 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|85|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 17 || [[File:POL Jelenia Góra COA 1.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Jelenia Góra]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 76,174 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|109|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 18 || [[File:POL Mysłowice COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Mysłowice]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 71,849 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|66|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 19 || [[File:POL Lubin COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Lubin]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 68,775 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|41|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 20 || [[File:Havirov CoA.png|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Havířov]]''' || style="text-align:center;"| 68,245 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|32|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|CZE}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Flag of Moravian-Silesian Region.svg|border|22px]] Moravian-Silesian Region || Czech Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 21 || [[File:POL Siemianowice COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Siemianowice Śląskie]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 64,139 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|25|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 22 || [[File:POL Głogów COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Głogów]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 63,240 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|35|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 23 || [[File:POL Żory COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Żory]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 61,835 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|65|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 24 || [[File:Herb TarnowskieGory.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Tarnowskie Góry]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 61,413 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|84|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 25 || [[File:POL Piekary Śląskie COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Piekary Śląskie]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 57,148 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|40|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 26 || [[File:POL Kędzierzyn-Koźle COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Kędzierzyn-Koźle]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 55,623 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|124|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo opolskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Opole Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 27 || [[File:Wappen Goerlitz vector.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Görlitz]]'''**|| style="text-align:center;"| 55,519 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|68|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|GER}} || style="text-align:center;"|{{Flagicon|Saxony}} [[Saxony]] || <small>Historically part of [[Lusatia]], Görlitz was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1319–1329 and 1815–1945</small>
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 28 || [[File:Opava CoA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Opava]]''' || style="text-align:center;"| 55,512 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|91|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|CZE}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Flag of Moravian-Silesian Region.svg|border|22px]] Moravian-Silesian Region || Czech Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 29 || [[File:Frýdek Místek CoA CZ.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Frýdek-Místek]]'''*|| style="text-align:center;"| 54,188 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|52|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|CZE}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Flag of Moravian-Silesian Region.svg|border|22px]] Moravian-Silesian Region || Czech Silesia/Moravia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 30 || [[File:POL Świdnica COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Świdnica]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 53,797 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|22|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 31 || [[File:POL Świętochłowice COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Świętochłowice]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 51,824 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|13|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 32 || [[File:POL Racibórz COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Racibórz]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 50,419 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|75|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 33 || [[File:Karwina herb.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Karviná]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 50,172 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|58|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|CZE}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Flag of Moravian-Silesian Region.svg|border|22px]] Moravian-Silesian Region || Czech Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 34 || [[File:POL Wodzisław Śląski COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Wodzisław Śląski]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 45,316 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|50|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 35 || [[File:POL Nysa COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Nysa, Poland|Nysa]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 41,441 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|27|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo opolskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Opole Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 36 || [[File:POL Mikołów COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Mikołów]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 41,383 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|79|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 37 || [[File:POL Bolesławiec COA 1.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Bolesławiec]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 37,355 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|24|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 38 || [[File:POL Nowa Sól COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Nowa Sól]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 36,479 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|22|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo lubuskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lubusz Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 39 || [[File:Herb Knurów-2018.png|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Knurów]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 36,044 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|34|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 40 || [[File:POL Oleśnica COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Oleśnica]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 35,503 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|21|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 41 || [[File:POL Czechowice-Dziedzice COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Czechowice-Dziedzice]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 34,972 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|33|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 42 || [[File:Coat of arms of Třinec.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Třinec]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 34,306 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|85|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|CZE}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Flag of Moravian-Silesian Region.svg|border|22px]] Moravian-Silesian Region || Czech Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 43 || [[File:POL Brzeg COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Brzeg]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 33,962 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|15|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo opolskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Opole Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 44 || [[File:POL Cieszyn COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Cieszyn]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 33,486 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|29|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 45 || [[File:POL Oława COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Oława]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 33,158 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|27|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 46 || [[File:Wappen Hoyerswerda.PNG|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Hoyerswerda]]'''**|| style="text-align:center;"| 31,326 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|96|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|GER}} || style="text-align:center;"|{{Flagicon|Saxony}} Saxony || <small>Historically part of Lusatia, Hoyerswerda was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1825–1945</small>
