Katowice - online puzzles

Katowice (; Polish pronunciation: [katɔˈvʲit͡sɛ] ( listen); Silesian: Katowicy, German: Kattowitz, officially Miasto Katowice) is a city in southern Poland, with a population of 297,197 as of 2017 and the center of the Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2.2 million.

Throughout the mid-18th century, Katowice had developed into a village upon the discovery of rich coal reserves in the area. In 1742 the First Silesian War transferred Upper Silesia, including Katowice, to Prussia. Subsequently, from the second half of the 18th century, many German or Prussian craftsmen, merchants and artists began to settle in the region, which had been inhabited mostly by Poles over the past hundreds of years. Simultaneously Silesia experienced the influx of the first Jewish settlers. In the first half of the 19th century, intensive industrialization transformed local mills and farms into industrial steelworks, mines, foundries and artisan workshops. This also contributed to the establishment of companies and eventual rapid growth of the city. At the same time, Katowice became linked to the railway system with the first train arriving at the main station in 1847.

The outbreak of World War I was favourable for Katowice due to the prospering steel industry. Following Germany 's defeat and the Silesian Uprisings, Katowice and parts of Upper Silesia were annexed by the Second Polish Republic.