POLSKA	POLAND
województwo: Śląskie	voivodship: Silesia
miasto na prawach powiatu: Zabrze	city: Zabrze

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Zabrze (previously in German: Zabrze, Hindenburg O.S.) is situated at an elevation of 259 m in the Silesian Voivodeship, about 15 km northwest of the voivodeship's capital, Katowice. It is one of the cities composing the 2.7 million inhabitant conurbation referred to as the Katowice urban area, itself a major centre in the greater Silesian metropolitan area which is populated by just over five million people. Zabrze has a population oof about 175,500 (2016).

Biskupice (Biskupitz), which is now a subdivision of Zabrze, was first mentioned in 1243 as Biscupici. Alt-Zabrze was mentioned in 1295–1305 as Sadbre sive [= or] Cunczindorf. In the Late Middle Ages, the local Silesian Piast dukes invited German settlers into the territory resulting in increasing German settlement. Zabrze became part of the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria in 1526, and was later annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia during the Silesian Wars and the Treatyy of Breslau (Wrocław) in 1742. In 1774, the Dorotheendorf settlement was founded. When the first mine in Zabrze became operational in 1790, the town became an important mining center. The district Zabrze was formed in 1873; before that Zabrze was part of the district Beuthen (today Bytom). In 1905, the Zabrze commune was formed by the former communes Alt-Zabrze, Klein-Zabrze and Dorotheendorf, the rural domain Zebrze and Colony C of Zaborze. In 1915, the Zabrze commune was renamed Hindenburg O.S. (O.S. = Oberschlesien, i.e. Upper Silesia) in honour of Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg. During the plebiscite held after World War I, 59% of the inhabitants voted to remain in Germany, 41% voted for incorporation into Poland. In May 1921 the Third Silesian Uprising broke out and the commune was captured by Polish insurgents, who held it until the end of the uprising. When Upper Silesia was divided between Poland and Germany in 1921, Hindenburg O.S. remained in Germany. It received its city charter in 1922. Just five years after founding Hindenburg became the biggest city in German Upper Silesia and the second biggest City in German Silesia after Breslau. Following World War II, the city was annexed by Poland in 1945 and was renamed back to Zabrze. Most of the German inhabitants were expelled. In 1950, Zabrze was allocated to the voivodeship Katowice. In 1951, the neighbouring communities of Grzybowice (Pilzendorf), Helenka (Helenenhof), Makoszowy (Makoschau), Kończyce (Kunzendorf), Mikulczyce (Mikultschütz), Pawłów (Paulsdorf) and Rokitnica (Rokittnitz) were incorporated into the city. In 1999, Zabrze became part of the reformulated Silesian voivodeship (capital still Katowice). At the same time, Zabrze obtained the status of a city with county rights (miasto na prawach powiatu).

Mikulczyce

Naculchsicz was first mentioned in 1306, Miculczicz in 1311. In the 14th century, it was part of the Kraków bishopric, the nearby Mikulczycki river forming the border between the bishoprics of Krak&ków and Wroc&östrok;aw. After the takeover of Silesia in 1526 by the Habsburgs, the name of the settlement changes to Mikultschütz. After 1740, under Prussian rule, a new division of the region was established, and Mikultschütz became part of the Beuthen (Bytom) district. In 1873, the Beuthen district was divided into four parts and Miultschütz became part of the district Tarnowitz (Tarnowskie Góry). In the 1921 plebiscite, the majority (71%) of the population voted for Poland, yet Mikultschütz remained with Germany together with the area. In 1935, under the influence of the new German policy aiming at replacing the Germanic Slavic names, the village was renamed to Klausberg O.S. (O.S. = Oberschlesien, i.e. Upper Silesia). In 1945, the village became part of Poland and was consequently renamed back to Mikulczyce. In 1951, Mikulczyce was incorporated into the city of Zabrze.

The church of St. Lawrence (Kościół św. Wawrzyńca) [left] was built in 1892–1896 in place of an older, wooden church from the 16th century. Some of the furnishings of the old church were moved to the church, including the image of Madonna.

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zabrze, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zabrze; http://fallingrain.com/world/PL/83/Zabrze.html; https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikulczyce]