The seat of Town Council and District Council Area: 174 km2
Total population: approx. 50 000
Chairman of the Town Council: Henryk Kondzielni
Mayor: Henryk Studzieński
Consists of the town of Pszczyna and village communities: Brzeźce, Czarków, Ćwiklice, Jankowice, Łąka, Poręba, Piasek, Rudołtowice, Studzienice, Studzionka, Wisła Mała, Wisła Wielka.
Town Council's address:
43-200 Pszczyna, Rynek 2
Phone: (032) 210-11-55, 210-34-74, 210-36-71
Fax: 210-39-45
www.pszczyna.pl
pszczyna@pszczyna.pl

Pszczyna

The town of Pszczyna was founded in the second part of the 13th c. nearby the castle built by the Piast princes on the trade route from Cracow via Oświęcim to the south of Europe.
It was built in the swamp area where the River Pszczynka ramifies. Originally, the town fortifications consisted only of a stockeded embankment and a moat. Nevertheless, even those had been lost by the 16th c. The wooden buildings were destroyed by fire in the years 1345, 1458, 1545, and 1679. In 1748 the biggest of the fires enforced the ban to set up wooden houses inside the town thus the brick and roof tiles produced in the Duke's brick-yard were used in rebuilding.
Nevertheless, even those had been lost by the 16th c. The wooden buildings were destroyed by fire in the years 1345, 1458, 1545, and 1679. In 1748 the biggest of the fires enforced the ban to set up wooden houses inside the town thus the brick and roof tiles produced in the Duke's brick-yard were used in rebuilding.

The 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries were the time of the development of public utility facilities. The following investments were completed in that period : * 1844 - a hospital founded by Hospitallers (now a modern building situated on the original site) * 1868 - a gas-plant and gas streetlights. * 1870 - the railway * 1876 - the military barracks (Beforehand, for over hundred years, the soldiers of the Pszczyna garrison had been accommodated in private houses) * 1881 - a secondary school in ulica 3 Maja * 1886 - District Hall in the same street just across the road. * 1893 - a new water system and a water tower (Before that water had been taken from the village of Łąka by wooden pipes or drawn from shallow wells.) * 1897 - a slaughterhouse. * 1900 - re-pavement of the streets and the market place * 1902 - Palaise building holding offices of the Administration of the Duke's properties. * 1904 - the court and the prison * 1905 - modernization of the Town Hall * 1907 - rebuilding of the protestant church destroyed by fire.

The 18th c. houses of Pszczyna's old town are considered to be of historical value. In the 1970s and 1980s housing estates of large-panel apartment blocks were erected in the town, Nowadays, however, detached houses for both business and dwelling purposes tend to be dominant development. 'Elwo' Electrofilter Factory is the biggest industrial unit in Pszczyna.

The history of Pszczyna is of outstanding richness, one that is difficult to summarize in such a short note. The town was the seat of the rulers, dukes or barons, of Pszczyna's Free State. The palace, their heritage, is now home to the Castle Museum which is recognized in Europe and popular with tourists. Teahouse in the Palace Park In the past it was visited by many members of European royalty, one of them being the Emperor Wilhelm II, who made it his residence during World War I, in 1914 -1917, when Pszczyna became the Headquarters of the German troops fighting on the eastern and western fronts. Field marshal Hindenburg, the president of Germany in the post-war period, and his staff officers had their offices in the Palais building .
It was Pszczyna where the most important decisions concerning political and military matters of the War were taken by the Germans. No wonder then that the journalist called it a "small Berlin". Many historical personalities come to our minds when we think of Pszczyna's palace, among them being women as well. Two of them are especially worth mentioning, namely Helena Korybótówna, the first duchess of Pszczyna, a niece of King Vladislaus Jagello, whose knights managed to force back Hussite raids in the 15th c., and the other lady, Duchess Marie Therese, known as Daisy, who was Wilson Churchill's relative. Quite an arbitrary picture of her life and family was presented by the director Filip Bajon in his films The Magnat and A White Visiting Card.

Bolesław Chrobry Grammar School dating back to 1742 needs to be presented here as well, since it is one of the oldest secondary schools in Upper Silesia. Many eminent people were its graduates The sons of the noblest aristocratic families like Zamoyski, Radziwiłł, Potocki, Czetwertynski, Sapieha, Dzieduszycki, Ostrowski, Rzewuski, Haller, Chodkiewicz, and many others, attended the school between the Wars. Other educational institutions of some interest are the School of Agriculture, housing a branch of Cracow University of Technology, and the School of Economics, occupying buildings of the Teachers' Seminary (then renamed as Pedagogical Lyceum) famous between the two World Wars.
Apart from the Castle Museum with the surrounding parks where historical necropolises can be found, the Silesian Press Museum at Piastowska Street as well as Open-air Museum of Pszczyna's Croft Farm are the places to visit. Pszczyna, monografia historyczna [Pszczyna A Historical Monograph] by Ludwik Musioł, published in Katowice in 1936, is an excellent book presenting the outline of Pszczyna's history up to the year 1936.