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 47 || [[File:POL Dzierżoniów COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Dzierżoniów]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 31,256 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|20|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 48 || [[File:POL Zgorzelec COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Zgorzelec]]'''**|| style="text-align:center;"| 29,371 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|16|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || <small>Historically part of Lusatia, Zgorzelec was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1319–1329 and 1815–1945</small>
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 49 || [[File:POL Bielawa COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Bielawa]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 28,475 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|36|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 50 || [[File:Orlová znak.png|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Orlová]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 27,966 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|25|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|CZE}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Flag of Moravian-Silesian Region.svg|border|22px]] Moravian-Silesian Region || Czech Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 51 || [[File:POL Żagań COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Żagań]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 23,949 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|40|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo lubuskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lubusz Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 52 || [[File:Cesky Tesin CoA.png|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Český Těšín]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 23,487 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|34|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|CZE}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Flag of Moravian-Silesian Region.svg|border|22px]] Moravian-Silesian Region || Czech Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 53 || [[File:POL Lubliniec COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Lubliniec]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 23,406 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|89|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 54 || [[File:Krnov znak.png|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Krnov]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 22,848 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|44|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|CZE}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Flag of Moravian-Silesian Region.svg|border|22px]] Moravian-Silesian Region || Czech Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 55 || [[File:POL Kluczbork COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Kluczbork]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 22,418 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|12|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo opolskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Opole Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 56 || [[File:POL Świebodzice COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Świebodzice]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 22,002 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|30|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 57 || [[File:POL Orzesze COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Orzesze]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 21,758 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|84|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 58 || [[File:POL Polkowice COA 2022.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Polkowice]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 21,585 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|24|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 59 || [[File:POL Łaziska Górne COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Łaziska Górne]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 21,371 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|21|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 60 || [[File:POL Świebodzin COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Świebodzin]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 21,112 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|11|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo lubuskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lubusz Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 61 || [[File:POL Jawor COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Jawor]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 21,077 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|19|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 62 || [[File:POL Nowa Ruda COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Nowa Ruda]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 20,831 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|37|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Lower Silesian Voivodeship || Lower Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 63 || [[File:Bohumin CoA CZ.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Bohumín]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 20,648 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|31|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|CZE}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Flag of Moravian-Silesian Region.svg|border|22px]] Moravian-Silesian Region || Czech Silesia
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 64 || [[File:POL Rydułtowy COA.svg|center|25px]] || style="text-align:left;"| '''[[Rydułtowy]]'''|| style="text-align:center;"| 20,436 || style="text-align:center;"| {{convert|15|km²|0|abbr=on}}|| {{Flagicon|POL}} || style="text-align:center;"|[[File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|border|22px]] Silesian Voivodeship || Upper Silesia
|}* Only part in Silesia
<gallery>
Old Town Hall in Wrocław, September 2022 07.jpg|[[Wrocław]]
Masarykovo namesti.jpg|[[Ostrava]]
Katowice Rynek.jpg|[[Katowice]]
6588vik Gliwice. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg|[[Gliwice]]
Ratusz Bielsko-Biała.JPG|[[Bielsko-Biała]]
Zabrze post office.jpg|[[Zabrze]]
Rynek w Bytomiu 2020.jpg|[[Bytom]]
Ratusz i Stary Rynek w Zielonej Górze.jpg|[[Zielona Góra]]
Rynek w Rybniku 1.JPG|[[Rybnik]]
Plac Jana Pawła II w Nowym Bytomiu.jpg|[[Ruda Śląska]]
Opole 0001.7 - widok na Stare Miasto.jpg|[[Opole]]
Tychy Stare. Rynek1.JPG|[[Tychy]]
Chorzów - Teatr Rozrywki 01.JPG|[[Chorzów]]
Wałbrzych - Rynek 03.jpg|[[Wałbrzych]]
Legnica - Rynek - Dawny Ratusz 01.jpg|[[Legnica]]
Pałac w Boryni 7.JPG|[[Jastrzębie-Zdrój]]
Horni-namesti1.jpg|[[Opava]]
SM Brzeg Ratusz 2023 (1).jpg|[[Brzeg]]
2014 Nowa Ruda, rynek 01.JPG|[[Nowa Ruda]]
Bohumin radnice.jpg|[[Bohumín]]
</gallery>
== Flags and coats of arms ==
The emblems of Lower Silesia and Upper Silesia originate from the emblems of the Piasts of Lower Silesia and Upper Silesia. The coat of arms of Upper Silesia depicts the golden eagle on the blue shield. The coat of arms of Lower Silesia depicts a black eagle on a golden (yellow) shield.
{{main|Coat of arms of Silesia}}
<gallery>
File:DEU Oberschlesien 1926-1945 COA.svg|Coat of arms of the Prussian [[province of Upper Silesia]] (1919–1938 and 1941–1945)
File:POL województwo śląskie COA.svg|[[Coat of arms of the Silesian Voivodeship]]
File:POL województwo opolskie COA.svg|[[coat of arms of the Opole Voivodeship|The coat of arms of the Opolskie Voivodeship]]
File:Henryk I Probus herb.png|Henryk IV's Probus coat of arms
File:Wappen Herzogtum Schlesien.png|Coat of arms of [[Austrian Silesia]] (1742–1918)
File:Wappen Provinz Niederschlesien.png|Prussian [[province of Lower Silesia]] (1919–1938 and 1941–1945)
File:POL województwo dolnośląskie COA.svg|Coat of arms of the [[Lower Silesia Voivodeship]]
File:Znak Slezska.svg|Coat of arms of [[Czech Silesia]]
</gallery>Flags with their colors refer to the coat of arms of Silesia.<gallery>
File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Oberschlesien.svg|[[Flag of Upper Silesia|Flag of Prussian Upper Silesia province]] (1919–1938 and 1941–1945)
File:POL województwo śląskie flag.svg|Flag of Silesia Voivodeship
File:Flag of Czech Silesia.svg|Flag of the Austrian Silesia (1742–1918), and Czech Silesia
File:Flagge Preußen - Provinz Schlesien.svg|[[Flag of Silesia and Lower Silesia|Flag of Prussian Lower Silesia province]] (1919–1938 and 1941–1945)
File:POL województwo dolnośląskie flag.svg|Flag of Lower Silesia Voivodeship
</gallery>
==World Heritage Sites==
<gallery mode="packed-hover" widths="200px" heights="160px">
File:Swidnica- Kosciol Pokoju 02.jpg|[[Churches of Peace]], [[Świdnica]] and [[Jawor]]
File:Wrocław - Jahrhunderthalle5.jpg|[[Hala Stulecia (Wrocław)|Centennial Hall]], [[Wrocław]]
File:SZTOLNIA GŁĘBOKA FRYDERYK - część trasy turystycznej pn. Sztolnia Czarnego Pastrąga.jpg|[[Historic Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Gory|Historic Silver Mine]], [[Tarnowskie Góry]]
File:Das Neue Schloss im Park.jpg|[[Muskau Park]], [[Łęknica]] and [[Bad Muskau]]<ref>Łęknica and Bad Muskau were considered part of Silesia in years 1815–1945.</ref>
</gallery>
==See also==
{{Portal|Poland|Czech Republic|Germany|European Union}}
* [[257 Silesia]]
* [[Expulsion of Poles by Germany]]
* [[Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950)]]
* [[List of people from Silesia]]
* [[Silesian German]]
* [[Silesian Interurbans]]
* [[Slezak]]
* [[Upper Silesian Industrial Region]]
* [[Katowice urban area]]
* [[Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area]]
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Sources==
* {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Silesia |volume=25 |pages=90–92}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |editor1-last=Czapliński |editor1-first=Marek |editor2-last=Wiszewski |editor2-first=Przemysław |encyclopedia=Region Divided - Times of Nation-States (1918-1945) |url=http://www.bibliotekacyfrowa.pl/Content/64229/Cuius_regio_vol_4.pdf |access-date=18 March 2018 |language=en |year=2014 |publisher=ebooki.com.pl |title=Cuius regio? Ideological and Territorial Cohesion of the Historical Region of Silesia |volume=4 |location=Wrocław, Poland |isbn=978-83-927132-8-9}}
