Early history

A historic metallurgical building in Zabrze

Biskupice, which is now a subdivision of Zabrze, was first mentioned in 1243 as Biscupici dicitur cirka Bitom. Zabrze (or Old Zabrze) was mentioned in 1295–1305 as Sadbre sive Cunczindorf (German for Konrad/Kunze's village; sive = "or"). According to historical sources, mining in Zabrze dates back to the 13th century.^[4] The present-day districts of Mikulczyce and Rokitnica were locations of motte-and-bailey castles from the 13th-15th century, which are now archaeological sites.^[5][6] In the 1970s, archaeologists discovered an Epipalaeolithic flintwork and flint tools from the Mesolithic at the Mikulczyce archaeological site.^[5] In the Late Middle Ages, the local Silesian Piast dukes invited German settlers into the territory, resulting in increasing German settlement. The settlement was part of the Silesian duchies of fragmented Poland. Zabrze became part of the Habsburg monarchy in 1526. In 1645, along with the Duchy of Opole, Zabrze returned to Polish rule under the House of Vasa, in 1666 it fell back to the Habsburgs, and was later annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia during the Silesian Wars. In 1774, the Dorotheendorf settlement was founded. In 1791, a coking coal seam was discovered in Zabrze, and then its first coking coal mine was opened.^[4] In the 19th century, new coal mines, steelworks, factories and a power plant were created. A road connecting Gliwice and Chorzów and a railway connecting Opole and Świętochłowice were led through Zabrze.

Early 20th century

In 1905, the Zabrze commune was formed by the former communes Alt-Zabrze, Klein-Zabrze and Dorotheendorf. The Zabrze commune was renamed Hindenburg in 1915 in honour of Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg. The name change was approved by Emperor Wilhelm II on 21 February 1915.^[7] Up until then, it was one of the few cities whose Polish name was retained during German rule.

In 1904 the "Sokół" Polish Gymnastic Society in Zabrze was established, which was also a Polish patriotic and pro-independence organization.^[8] As a result of the Prussian harassment it was liquidated in 1911, but it was reactivated twice, in 1913 and 1918.^[9][8] Its members took an active part in the post-war plebiscite campaign and the Silesian uprisings.^[8]

Interwar period

Typical Jugendstil architecture on Wolności (Liberty) Street in Zabrze

During the plebiscite held after World War I, 21,333 inhabitants (59%) of the Hindenburg commune voted to remain in Germany, while 14,873 (41%) voted for incorporation to Poland, which just regained its independence.^[7] In May 1921 the Third Silesian Uprising broke out and Hindenburg was captured by Polish insurgents, who held it until the end of the uprising.^[7] When Upper Silesia was divided between Poland and Germany in 1921, the Hindenburg commune remained in Germany, while the present-day districts of Kończyce, Makoszowy and Pawłów were reintegrated with Poland.^[7] It received its city charter in 1922. Just five years after receiving city rights Hindenburg became the biggest city in German-ruled western Upper Silesia and the second biggest city in German-ruled Silesia after Wrocław (then Breslau). Nevertheless, various Polish organizations still operated in the city in the interbellum, including a local branch of the Union of Poles in Germany,^[10] Polish libraries, sports clubs, credit unions, choirs, scout troops and an amateur theater.^[11] Polish newspaper Głos Ludu was published in the city.^[12] In a secret Sicherheitsdienst report from 1934, Zabrze was named one of the main centers of the Polish movement in western Upper Silesia.^[13] In terms of religion, most of the city's population adhered to the Catholic Church.^[14]

In the 1920s, the communists, Christian democrats and nationalists enjoyed the greatest support among the German population, while Poles supported Polish parties.^[15] In 1928, among the largest cities in western Upper Silesia, Polish parties received the most votes in Zabrze.^[11] In the March 1933 elections, most of the citizens voted for the Nazi Party, followed by Zentrum and the Communist Party. Nazi politician Max Fillusch became the city's mayor and remained in the position until 1945.^[16]

A monument commemorating the fallen in the fight for the liberation of Silesia in the Silesian uprisings and World War II

The anti-Polish organization Bund Deutscher Osten was very active in the city, it dealt with propaganda, indoctrination and espionage of the Polish community, as well as denouncing Poles to local authorities.^[17] When, the Barbórka (traditional holiday of miners) church services were organized separately for Poles and Germans in 1936, the Polish service enjoyed a greater attendance,^[18] however, due to Nazi oppression and propaganda, the attendance at Polish services in the 1930s gradually decreased, according to Bund Deutscher Osten.^[19] Polish activists were increasingly persecuted since 1937.^[10] People were urged to Germanise their names, Polish inscriptions were removed from tombstones.^[17] Some Polish priests were expelled from the city, both before^[20] and during World War II.^[21] As a result of German persecution the Jewish community dropped from 1,154 people in 1933 to 551 in 1939, and its remainder was deported to concentration camps in 1942.^[14] The town's synagogue, that had stood since 1872, was destroyed in the Kristallnacht pogroms of November 1938.^[22]

World War Two

During World War II, in 1941 the German administration requisitioned church property, in which it removed Polish symbols and memorabilia.^[23] Church bells were confiscated for war purposes in 1942.^[24] The Germans established three forced labour subcamps of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner-of-war camp in the city, two of which operated in the local coal mines,^[25] and also a subcamp of Auschwitz III was located there. Another subcamp of Stalag VIII-B/344 (E51) was operated at a coal mine in the present-day Mikulczyce district.^[25]

In January 1945, the Soviets captured the city and afterwards deported some inhabitants to the Soviet Union, while most of the German inhabitants were expelled west in accordance to the Potsdam Agreement.

Contemporary history

Ludwik coal mine, closed down in 1978

Following World War II, according to the Potsdam Agreement the city was handed over to Poland in 1945 and the town's name was changed to the historic Zabrze on 19 May 1945. The first post-war mayor of Zabrze was Paweł Dubiel, pre-war Polish activist and journalist in Upper Silesia, prisoner of the Dachau and Mauthausen concentration camps during the war.^[26] The pre-war Polish inhabitants of the region were joined by Poles expelled from former eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union (from Kresy). Moreover, Polish settlers from the central part of Poland also settled in Zabrze.

The city limits were largely expanded in 1951, by including Mikulczyce, Rokitnica, Grzybowice, Makoszowy, Kończyce and Pawłów as new districts.^[27] New neighbourhoods were built from the 1950s to 1990s.^[27] In 1948, Górnik Zabrze football club was founded, which won its first Polish championship in 1957, and soon became the pride of the city as one of the most successful clubs in Poland.

Bibliography

• Cygański, Mirosław (1984). "Hitlerowskie prześladowania przywódców i aktywu Związków Polaków w Niemczech w latach 1939 – 1945". Przegląd Zachodni (in Polish) (4).
• Rosenbaum, Sebastian; Węcki, Mirosław (2010). Nadzorować, interweniować, karać. Nazistowski obóz władzy wobec Kościoła katolickiego w Zabrzu (1934–1944). Wybór dokumentów (in Polish). Katowice: IPN. ISBN 978-83-8098-299-4.