The evolution of small towns in south-western Poland

Irena Niedźwiecka-Filipiak, Zuzanna Borcz, Liliana Zielińska

doi:10.5277/arc120207

Abstract

The article comprises partial research results which focused on small towns founded before and after 1945 in the following provinces: Lubuskie, Lower Silesian, Opolskie and Silesian. Each of these towns had its own specific history. The majority of small towns from this area have mediaeval origins and a characteristic spatial layout with a market, sometimes a town hall and dominants of church towers. After World War II many of them lost their town privileges, sometimes irrevocably, but some of them regained them after some time. Another observed phenomenon was the fact that certain small towns were incorporated into industrial city agglomerations while other small towns joined together. In the recent years in the Silesian province we can observe a reverse trend, i.e. certain districts – former independent small towns which were previously incorporated into big cities – become separated and get or try to regain their town privileges. These phenomena have an influence on the spatial system of towns and on their development.

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Small towns matter greatly in the settlement network;

they would receive town charters and during their prosper-

ity they would climb up in the hierarchy of the settlement

network. Frequently, they would lose their township sta-

tus temporarily or sometimes for ever, becoming villages.

New towns would be established very rarely without any

township traditions.

Transformations of small towns which lost the status

of towns and became villages had many reasons such as

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are currently trying to regain their lost town charters,

whereas other have been incorporated to nearby bigger

towns, and still many other villages do not aspire to be-

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landscape of small towns retains its individual features

regardless of where those small towns currently are in the

settlement network. Each of them has their own history,

often valuable historic sites or buildings, characteristic

spatial design with a market and a town hall which pro-

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The evolution of small towns in south-western Poland

Introduction

Transformations of small towns

Research has been conducted on selected small towns

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ships (Provinces). The analysis included towns with pop-

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tions caused by the interaction of two municipal units. The

selected examples from that area illustrate some of those

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observed over the years in this area e.g. concentration in

the form of incorporation of small towns to neighboring

bigger towns, merger of two towns, and secondary separa-

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quently, three groups have developed:

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two names corresponding to their former names e.g.

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retained only one of their former names, usually that

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were incorporated to bigger towns and then over the

last twenty years gradually separated from them e.g.

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2012

No. 2(32)

DOI: 10.5277/arc120207

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centration and deconcentration of suburban areas as a

result of two opposite forces operating in the villages

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tion for their permanent residence between towns and

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in the last decade of the last century in the area near big

towns that more people moved from towns to villages

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and more popular as an individual means of transporta-

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of next villages to bigger towns or sometimes to nearby

small towns.

The relatively big towns in the area in question include

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small towns and villages were incorporated to them, cre-

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First group – small towns incorporated to big towns

The evolution of small towns in south-western Poland 

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century



,QWKHSODFHRIRULJLQDOVHWWOHPHQWDFDVWOHZDV

EXLOWZKLFKVXUYLYHGXQWLO:RUOG:DU,,,QWKH

cen-

tury, mineral water springs were discovered in the town,

ZKLFK PDUNHG WKH EHJLQQLQJ RI WKH UHVRUW )LJ  $O-

though the town had a market, it still had many features

typical of a village e.g. the location of the church far from

WKHPDUNHW>S@

.U]\VWNRZLFHD\RXQJHUWRZQZKLFKUHFHLYHGDWRZQ

FKDUWHULQKDVDPDUNHWZLWKWRZQKRXVHVDURXQGLW

and a railroad station. Both towns are located by the Bóbr

5LYHU1RZRJUyG%REU]DĔVNLRQLWVULJKWDQG.U]\VWNR-

wice on its left bank. They are separated not only by the

river, but by a railroad track too. Furthermore, they have

GLIIHUHQWKLVWRULHV ,Q WKH WRZQVPHUJHGUHWDLQLQJ

WKHQDPHRIRQHRIWKHP±1RZRJUyG%REU]DĔVNLDQGLQ

spite of the fact that administratively they constitute one

WRZQWKH\DFWXDOO\GRQRWFRQVWLWXWHRQHXQLW)LJ

$QRWKHUH[DPSOH RI WZR VPDOOWRZQV PHUJHGLQ RQH

DGPLQLVWUDWLYHXQLWLVWKHWRZQRI%RJXV]yZ*RUFHZKLFK

ZDVHVWDEOLVKHGLQIURP%RJXV]yZ*RUFHDQGWKH

YLOODJHRI.XĨQLFHĝZLGQLFNLH,QWKLVFDVHWKHQDPHZDV

created by combining two of the three original towns, al-

WKRXJK%RJXV]yZZKLFKUHFHLYHGDWRZQFKDUWHULQ

VHHPV PRUH SURPLQHQW WKDQ *RUFH ZKLFK LQ  ZDV

granted the status of a settlement, and received a town

FKDUWHULQ7KHVSDWLDOOD\RXWRIWKHWRZQLVUDWKHU

spread out and fragmented, which results from the fact that

WKHRULJLQDOWRZQVDUHORFDWHGRQGLIIHUHQWVLGHVRI0RXQW

&KHáPLHFZKLFKLVDQDWXUDOEDUULHUSUHYHQWLQJWKHFORVH

PHUJHURIERWKXQLWV>@

)LJ3ODQRI%LHUXĔHGE\/=LHOLĔVND

,O3ODQPLDVWD%LHUXĔRSUDF/=LHOLĔVND

)LJ)RXQWDLQRQWKHPDUNHWVTXDUHLQ%LHUXĔ6WDU\

SKRWRE\,1LHGĨZLHFND)LOLSLDN

,O)RQWDQQDQDU\QNXZ%LHUXQLX6WDU\P

IRW,1LHGĨZLHFND)LOLSLDN

)LJ0XOWLIDPLO\EXLOGLQJVLQ%LHUXĔ1RZ\ZLWK³3LDVW´PLQHVKDIW

LQWKHEDFNJURXQGSKRWRE\,1LHGĨZLHFND)LOLSLDN

,O=DEXGRZDZLHORURG]LQQDZ%LHUXQLX1RZ\PZWOHV]\ENRSDOQL

Ä3LDVW´IRW,1LHGĨZLHFND)LOLSLDN

Third group – small towns incorporated to big towns and then separated from them

The third group includes small towns which for some

WLPHDIWHUZHUHLQFRUSRUDWHGWR QHZ HPHUJLQJDJ-

glomerations, and over the last decade have been trying

to become independent. Some of them have already sepa-

rated themselves and are at the moment self-administered

units, holding the status of towns. That phenomenon is

TXLWHFRPPRQLQ 8SSHU 6LOHVLD ZLWK VXFK WRZQV DV7\-

FK\ZLWKVHSDUDWHG%LHUXĔ,PLHOLQDQG/ĊG]LQ\DVJRRG

examples.

7KHWRZQRI%LHUXĔZLWKUHVLGHQWVLVDWSUHVHQW

a rural poviat (county ,W ZDV ¿UVW PHQWLRQHG LQ 

when there was a heap with a watch tower and a customs

GXW\FKHFNSRLQWRQWKHFRPPHUFLDOURXWH%LHUXĔUHFHLYHG

DWRZQFKDUWHULQDQGLQLWEHFDPHSDUWRIWKH

3V]F]\QD)UHH6WDWH&RXQWU\7KHWRZQKDGDODUJHSRQG

DQG¿VKHU\EXWLQWKH

FHQWXU\WKHSRQGZDV¿OOHGLQ

DQGGULHGRXW,Q%LHUXĔORVWLWVWRZQFKDUWHUDQGLQ

LWUHJDLQHGLW,QWKHWRZQZDVLQFRUSRUDWHGWR

7\FK\DQGLWUHJDLQHGLWVVWDWXVRIWRZQDJDLQLQDQG

became an independent administration unit.

