Pyskowice

Pyskowice [pɨskɔˈvʲit͡sɛ] (listen) (German: Peiskretscham) is a town in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Borders on the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – metropolis with the population of 2 million. Located in the Silesian Highlands.

This article is about the town in Silesia, Poland. For the village in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, see Pyskowice, Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
Pyskowice
Town square with historic tenements
Coat of arms
Pyskowice
Coordinates: 50°23′N 18°37′E
Country Poland
Voivodeship Silesian
CountyGliwice
GminaPyskowice (urban gmina)
First mentioned1256
Government
 • MayorAdam Wójcik
Area
 • City31.89 km2 (12.31 sq mi)
Population
 (2019-06-30[1])
 • City18,432
 • Density580/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
 • Urban
2,746,000
 • Metro
5,294,000
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
44-120
Car platesSGL
ClimateCfb
Websitehttp://www.pyskowice.pl/

It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since its formation in 1999, previously it was in Katowice Voivodeship. Pyskowice is one of the towns of the 2.7 million conurbation – Katowice urban area and within a greater Silesian metropolitan area populated by about 5,294,000 people.[2] The population of the town is 18,432 (2019).

History

During the Second World War Pyskowice, then known as Peiskretcham, was one of the many sites where Canadian and British prisoners of war, nominally attached to Stalag VIIIB/344 Lamsdorf (Lambinowice) had to work for their German captors. There were more than 600 such working parties belonging to Stlag VIII-B/344 in this region. In January 1945, as the Soviet armies resumed their offensive and advanced into Germany, the prisoners based in Pyskowice were marched westward in the so-called Long March or Death March. Some died from the bitter cold and exhaustion. Eventually the survivors were liberated by American troops in April or May 1945.

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland

Pyskowice is twinned with:[3]

References
  1. "Population. Size and structure and vital statistics in Poland by territorial divison in 2019. As of 30th June". stat.gov.pl. Statistics Poland. 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  2. European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON) "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-07-28. Retrieved 2009-03-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Miasta partnerskie". pyskowice.pl (in Polish). Pyskowice. Retrieved 2020-03-12.

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