Editing Sosnowiec (section)

==History==
===Early history===
[[File:Zamek Sielecki 2.JPG|thumb|left|Medieval [[Sielecki Castle]] in the Sielec district]]

The history of the city begins in 1902 when it was granted [[town privileges|city rights]] after the merger a number of older settlements. However, the history of the village of Sosnowiec dates back to the year 1227, when it was mentioned for the first time. It was a small settlement in the Polish [[Seniorate Province|Duchy of Kraków]], located in close vicinity of much larger and better-developed villages of Sielce and [[Zagórze, Sosnowiec|Zagórze]] (both are now districts of the city). Other districts are even older. Milowice was first mentioned in 1123 as ''Miley''. Documents from 1228 already mention Milowice, [[Klimontów, Sosnowiec|Klimontów]], and [[Zagórze, Sosnowiec|Zagórze]]. Furthermore, Milowice was placed on a 1561 map.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

As part of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], Sosnowiec belonged to [[Kraków Voivodeship (14th century – 1795)|Kraków Voivodeship]] in the larger [[Lesser Poland Province, Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Lesser Poland Province]]. It became a [[border town]] after the neighbouring [[Duchy of Silesia|Duchies of Silesia]] passed to the [[Lands of the Bohemian Crown|Bohemian Crown]] in 1335. In the result of the [[third partition of Poland]] in 1795, however, it was seized by the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] and was included into the newly established province of [[New Silesia]]. During the [[Napoleonic Wars]], it became part of the [[Duchy of Warsaw]] in 1807 and later, of [[Congress Poland]] ruled by the [[Namiestnik of Poland|namiestniks]] of the [[Russian Empire]]. Located at the borders with the [[German Empire]] and [[Austria-Hungary]], Sosnowiec became famous for the [[Three Emperors' Corner]] [[tripoint]], which was located within current limits of the city. During the [[January Uprising]], in February 1863, the [[Battle of Sosnowiec]] was fought, in which Polish insurgents led by {{interlanguage link|Apolinary Kurowski|pl|display=1}}<nowiki/> defeated the Russians.<ref name=tz>{{cite web|url=http://twojezaglebie.pl/powstanie-styczniowe-zaglebiu/|title=Powstanie styczniowe w Zagłębiu. Sprawdź, jak Zagłębiacy zaskoczyli Imperium Rosyjskie|website=Twoje Zagłębie|author=Mateusz Załęski|date=29 January 2017|access-date=7 November 2020|language=pl}}</ref> The victory allowed the Poles to take control of the surrounding towns as well.<ref name=tz/>

===City rights===
[[File:Sosnowiec - ul. Malachowskiego. 1930-1935 (71359139).jpg|thumb|left|Sosnowiec in the 1930s]]
With effect from 10 June 1902, by the order of Emperor [[Nicholas II of Russia]], Sosnowiec was legally named a city with the area of {{convert|19|km²|0|abbr=out}} and with 60,000 inhabitants. Obtaining the city rights helped the economic and cultural development of the town. Apart from steelworks and coal-mines and many enterprises of heavy and light industry, new cultural and social establishments were opened as well. The newly established town consisted of the districts of Sosnowiec, Pogoń, Ostra Górka, Sielec, Kuźnica and Radocha, all of which had been separate villages before. The very fact that Russian authorities waited for so long to grant Sosnowiec town rights is seen as a punishment for local support for the Polish [[January Uprising]] 1863/64, after which numerous towns had seen their status, and were reduced to a village status. Sosnowiec was the first post-1860s location in Congress Poland to have received town charter, the second being [[Puławy]] in 1906.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}
 
Natural resources and a good geographical location had an important influence on the development of Sosnowiec. The opening of a branch line of the [[Warsaw-Vienna Railway]] in 1859 was vitally important for the growth of the town. Development of industry with the new factory of rope and wire, rolling mill, steelworks, iron foundry, steam boilers factory, and later spinning mill, dye-house and paper mill sealed the new image of the town as entirely urban. The ''Summer Theatre'' and, in 1887, the ''Winter Theatre ''were founded, the second of which was called City Theatre from 1924 in [[Second Polish Republic|independent Poland]], and later the ''Theatre of Zagłębie''. In 1915, the village of [[Środula]] was incorporated into Sosnowiec.

