Tychy
Encyclopedia
Tychy is a city in Silesia
, Poland, approximately 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) south of Katowice
. Situated on the southern edge of the Upper Silesian industrial district, the city borders Katowice to the north, Mikołów to the west, Bieruń
to the east and Kobiór
to the south. The Gostynia river, a tributary of the Vistula
, flows through Tychy.
Since 1999 Tychy has been located within the Silesian Voivodeship
, a province consisting of 71 regional towns and cities. Tychy is also one of the founding cities of the Metropolitan Association of Upper Silesia, a pan-Silesian economic and political union formed with the eventual aim of bringing the most populous Silesian areas under a single administrative body.
Tychy is well known for its brewing industry, which dates back to the 17th century. Since 1950 Tychy has grown rapidly, mainly as a result of post-war Communist planning policies enacted to disperse the population of industrial Upper Silesia.
and Mikołów, Tychy was first documented in 1467. In 1629 the first trace of serious economic activity was recorded in the shape of the Książęcy Brewery, which is now one of the largest breweries in Poland.
From 1526 onwards the area on which Tychy is built was part of the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy
. This situation came to an end when Prussia
forcibly took the land in 1742, before itself becoming the German Empire
between 1871 and 1918. For a short period between 1918 and 1921 Tychy was just inside the border of the newly formed Weimar Republic
and still a part of the German Province of Silesia
, only securing its place within the Second Polish Republic
after the armed Silesian Uprisings
(1919 to 1921).
Shortly after its return to Polish territory Tychy began to develop into a small urban settlement, acquiring a hospital, a fire station, a post office, a school, a swimming pool, a bowling hall and a number of shops and restaurants. Its population also grew between World War I and World War II, reaching 11,000 at its highest point during this time.
s" in Poland and was built from 1950 to 1985 to allow for urban expansion in the southeast of the Upper Silesian industrial region
. By 2006 the population had reached 132,500.
The design and planning of New Tychy was entrusted to Kazimierz Wejchert and his wife Hanna Adamczewska-Wejchert.
In the administrative reforms which came into effect in 1999, Tychy was made a city with the status of a powiat
(a city county). From 1999–2002 it was also the administrative seat of (but not part of) an entity called Tychy County (powiat tyski); this is now known as Bieruń-Lędziny County
. Tychy is twinned with the town of Milton Keynes, UK.
A large Fiat
car factory is located in Tychy, with production of nearly half a million cars in 2008. The fast-selling 500 is made exclusively in Tychy.
Another model made exclusively in Tychy, is the Fiat Panda
. Since May 2011 in Tychy will start production of the first model of this mark - all-new Lancia Ypsilon
3rd generation.
Tyskie
beer is brewed in Tychy.
club is amongst the most successful in Poland and plays in its premier league, the Ekstraliga
. Established in 1971, the team won the Polish Championships in 2005 and has won the Polish Cup four times. The club is housed in the newly refurbished Tychy Winter Stadium , which seats 2,700 people.
Several players from the club have gone on to play in the American and Canadian NHL
. These include Mariusz Czerkawski
and Krzysztof Oliwa
.
. Throughout a varied career the club reached a pinnacle between 1974 and 1977, making it into top Polish league Ekstraklasa. During those glory days GKS Tychy also participated in the 1976–77 UEFA Cup. Tychy City Stadium is home to the club and seats 12,000 spectators.
A few notable footballers were either born in Tychy or spent some of their career at the club, the most famous being Real Madrid
and Poland
goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek
. Ekstraklasa player Bartosz Karwan
started his career there, as did retired player Radosław Gilewicz. Bayer Leverkusen
defender Lukas Sinkiewicz
was born in Tychy, but now holds German nationality.
They are allied with Cracovia Krakow
team Big Star Tychy, futsal
team GKS Jachym Tychy and floorball
team TKKF Pionier Tychy.
