Gliwice County

Gliwice (Polish: [ɡliˈvit͡sɛ] ; German: Gleiwitz, pronounced [ˈɡlaɪvɪts] ; Silesian: Gliwicy) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. The city is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river (a tributary of the Oder). It lies approximately 25 km west from Katowice, the regional capital of the Silesian Voivodeship. Gliwice is the westernmost city of the Upper Silesian metropolis, a conurbation of 2.0 million people, and is the third-largest city of this area, with 175,102 permanent residents as of 2021. It also lies within the larger Upper Silesian metropolitan area which has a population of about 5.3 million people and spans across most of eastern Upper Silesia, western Lesser Poland and the Moravian-Silesian Region in the Czech Republic. Gliwice is bordered by three other cities and towns of the metropolitan area: Zabrze, Knurów and Pyskowice. It is one of the major college towns in Poland, thanks to the Silesian University of Technology, which was founded in 1945 by academics of Lwów University of Technology. Over 20,000 people study in Gliwice. Gliwice is an important industrial center of Poland. Following an economic transformation in the 1990s, Gliwice shifted from steelworks and coal mining to automotive and machine industry. Founded in the 13th century, Gliwice is one of the oldest settlements in Upper Silesia, with a preserved Old Town core. Gliwice's most historical structures include St Bartholomew's Church (15th century), Gliwice Castle and city walls (14th century), Armenian Church (originally a hospital, 15th century) and All Saints Old Town Church (15th century). Gliwice is also known for its Radio Tower, where Gleiwitz incident happened shortly before the outbreak of World War II and which is thought to be the world's tallest wooden construction, as well as Weichmann Textile House, one of the first buildings designed by world-renowned architect Erich Mendelsohn. Gliwice hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2019 which took place on 24 November 2019.

The Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral (Polish: Katedra św. Apostołów Piotra i Pawła) also called Gliwice Cathedral is the name given to a Catholic church that serves as the cathedral of Gliwice, in the central district of this city of Poland.The church was built between 1896 and 1900 and was initially a subsidiary of the parish church of All Saints. In 1908 the parish of St. Peter and Paul was erected, and its first parish priest was Monsignor Józef Jagło. Its bells were confiscated in 1917 during the First World War. Between 1934 and 1936 it was renovated and repaired. In January 1945 he suffered by the Soviet bombardment of German positions during World War II, damages would be repaired soon after (1945–1946). Local authorities renewed the structure for the last time in 2009. In 1992, Pope John Paul II erected the Diocese of Gliwice, and the parish church of St. Peter and Paul was elevated to the dignity of the cathedral.

The Diocese of Gliwice (Latin: Glivicen(sis)) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Poland. Its episcopal see is located in the city of Gliwice. The Diocese of Gliwice is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Katowice. As of 2013, about 91% of the population in the territory of the diocese is self-described Catholic, however only 39% are practising Catholics.

The so-called Piasts' Castle in Gliwice, southern Poland, dates back to the mid-14th century. It consists of a tower from 1322, which was originally part of the city walls, and an adjoining building which was probably an armory. Modifications were carried out in the 15th century, between 1558 and 1561 it became the residence of Friedrich von Zettritz. Later it was an armory, a jail, a magazine and since 1945 a museum. Between 1956 and 1959 it was thoroughly rebuilt and partially reconstructed. Since that time it is claimed to be a Piast castle, although no sourced evidence backs this claim. Since 1959 the castle has been part of the Gliwice Museum.

The Silesian University of Technology (Polish name: Politechnika Śląska; Polish pronunciation: [pɔliˈtɛxɲika ˈɕlɔ̃ska]) is a university located in the Polish province of Silesia, with most of its facilities in the city of Gliwice. It was founded in 1945 by Polish professors of the Lwow Polytechnic, who were forced to leave their native city and move to the Recovered Territories (see also Kresy). In 2023, the prestigious Perspektywy Foundation ranked it as 6th best university of technology and 12th overall in Poland.

The 2010 Central European floods were a devastating series of weather events which occurred across several Central European countries during May and June 2010. Poland was the worst affected. Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia were also affected. At least thirty-seven people died in the floods and approximately 23,000 people were evacuated. The city of Kraków declared a state of emergency. The floods forced the closure and relocation of items from the Auschwitz concentration camp museum. On 20 May, aid began arriving to Poland from several European Union countries.

New Synagogue was a synagogue in Gleiwitz, Germany (today Gliwice, Poland). It was built in 1859–1861, designed by Salomon Lubowski and Louis Troplowitz. The synagogue was destroyed by Nazis during the Kristallnacht on 9–10 November 1938.

Zespół Szkół Ogólnokształcących nr 10 – public school consisting of I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Edwarda Dembowskiego (high school) and Gimnazjum nr 14 (middle school), located on Zimnej Wody street in Gliwice, Poland.

Gliwice Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Gliwice, Poland. It provides 13,752 seats in the stands (with room for up to 17,178 spectators) in the main arena and is considered one of the largest entertainment and sports halls in the country.Initially, the venue was given the name "Podium Hall", which was later changed to "Hala Gliwice". Since opening in May 2018, this name is used interchangeably with the name "Arena Gliwice" which is used for international events.

Gliwice railway station is a junction railway station in the city centre of Gliwice in the Silesian Voivodeship. The railway station in Gliwice is the second largest railway station in the Upper Silesian urban area. The station opened on October 2, 1845, with the opening of a rail line from Wrocław. In 2015–2016,the station and its platforms were completely reconstructed. The station is connected to cities abroad via EuroCity services, various cities in Poland via PKP Express Intercity Premium (EIP), Intercity (IC), and Twoje Linie Kolejowe (TLK) services, and various regional cities via Polregio as well as Koleje Śląskie (Silesian Railways) services.

The Old church of Saint Bartholomew is a fortified church in Gliwice in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland. Originally, it was built in Romanesque style about 1232 and situated far outside the defensive walls of the city. In the 15th century, it was enlarged in Gothic style. The western tower was enhanced using brick. Its character is rather military, than that of a steeple. A renovation of the building is intended.

Operation Himmler, also called Operation Konserve, consisted of a group of 1939 false flag undertakings planned by Nazi Germany to give the appearance of Polish aggression against Germany. The Germans then used propaganda reports of the events to justify their invasion of Poland, which started on 1 September 1939. Operation Himmler included the Germans staging false attacks on themselves—directed at innocent people, such as civilians and concentration camp prisoners. The operation arguably became the first act of the Second World War in Europe.