Village Communities in Municipality of Pszczyna:

Brzeźce

Area. 7,5 km2
Population: approx. 1 020

The village was founded over the River Pszczynka at the end of the 13th c. when the region was colonized by the Princes of Racibóż. From its beginnings it constituted a parish for the villages of Brzeźce, Polska Wisła (now Wisła Wielka), and then for Kobielice as well. Now only Brzeźce and eastern part of Mizerów belong to the parish. A neogothic church was built in the early 20th c., now the most prodigious village church in the region. Inside the preserved equipment of the former churches could be seen, the most noteworthy of which is the 15th c. triptych probably painted by Veit Stoss's (Wit Stwosz) followers. The village has had a primary school since the 16th c., nearby its building is the village culture center where a surgery is also located.
Those interested in history may remember Brzeźce for the events of 1 September 1939 when the soldiers of the 6th Infantry Division managed to stop the numerous offensives of the German 5th Armoured Division. More details on the village can be found in its monograph written by its citizen MA Grzegorz Sztoler.

Czarków
Area. 17,6 km2

Population: approx. 1 820

The village was first mentioned in documents in 1467, but probably dates back a century before. It used to be a property of the rulers of Pszczyna and belonged to the parish of Pszczyna. In 1957 a restaurant was adopted to serve as a chapel, but it was 1978 when Czarków's own parish was founded. A primary school, lately rebuild and modernized, has been operating since 1883. From 1801 for decades, Czarków used to be a spa resort where rheumatism and other illnesses were treated. The French cavalrymen of the so-called Blue Regiment came for treatment here in 1807 and 1808. In the second part of the 19th century the nearby village of Goczałkowice took over its function as a spa resort. The village has its monograph entitled Czarków wczoraj i dziś [Czarków now and then] published in 1996.

Ćwiklice
Area. 14,4 km2
Population: approx. 2 530

The village was founded in the 13th century during the colonization of the region. A parish with its own church was established at the same time. The wooden parish church erected in the 16th century and rebuilt in the 18th century is of great historical value. Out of the previous interiors a valuable triptych dating from the late 16th c. survived, the painting that is almost identical to the one in Brzeźce. For ages the village was in the possession of Polish gentry of the Borowiecki, Zawadzki, Kozłowski, and Zborowski families. On 2 September 1939 over 200 Polish Infantrymen of the 6th Division died in a tragic battle with the German tanks of the 5th Armoured Division. They are buried at the Three Oaks in Pszczyna's park . 

Jankowice

Area. 24,3 km2
Population: approx. ok. 2 540

Jankowice were allegedly founded in the 14 c., the first written reference of its existence dates from 1440. It belonged to the Dukes of Pszczyna. Around the year 1620 another settlement of small farms, called Jankowice Miejskie, was founded by the town of Pszczyna which together with the already existing Jankowice Książęce joined into one municipality in the 19th c. The school was established at the same time but St Isidore's Parish Church was built as late as in 1950. The neighbouring forests were the place of big game hunting parties given by the Dukes to monarchs and aristocracy. Here, the European bisons have been kept in a forest enclosure since 1865. The first five of them were presented by the Czar Alexander II. Established in 1996, a nature reserve "Żubrowisko" [Bison's grounds], where boulders of 500 and 800 mm. dia. are to be found, covers an area of 742 km2. A monograph of the village Jankowice od zarania do czasów współczesnych [Jankowice - from the origins till present days] by Renata Spora was published in Pszczyna in 1999.

Łąka

Area: 11,8 km2
Population: approx. 2 690

Having analysed the historical sources we can assume that the village of Łąka was founded in the 14th century, nevertheless, the first reference to its parish church dates from 1449. Throughout the feudal times the village formed a collocation whose parts were owned by different noblemen. Łąka has a considerable literary tradition. Jan Kupiec, the greatest Polish folk poet living at the turn of the 19th century, was born here, another Silesian author, Rev. Antoni Stabik (1807 - 1888) stayed in Łąka and created his poetry between 1843 and 1844. Walenty Krząszcz, an outstanding novelist of the Cieszyn region came here shortly after the Silesian Uprisings to run Łąka's school as the head teacher. There also lives a contemporary folk author Alojzy Gruszka (b. 1925). Łąka is known for its social activists, especially sports ones.
The wooden St Nicolas Church (formely bearing the name of St Jadwiga) and a campanile were built in 1660, however the church itself was rebuilt in 1802. In the cemetery there is the tomb of Jan Kupiec as well as the graves of the soldiers of the Silesian Uprisings and the Polish Army who died in 1939. In 1954 the southern part of the village submerged under the waters of the artificial Lake Goczałkowickie, whereas thirty years later another industrial reservoir, "Łąka", was built in the north.