(1802–1865) was born in Paprotzan, Prussia, which is now situated within modern day Tychy. Most famous for his grand neoclassical works, Kiss also sculpted the fine pulpit of St. Adalbert's church in Tychy's neighbouring town of Mikołów. Augustyn Dyrda (b. 1926) is a sculptor who currently resides in the city and is best known for his socialist realist
and modernist works, including several in Tychy itself.
Soldier Roman Polko
(b.1962) is one son of Tychy whose achievements hold national importance today. His distinguished career has led him to the post of acting chief in Poland's Bureau of National Security.
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, Poland, approximately 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) south of Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
. Situated on the southern edge of the Upper Silesian industrial district, the city borders Katowice to the north, Mikołów to the west, Bieruń
Bierun
Bieruń is a town in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland, about south of Katowice. The town belongs to the Silesian Voivodeship since its formation in 1999, previously to Katowice Voivodeship and, before World War II, was part of the Polish Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship.-Geography:It is located...
to the east and Kobiór
Kobiór
Kobiór is a village in Pszczyna County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Kobiór. It lies approximately north of Pszczyna and south of the regional capital Katowice.The village has a population of 4,702.-References:Notes...
to the south. The Gostynia river, a tributary of the Vistula
Vistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
, flows through Tychy.
Since 1999 Tychy has been located within the Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship, or Silesia Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centering on the historic region known as Upper Silesia...
, a province consisting of 71 regional towns and cities. Tychy is also one of the founding cities of the Metropolitan Association of Upper Silesia, a pan-Silesian economic and political union formed with the eventual aim of bringing the most populous Silesian areas under a single administrative body.
Tychy is well known for its brewing industry, which dates back to the 17th century. Since 1950 Tychy has grown rapidly, mainly as a result of post-war Communist planning policies enacted to disperse the population of industrial Upper Silesia.
Districts
- Cielmice (Tychy) (south)
- Czułów (Tychy) (north)
- Glinka (Tychy) (west)
- Jaroszowice (Tychy) (north-east)
- Mąkołowiec (north-west)
- Paprocany (south)
- Śródmieście (city centre)
- Stare Tychy (cetre)
- Suble (Tychy)
- Urbanowice (Tychy) (east)
- Wartogłowiec (north)
- Wilkowyje (north-west)
- Wygorzele (Tychy) (north)
- Zawiść (Tychy) (north-east)
- Zwierzyniec (Tychy) (north)
- Żwaków (west)
- Osiedle "A(nna)" w Tychach
Etymology
The moniker Tychy is derived from the Polish word cichy, meaning "quiet" or "still". Although appropriate for most of Tychy's history, the name is now somewhat ironic considering the growth of the city from 1950 onwards.Origins and development
Originally established as a small agricultural settlement on the medieval trade route between OświęcimOswiecim
Oświęcim is a town in the Lesser Poland province of southern Poland, situated west of Kraków, near the confluence of the rivers Vistula and Soła.- History :...
and Mikołów, Tychy was first documented in 1467. In 1629 the first trace of serious economic activity was recorded in the shape of the Książęcy Brewery, which is now one of the largest breweries in Poland.
From 1526 onwards the area on which Tychy is built was part of the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
. This situation came to an end when Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
forcibly took the land in 1742, before itself becoming the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
between 1871 and 1918. For a short period between 1918 and 1921 Tychy was just inside the border of the newly formed Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
and still a part of the German Province of Silesia
Province of Silesia
The Province of Silesia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1815 to 1919.-Geography:The territory comprised the bulk of the former Bohemian crown land of Silesia and the County of Kladsko, which King Frederick the Great had conquered from the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy in the 18th...
, only securing its place within the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
after the armed Silesian Uprisings
Silesian Uprisings
The Silesian Uprisings were a series of three armed uprisings of the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia, from 1919–1921, against German rule; the resistance hoped to break away from Germany in order to join the Second Polish Republic, which had been established in the wake of World War I...
(1919 to 1921).
Shortly after its return to Polish territory Tychy began to develop into a small urban settlement, acquiring a hospital, a fire station, a post office, a school, a swimming pool, a bowling hall and a number of shops and restaurants. Its population also grew between World War I and World War II, reaching 11,000 at its highest point during this time.