&XUUHQWO\ WKH WRZQ KDV WZR SDUWV %LHUXĔ 6WDU\ DQG

%LHUXĔ1RZ\ORFDWHGDERXW  NP DSDUW IURP HDFK RWKHU

)LJ7KH\KDYHGLIIHUHQWVSDWLDOOD\RXWVDQGGLIIHUHQW

DUFKLWHFWXUH%LHUXĔ6WDU\KDVDW\SLFDOOD\RXWRIDQ ROG

WRZQZLWKDVTXDUHPDUNHW,QWKHPDUNHWWKHUHLVDPRQX-

PHQWRIWKH6LOHVLDQ,QVXUJHQWVDQGDZHOOZLWKWKHVFXOS-



,QWKHRSLQLRQRI(\VPRQWWLWVWRZQFKDUWHUZDVUHJDLQHGEHIRUH

>S@

The evolution of small towns in south-western Poland 47

tures of “water demons” (Fig. 10), alluding to the legends

FRQQHFWHGZLWKWKHWRZQKLVWRU\%LHUXĔ1RZ\KDVLQWKH

center multi-family buildings and coal mine buildings.

They are the landmarks, e.g. “Piast” coal mine shaft, vis-

ible in the town as well as from outside (Fig. 11).

The town, as an independent administrative unit, is

developing very dynamically; its market square has been

renovated; a park has been designed in the place of former

ponds which were degraded by mining activity

. The town

is developing also because of the location of Katowicka

Special Economic Zone.

7KH KLVWRU\ RI /ĊG]LQ\ DQRWKHU WRZQ LQ WKDW JURXS

LVGLIIHUHQWWKDQWKDWRI%LHUXĔ,WUHFHLYHGWKH¿UVWWRZQ

charter only in 1966. Earlier, after it was established in the

century, it was a village with clearly separate monas-

tic and princely parts. Originally, it was a typical farming

YLOODJHDQGLWZDVRQO\LQWKH¿UVWKDOIRIWKH

century,

ZKHQ KDUG FRDO PLQLQJ EHJDQ EHWZHHQ /ĊG]LQ\ DQG WKH

VHWWOHPHQWRI+RáGXQyZWKDWLWWRWDOO\FKDQJHGLWVFKDUDF-

ter and the non-farming population grew.

$IWHU:RUOG :DU ,, /ĊG]LQ\ ZDV D KXGGOH RI VHWWOH-

PHQWV LQ  LW PHUJHG ZLWK +RáGXQyZ WR FUHDWH RQH

settlement, and then in 1975 it was incorporated to Tychy.

There are two clear centers in the town separated by coal

PLQLQJEXLOGLQJV7KHUHLVQRW\SLFDOPDUNHW2OG/ĊG]LQ\

ZLWK VLQJOHIDPLO\ KRXVHV VSUHDGV RXW OD]LO\ ZKHUHDV

+RáGXQyZ LV D FRPSDFW VWUXFWXUDO XQLW )LJ  0RXQW

Klimont with St. Clement’s Church is its natural landmark

(Fig. 12).

,PLHOLQLVDQRWKHUWRZQZKLFKLQVHSDUDWHGIURP

DELJWRZQDQGUHJDLQHGLWVWRZQFKDUWHU,WZDV¿UVWPHQ-

tioned in written accounts only at the end of the 14

cen-

tury [15, p. 22]. The town belonged to Poland from the

middle of the 15

century until partitions in 1772. After

liquidation of the Duchy of Warsaw, it was within the bor-

ders of Prussia until 1919 when the First Silesian Uprising

broke out

 ,Q  ,PLHOLQ EHFDPH DVHWWOHPHQW DQG LQ

)LJ3DQRUDPDRI/ĊG]LQ\IURP0RXQW.OLPRQWSKRWRE\,1LHGĨZLHFND)LOLSLDN

,O3DQRUDPDPLDVWD/ĊG]LQ\]JyU\.OLPRQWIRW,1LHGĨZLHFND)LOLSLDN

)LJ3ODQRI/ĊG]LQ\HGE\/=LHOLĔVND

,O3ODQPLDVWD/ĊG]LQ\RSUDF/=LHOLĔVND

)LJ3ODQRI,PLHOLQHGE\/=LHOLĔVND

,O3ODQPLDVWD,PLHOLQRSUDF/=LHOLĔVND

)LJ&HQWHURILQ,PLHOLQSKRWRE\,1LHGĨZLHFND)LOLSLDN

,O&HQWUDOQ\SODFZ,PLHOLQLHIRW,1LHGĨZLHFND)LOLSLDN

Recreation Park “Paciorkowce”, with the area of 36 ha, developed

by “Piast” coal mine with the use of post-mining waste (after it was tested

IRUVXLWDELOLW\ ZKLFKZDV XVHGWREXLOG¿YHKHDSVSURYLGLQJWKHPDLQ

axis of the design.

