History of Katowice

Katowice started as a conglomerate of a number of small farming and industrial village communities from the 14th century.

Following the annexation by Prussia after the War of the Austrian Succession in the middle of the 18th century, a slow migration of German merchants began to the area, which, until then was inhabited primarily by a Polish population.

The Prussian authorities hoped that the town with then 50% Polish population (by 1867), would gradually become a centre of Germanization of Silesia.

In the following weeks the German Einsatzkommando 1 was stationed in the city, and its units were responsible for many crimes against Poles committed in the region.

Under Nazi rule, many[citation needed] of the city's historical monuments were destroyed, the street names were renamed to German and the use of the Polish language was banned.

During the occupation, the German administration organized numerous public executions of civilians and about 700 Poles were beheaded with a purpose-built guillotine.

Severe ecological damage to the environment occurred during the post-Second World War time of communist governance in the People's Republic of Poland, but recent changes in regulations, procedures and policies of Polish government since the fall of Communism have reversed much of the harm that was done.