* {{Cite book|last=Długajczyk|first=Edward|author-link=Edward Długajczyk|title=Tajny front na granicy cieszyńskiej. Wywiad i dywersja w latach 1919–1939|publisher=Śląsk|year=1993|location=[[Katowice]]|isbn=83-85831-03-7}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |editor1-last=Harc |editor1-first=Lucyna |editor2-last=Wąs |editor2-first=Gabriela |encyclopedia=The Strengthening of Silesian Regionalism (1526-1740) |url=http://www.bibliotekacyfrowa.pl/Content/73766/Cuius_regio_vol_2.pdf |access-date=18 March 2018 |language=en |year=2014 |publisher=ebooki.com.pl |title=Cuius regio? Ideological and Territorial Cohesion of the Historical Region of Silesia |volume=2 |location=Wrocław, Poland |isbn=978-83-927132-6-5}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |editor1-last=Harc |editor1-first=Lucyna |editor2-last=Kulak |editor2-first=Teresa |encyclopedia=Silesia under the Authority of the Hohenzollerns (1741-1918) |url=http://www.bibliotekacyfrowa.pl/Content/79021/Cuius_regio_vol_3.pdf |access-date=18 March 2018 |language=en |year=2015 |publisher=ebooki.com.pl |title=Cuius regio? Ideological and Territorial Cohesion of the Historical Region of Silesia |volume=3 |location=Wrocław, Poland |isbn=978-83-942651-3-7}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |editor-last=Przemysław |editor-first=Wiszewski |encyclopedia=The Long Formation of the Region (c. 1000–1526) |url=http://www.bibliotekacyfrowa.pl/Content/49790/Cuius_regio_vol_1.pdf |access-date=18 March 2018 |language=en |year=2013 |publisher=ebooki.com.pl |title=Cuius regio? Ideological and Territorial Cohesion of the Historical Region of Silesia |volume=1 |location=Wrocław, Poland |isbn=978-83-927132-1-0}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |editor-last=Wiszewski |editor-first=Przemysław |encyclopedia=Permanent Change - The New Region(s) of Silesia (1945-2015) |url=http://www.bibliotekacyfrowa.pl/Content/76597/Cuius_regio_vol_5.pdf |access-date=18 March 2018 |language=en |year=2015 |publisher=ebooki.com.pl |title=Cuius regio? Ideological and Territorial Cohesion of the Historical Region of Silesia |volume=5 |location=Wrocław, Poland |isbn=978-83-942651-2-0}}
* {{Cite book|last=Zahradnik|first=Stanisław|author2=Marek Ryczkowski |title=Korzenie Zaolzia| publisher=PAI-press|year=1992|location=Warszawa - Praga - Trzyniec|oclc=177389723}}
==External links==
{{Commons|Silesia}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070727142251/http://brws.silesia-region.pl/indexang.php |date=27 July 2007 |title=Silesia in Europe page }}
* [http://www.hoeckmann.de/germany/silesia.htm Map of Silesia in 1763]
* [http://www.vogel-soya.de/bilder/Schlesphoto.html Old postcards from Silesian towns]
* [http://www.schlesierland.de/index.html Photos from Silesian towns, villages and communities before 1946]
* [http://culture.pl/en/article/what-is-silesia What is Silesia?]
{{Silesia topics}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Silesia| ]]
[[Category:Historical geography of the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Geography of Europe]]
[[Category:Historical regions in Germany]]
[[Category:Historical regions in Poland]]
[[Category:Historical regions]]