It is a large rail junction with four stations,[2] located at the intersection of two major lines – east-west (Trzebinia – Zebrzydowice), and north–south (Katowice – Bielsko-Biala).

[7] In the time of Protestant Reformation, the parish of Czechowice stayed Roman Catholic, conversely to the nearby town of Bielsko and the rest of the Duchy of Cieszyn.

In 1855, a local line of the important Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway was opened to traffic with a station in Dziedzice.

At that time, Czechowice and Dziedzice became strong centers of the Polish national movement in stark contrast to German-dominated town of Bielsko, whose inhabitants used to call the area of Czechowice and Dziedzice verfluchte polnische Winkel (cursed Polish corner).

[10] Czechowice and Dziedzice were annexed by Nazi Germany at the beginning of World War II in September 1939.

The local population was subjected to deportations for forced labor into Germany and to concentration camps, expropriations, street round-ups, death sentences and public executions (see Nazi crimes against the Polish nation).

[9] In 1942, the Germans established two forced labor camps in the town: one for Poles (Polenlager)[11] and one for Jewish men.

In 1944, the occupiers established the Tschechowitz I & II subcamps of Auschwitz in Czechowice-Dziedzice, which provided forced labor for the SOCONY-Vacuum oil plant and housed over 600 prisoners.

According to the censuses conducted in 1880, 1890, 1900 and 1910, the population of Czechowice grew from 2,804 in 1880 to 7,056 in 1910 with a dwindling majority being native Polish-speakers (from 96.6% in 1880 to 86.7% in 1910) accompanied by a growing German-speaking minority (from 95 or 3.4% in 1880 to 611 or 8.9% in 1910) and Czech-speaking (from 33 or 1.1% in 1890 to 290 or 4.3% in 1910), in terms of religion in 1910 majority were Roman Catholics (94.1%), followed by Protestants (231 or 3.3%), Jews (176 or 2.5%) and 9 people adhering to yet another faith.