Poland finally regained independence in 1918, after [[World War I]]. In the [[Second Polish Republic]], Sosnowiec became part of the [[Kielce Voivodeship]], and in 1934 the ''City County of Sosnowiec'' was established. Sosnowiec suffered war damages during both major military conflicts in the 20th century: [[World War I]], which caused mainly destruction to industry, and [[World War II]], which brought about the terror of executions.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

===World War II===
[[File:Public execution of Poles, Sosnowiec city, German-occupied Poland, 1939.jpg|thumb|left|Public execution of Poles in 1939 by the Germans during World War II]]
After the 1939 [[Invasion of Poland]], which started [[World War II]], the city was [[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|occupied]] by [[Nazi Germany]] and renamed ''Sosnowitz''. On September 4, 1939, German troops murdered 10 Poles, including 15-year-old boy Henryk Słomka, in Sosnowiec in revenge for Polish defense.<ref name=mw>{{cite book|last=Wardzyńska|first=Maria|year=2009|title=Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=[[Institute of National Remembrance|IPN]]|page=135}}</ref> Around the same time, the Germans murdered nine Poles in nearby [[Klimontów, Sosnowiec|Klimontów]] (present-day district of Sosnowiec).<ref name=mw/> The ''[[Einsatzgruppen|Einsatzgruppe zbV]]'' entered the city on September 12, 1939.<ref>Wardzyńska, p. 59</ref> The German police carried out mass searches of Polish houses.<ref>Wardzyńska, p. 119</ref> Initially under [[Military Administration in Poland|military administration]] set up as part of the [[General Government]], Sosnowiec was [[Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany|annexed by Germany]] and incorporated into the [[Province of Silesia]] on 20 November 1939. In March 1940, the Germans established a transit camp (''Gefangenensammellager'') for arrested Poles in Sosnowiec.<ref>Wardzyńska, p. 139</ref> Inhabitants of Sosnowiec were also among Poles murdered in [[Celiny, Tarnowskie Góry County|Celiny]] in June 1940.<ref>Wardzyńska, p. 142</ref> The Germans operated three labour subcamps of the [[Stalag VIII-B|Stalag VIII-B/344]] [[German prisoner-of-war camps in World War II|prisoner-of-war camp]] in the city, and two more in the present-day district of Klimontów.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lamsdorf.com/working-parties.html|title=Working Parties|website=Lamsdorf: Stalag VIIIB 344 Prisoner of War Camp 1940 - 1945|access-date=7 November 2020}}</ref> The [[Polish resistance movement in World War II|Polish underground resistance movement]] was active in the city.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

[[File:Sosnowiec Ghetto liquidation.jpg|thumb|alt=|Liquidation of the [[Sosnowiec Ghetto]] in 1943 by the Germans during World War&nbsp;II]]
In June 1943 thousands of Jews were deported from [[Sosnowiec Ghetto]] to the [[Auschwitz concentration camp]]. The ghetto was liquidated two months later and almost all remaining Jews (around 15,000) were also deported to Auschwitz. Previously there had been considerable underground activity among them. The Germans established and operated two subcamps of the Auschwitz concentration camp in the city. In the first subcamp they held about 100 Polish [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labourers]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://auschwitz.org/en/history/auschwitz-sub-camps/sosnowitz-i/|title=Sosnowitz (I)|website=Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau|access-date=7 November 2020}}</ref> and in the second, larger, they held hundreds of forced labourers, initially mostly Jews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://auschwitz.org/en/history/auschwitz-sub-camps/sosnowitz-ii/|title=Sosnowitz (II)|website=Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau|access-date=7 November 2020}}</ref> In 1944, the Germans sent [[Kidnapping of children by Nazi Germany|kidnapped Polish children]] from Sosnowiec to the [[Potulice concentration camp]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Paczoska|first=Alicja|year=2003|title=Dzieci Potulic|magazine=Biuletyn Instytutu Pamięci Narodowej|language=pl|publisher=IPN|issue=12–1 (35–36)|page=63|issn=1641-9561}}</ref>

The [[Vistula–Oder Offensive]] of the [[Red Army]] in January 1945 brought about the liberation of the city.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

===Post-war===
[[File:Hotel Centrum Sosnowiec Warszawska nocą.jpg|thumb|Hotel Centrum]]
After World War II, Sosnowiec further developed. On June 1, 1975, the metropolitan area was expanded when the neighbouring locations of Zagórze, Kazimierz Górniczy, Porąbka, Klimontów, and Maczki, became its districts. By 1977 the population of the city reached 200,000. Further growth was accelerated by the construction of [[Katowice Steelworks]], and in 1981, the population of Sosnowiec was 250,000, reaching its peak in 1987, when it was 259,000. Since then, the population has been declining. In 1992, the city became the seat of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Sosnowiec]].