Piekary Śląskie

Infobox Settlement
name = Piekary Śląskie

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imagesize = 250px
image_caption = The neo-romanesque basilica of St Mary and St Bartholomew

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image_shield = Arms Piekary Slaskie.png

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pushpin_

pushpin_label_position = bottom
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = POL
subdivision_type1 = Voivodeship
subdivision_name1 = Silesian
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = "city county"
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Stanisław Korfanty
established_title = Established
established_date = 12th century
established_title3 = Town rights
established_date3 = 1939
elevation_min_m = 261
elevation_max_m = 350
area_total_km2 = 40
population_as_of = 2006
population_total = 59494
population_density_km2 = auto
population_metro = 3487000
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
latd = 50
latm = 23
lats =
latNS = N
longd = 18
longm = 57
longs =
longEW = E
postal_code_type = Postal code
postal_code = 41-940 to 41-949
area_code = +48 32
blank_name = Car plates
blank_info = SPI
website = http://www.piekary.pl/ Piekary Śląskie [IPA-pl|p|j|e|'|k|a|r|y|-|'|ś|l|ą|s|k|j|e] ( _de. Deutsch Piekar) is a town in south Poland, situated in the Silesian Voivodship (since 1999, previously in the Katowice Voivodship from 1975). Piekary is a spiritual center of Upper Silesia, a Marian shrine which is a pilgrimage site for thousands of the faithful, and a mining town. It was the stage for patriotic Polish demonstrations and one of the centers of Silesian Uprisings and in 1922 was ceded to the Second Polish Republic by Germany as 86 % of the population voted for joining the re-established Polish state.

History

The town Piekary Śląskie was created in 1934 by joining the communes of Szarlej and Wielkie Piekary. In 1975 the administrative reform led to joining the nearby towns: Dąbrówka Wielka, Brzeziny Śląskie, Brzozowice, Kamień and Kozłowa Góra.

Between 1303 and 1318, the first church and independent parish were created there. In the 15th century zinc and lead mining industry developed and the process of settlement evolution begun.

In the 12th and 14th centuries, the germanized Silesian dukes governed the town, but a short visit of the King Jan III Sobieski rushing to relief Vienna in 1683 cause that memory about the Polish origin livened among them. The next years brought several peasant revolts against the German magnates. In 1697, Augustus II the Strong visited Piekary. He converted himself into Catholic religion in the local church and at the same time he sworn the pacta conventa.

In the 18th, colonization and germanization of Piekary Śląskie got stronger. The result was a strong movement towards maintaining the Polish origins of the land. In 1842, Piekary's rector, priest Alojzy Ficek started to build new, neo-romanesque temple according to the Daniel Grötschel's design. The miraculous painting of the Virgin Mary was placed there.

Districts

*1 Kozłowa Góra
*2 Piekary-Center
*3 Szarlej
*4 Brzozowice
*5 Kamień
*6 Brzeziny Śląskie
*7 Dąbrówka Wielka

External links

* [http://www.piekary.zobacz.slask.pl/ Piekary, Silesia]