Mysłowice facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mysłowice
Part of Old Town and the city's iconic chapel
Flag Image:POL Mysłowice COA.svg Coat of arms Wordmark
Mysłowice Location in Poland
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Silesian
County	city county
Founded	11th century
City rights	1260
Area
• City	65.6 km2 (25.3 sq mi)
Population  (1 january 2022)
• City	72,124
• Density	1,100/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
• Urban	2,700,000
• Metro	2,240,000
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	41-400 to 41-412
Area code(s)	+48 32
Car plates	SM
Primary airport	Katowice Airport
Highways
National roads
Voivodeship roads

Mysłowice is a city in Silesia, a region in Poland. It is located right next to the big city of Katowice. As of 2022, about 72,124 people live in Mysłowice.

The city is found in the middle of the Metropolis GZM, which is a large group of cities. It sits on the Przemsza and Brynica rivers, which flow into the Vistula. Mysłowice has been part of the Silesian Voivodeship (a type of province in Poland) since 1999. It is also part of a much larger urban area called the Katowice urban area, which has millions of people.

History of Mysłowice

Mysłowice town hall

Mysłowice is one of the oldest cities in a part of Poland called Upper Silesia. It is located where two rivers meet, the White and Black Przemsza. This spot was important because it was on a major trade route that connected the cities of Wrocław and Kraków.

The first signs of a settlement here go back to the 11th and 12th centuries. At that time, it was part of the Piast-ruled Poland. We know a priest was here by 1306, and by 1360, Mysłowice was already known as a town. It officially received its city rights around 1260.

Over many years, Mysłowice changed hands often, and the borders between different countries moved around. After the German Empire was formed in 1871, the area became famous as Dreikaisereck, which means "triangle of the three emperors." This was because it was the exact spot where the borders of the Austrian, German, and Russian empires met.

After World War I ended in 1918, Poland became an independent country again. In 1919, Polish miners in Mysłowice held big protests. On August 15, 1919, German border guards fired on these protesting Polish miners and their families. This tragic event, known as the "Mysłowice massacre," killed several people, including children, and injured many more. It sparked the First Silesian Uprising against Germany.

In 1921, people in Upper Silesia voted on whether they wanted to be part of Germany or rejoin Poland. In Mysłowice itself, more people voted to stay with Germany. However, in the villages around Mysłowice (which are now part of the city), most people voted to rejoin Poland. After more uprisings, Mysłowice and the surrounding areas became part of the newly restored Second Polish Republic in 1922.

During World War II, when Germany occupied Poland, a Nazi prison was set up in Mysłowice. Many Polish children were held there as part of a harsh policy against Polish families. In the Wesoła district, a forced labor camp was also created for Jews, and it was a subcamp of the terrible Auschwitz concentration camp. Towards the end of the war, most prisoners were forced on a long, deadly march to another city, and many sick prisoners were tragically killed. Some prisoners managed to hide and survived, and Polish miners helped them.

In 1951, the city grew bigger, and nearby villages like Brzezinka and Brzęczkowice became new districts of Mysłowice.

City Districts

Mysłowice is divided into 14 smaller areas called districts:

Education in Mysłowice

Mysłowice has a special school for higher education called Górnośląska Wyższa Szkoła Pedagogiczna im. Kard. Augusta Hlonda, which focuses on teaching.

The city also has:

• Eight Junior High Schools
• Five Secondary and vocational schools
• At least 20 kindergartens for younger children
• 17 primary schools

Important Buildings and Monuments

Mysłowice has some old buildings that show its medieval past.

• The Farna Church, located near the main market square, is the oldest brick church in the city.
• The Saint Cross Church is another brick building, built in the baroque and classicistic styles. It is believed to be the oldest place of worship in Mysłowice.
• There is also a Jewish cemetery in the town. It dates back to the 18th century when Jewish people bought land to create their own burial ground.

Culture and Events

Museum of Firefighting in Mysłowice

The Off Festival is a yearly music festival that started in Mysłowice in 2006. It was created by musician Artur Rojek, though it later moved to Katowice.

Mysłowice is also home to famous music bands:

• Myslovitz formed in 1992 and named themselves after their hometown.
• Lenny Valentino was another band from Mysłowice, active from 1998 to 2001.

Economy and Jobs

As of 2017, Mysłowice is home to one of the large Amazon warehouses in Poland. This center helps deliver products to customers all across Europe.

Famous People from Mysłowice

Performance by Myslovitz. The band take their name from their hometown.

Many notable people have come from Mysłowice, including:

• August Hlond (1881–1948), a very important cardinal and leader in the Polish church.
• Jerzy Chromik (1931–1987), a famous long-distance runner.
• Ireneusz Pacula (born 1966), a former ice hockey player and coach.
• Mariusz Puzio (born 1966), another former ice hockey player.
• Jolanta Fraszyńska (born 1968), a well-known film and theater actress.
• Artur Rojek (born 1972), a musician who was the lead singer of the band Myslovitz and started the Off Festival.
• Piotr Bajtlik (born 1982), an actor.

Twin Towns – Sister Cities

Mysłowice has "twin town" or "sister city" relationships with other cities around the world. These partnerships help build friendships and cultural exchange.

• Enz (district), Germany
• Frýdek-Místek, Czech Republic

Mysłowice used to be twinned with Sokolinaya Gora in Moscow, Russia. However, in February 2022, Mysłowice ended this partnership because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.