Poręba
Area: 8,3 km2
Population: approx. 900

Founded in late the 13th or early 14th c., the village was located on the leg of trade route Cracow -Oświęcim-Pszczyna -Żory- Racibóż-Breslau. A forester's lodge was built in the 18th century, whereas a magnificent manor house now called Bażanciarnia [Pheasantry] was raised in the early 19th century. In the 1850s a big grange was established here by the Duke, now housing a package factory. At that time a school was built in the village, however, the church was erected as late as in 1983 when Maksymilian Kolbe Parish was founded.

Piasek
Area: 12,2 km2
Population: approx. 3 150

The village, whose name was derived from the sandy terrain it was founded on in the 15th c., spreads south over the River Dokawa. It was owned by the Dukes of Pszczyna. 200 years later, just across the River on its south bank the town of Pszczyna established its own settlement , Piasek Miejski. Both villages joined into one municipality in the mid 19th c. Between the 17th and early 20th centuries the village had two brickyards and a pottery. A school was built in 1880, a railway station in 1922, a new school in 1968, a new catholic parish church in 1997, and a temple of Free Christians in 1986. Piasek is the birthplace of modern mushroom industry in Poland. A very informative monograph on the village by Zygmunt J. Orlik, Nad Brzegami Dokawy [Over the River Dokawa] was published in 2000.

Rudołtowice

Area: 7,3 km2
Population: approx. 1 100

Throughout the feudal period the 19th c. the village of Rudołtowice was in possession of the Polish gentry of the Pawłowski , Borodecki, Zborowski, Kozłowski, and Jankowski families, to name only some of them. In 1752 Earl Józef Zborowski built a palace, which now is home to the Myopic Children's Centre. The school in Rudołtowice was established in 19th c. Today the village belongs to the Parish of Ćwiklice and its southern outskirts suffer from mining subsidence caused by Silesia Coal Mine.

Studzienice
Area: 8,4 km2
Population: approx 1 560

Dating back to 15th century the village, situated at the edge of the forest, was owned by the Duke of Pszczyna throughout the whole feudal period. Its citizens lived off the land and worked in Duke's forests. The forester's lodge has been in Studzienice since the 18th c., while the school was founded in 1835. A chapel was rebuilt into the present church in 1949; St John the Baptist Parish was founded in 1978. The manuscript of the history of Studzienice by Ludwik Musioł is kept in the presbytery and in Silesian Library in Katowice.

Studzionka

Area: 23 km2
Population: approx 2 150

Studzionka is one of the biggest and oldest villages in the region. It was founded as a seat of a parish in the 13th c. during the colonization of the area by the Princes of Racibóż. When in 1834 the fire destroyed the wooden church a new brick one was erected. At the northern part of the surrounding fence are three stone penitent crosses, the only of this kind in the region. There is also Evangelical church, a branch of the Augsburg Evangelical Parish of Pszczyna. The first school was built in the 16th c., now a modern building houses a primary and junior high school. The village is known for big farms that are perfectly run, whereas its citizens distinguish themselves by their social activity in the village self-government, Voluntary Fire Brigade, branches of Upper Silesia Union, and of Pensioners' Union, or in Country Housewives Club. The village publishes its own parish-and-community biweekly.
A monograph on the village by Zygmunt J. Orlik, Ziemia i znój [The Land and the Toil] was published in 1998 in Pszczyna

Wisła Mała
Area: 7,6 km2
Population: approx. 1 040

Wisła Mała was founded in the mid 13th c. during the colonization of the area by the Princes of Racibóż. (Small Polish settlements may have existed here even before, though.) A church was erected and a parish established. It covered also the territories across the River Vistula and, temporarily, of the town of Strumień. Governed by the German colonization law and bearing the name of Niemiecka Wisła (German Wisła), throughout the first ages of its existence the village had been owned by knights, then was taken over by the Dukes of Pszczyna. It changed the name into Wisła Mała (Small Wisła) in the early 20th century.
The village has a historical 18th c. wooden parish church built on the original site. Its own school was founded in the 16th c. Lake Goczałkowicke that covered the southern outskirts of the village now constitutes its southern boundary. Władysław Kuboszek, a legendary officer of Rybnik Inspectorate of the Home Army murdered in Auschwitz, was born in Wisła Mała. A monograph on the village by Ewelina Szuster,Wisła Mała was published in 1998 in Pszczyna.

Wisła Wielka
Area: 9,2 km2
Population: approx 2 070

Most probably, the origins of Wisła Wielka date back to the early 13th century. The village was founded by the Polish settlement law and thus called Polska Wisła (Polish Wisła) At the end of the 19th century the Prussians renamed it into Wisła Wielka (great Wisła). When the region was incorporated into the Republic of Poland the name was left unchanged, but the neighbouring Wisła Niemiecka (German Wisła) became Wisła Mała. In the feudal period Polska Wisła was the property of the Duke of Pszczyna. The first school was built in 1880, a chapel erected in 1864 was rebuilt into a church twenty years later. Abandoning the Parish of Brzeżce in 1924 Wisła Wielka established its own parish. The waters of Lake Goczałkowickie, completed in 1955, covered the southern outskirts of the village.
A monograph on the village by Ewelina Szuster,Wisła Wielka was published in 1998 in Pszczyna.