 0RUHLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWWKHSROLWLFDODQGHFRQRPLFKLVWRU\RI,PLH

lin in: [15].

 ,UHQD1LHGĨZLHFND)LOLSLDN=X]DQQD%RUF]/LOLDQD=LHOLĔVND

LWUHFHLYHGDWRZQFKDUWHU,QLWORVWLWVFKDU-

WHUDQGLWZDVLQFRUSRUDWHGWR7\FK\DQGWKHQLQWR

0\VáRZLFH ,Q  ,PLHOLQ UHJDLQHG LWV WRZQ FKDUWHU

became independent and it began to develop dynamically

and invest in its infrastructure.

'XHWRLWVKLVWRU\WKHWRZQGRHVQRWKDYHDWUDGLWLRQDO

spatial layout with a market, however, it has a clearly de-

YHORSHGFHQWHU,WLVDVTXDUHZLWKSXEOLFEXLOGLQJVORFDWHG

nearby. The place is well maintained, with parking lots and

green areas as well as street furniture, including a monu-

PHQWFRPPHPRUDWLQJWKH6LOHVLDQ,QVXUJHQWV)LJ

7KHWRZQKDVDQDWXUDOEDUULHUIRULWVGHYHORSPHQW±LW

LV']LHüNRZLFH5HVHUYRLUZKLFKEXLOWLQWKHVLQWKH

east part of gmina (local district2ULJLQDOO\LWZDVEXLOW

IRUWKHQHHGVRI.DWRZLFH6WHHOZRUNVEXWVLQFHLWKDV

EHHQWHVWHGIRUXVHDVDGULQNLQJZDWHUUHVHUYRLU)LJ

6áRZDNOXF]RZHPDáHPLDVWDWUDQVIRUPDFMHSUDZDPLHMVNLH.H\ZRUGVsmall towns, transformations, civic rights

Conclusion

$ORWRIVPDOOWRZQVLQVRFDOOHGWKH:HVWHUQ/DQGV

ORVW WKHLU WRZQ FKDUWHUV LQ  EHFDXVH RI WRR VPDOO

QXPEHU UHVLGHQWV DQG ZDU GDPDJH > S @ 6RPH RI

them did regain their town status or were incorporated to

neighboring big towns, however, many of them are still

villages. There are cases of two small towns merged into

RQH ZKLFK GLGQ¶W DOZD\V PHDQ RQH XQLIRUP VWUXFWXUH

%RWK %RJXV]yZ*RUFH DQG 1RZRJUyG %REU]DĔVNL VWLOO

have natural barriers such as rivers or mountains, prevent-

ing their closed integration.

$VGHPRQVWUDWHGWKHUHDVRQRIWKHORVVRIWRZQFKDU-

ters by small towns was also their incorporation to nearby

ELJWRZQV7KDWSKHQRPHQRQVHHPVLUUHYHUVLEOH+RZHYHU

WKHH[DPSOHVIURP6LOHVLDQ9RLYRGHVKLSFDQLQGLFDWHWKDW

VXFKLQFRUSRUDWLRQVVKRXOGEHQH¿WWKHZKROHVWUXFWXUHRU

otherwise small towns strive to separate themselves and

UHJDLQWKHLUDGPLQLVWUDWLYHLQGHSHQGHQFH%LHUXĔ,PLHOLQ

DQG/ĊG]LQ\UHJDLQHGWKHLUWRZQFKDUWHUVDQGWKDWIDFLOLWDW-

HGWKHLUVLJQL¿FDQWGHYHORSPHQWDQGLQYHVWPHQWVLQWHFK-

nical as well as social infrastructure by developing culture

and recreation.

Translated by

7DGHXV]6]DáDPDFKD

References

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