1939 to 1945: invasion and occupation
Along with the rest of industrial Upper Silesia Tychy was occupied by Nazi forces after the invasion of Poland and absorbed into the Third Reich, while many of its inhabitants who were not expelled or exterminated were forced to change their nationality to German in order to comply with the racist policies of Nazi Germany. Fortunately the city received minimal damage during the invasion, thanks largely to the fact that most of the nearby fighting took place in the Mikołów-Wyry area.New Tychy
The "New City" was designated by the Polish government in 1950 and deliberately located near to Katowice with the intention that it would not be a self-sustaining city. Tychy is the largest of the so-called "new townNew town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
s" in Poland and was built from 1950 to 1985 to allow for urban expansion in the southeast of the Upper Silesian industrial region
Upper Silesian Industrial Region
The Upper Silesian Industrial Region is a large industrial region in Poland. It lies mainly in the Silesian Voivodeship, centered around Katowice....
. By 2006 the population had reached 132,500.
The design and planning of New Tychy was entrusted to Kazimierz Wejchert and his wife Hanna Adamczewska-Wejchert.
In the administrative reforms which came into effect in 1999, Tychy was made a city with the status of a powiat
Powiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...
(a city county). From 1999–2002 it was also the administrative seat of (but not part of) an entity called Tychy County (powiat tyski); this is now known as Bieruń-Lędziny County
Bierun-Ledziny County
Bieruń-Lędziny County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Bieruń, which lies ...
. Tychy is twinned with the town of Milton Keynes, UK.
A large Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
car factory is located in Tychy, with production of nearly half a million cars in 2008. The fast-selling 500 is made exclusively in Tychy.
Another model made exclusively in Tychy, is the Fiat Panda
Fiat Panda
The Fiat Panda is a city car from the Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat. The first Fiat Panda was introduced in 1980, and was produced until 2003 with only a few changes. It is now sometimes referred to as the "old Panda". The second model, launched in 2003, is sometimes referred to "New Panda"...
. Since May 2011 in Tychy will start production of the first model of this mark - all-new Lancia Ypsilon
Lancia Ypsilon
The Lancia Ypsilon is a supermini produced by Italian automaker Lancia since 1996. It is the replacement of the Y10, although larger and more expensive...
3rd generation.
Tyskie
Tyskie
Tyskie is one of the best selling brands of beer in Europe, with around 18% of the European market. Tyskie also has a world distribution, one the biggest export partners is Canada and the United States...
beer is brewed in Tychy.
Sports
Tychy is home to two major sporting teams, both named GKS Tychy. GKS stands for Górniczy Klub Sportowy, (Miner's Sporting Club), which is a common prefix for Polish sports teams situated near mines or in mining regions.Ice hockey
GKS Tychy ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
club is amongst the most successful in Poland and plays in its premier league, the Ekstraliga
Polska Liga Hokejowa
The Polish Hockey Superleague is the premier ice hockey league in Poland.-Teams 2010-11 season:*Aksam Unia Oswiecim*Akuna Naprzod Janow*Ciarko KH Sanok*Comarch Cracovia*GKS Tychy*JKH GKS Jastrzebie...
. Established in 1971, the team won the Polish Championships in 2005 and has won the Polish Cup four times. The club is housed in the newly refurbished Tychy Winter Stadium , which seats 2,700 people.
Several players from the club have gone on to play in the American and Canadian NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. These include Mariusz Czerkawski
Mariusz Czerkawski
Mariusz Czerkawski is a retired Polish ice hockey player. He played for the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League . In addition to playing in the NHL, Czerkawski played for several different European-based teams...
and Krzysztof Oliwa
Krzysztof Oliwa
Krzysztof Artur Oliwa is a Polish former professional ice hockey player. He played as a left winger in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
.
Football
GKS Tychy football club was also established in 1971 and currently plays in the Polish Second LeaguePolish Second League
II Liga is a Polish football league that sits at the 3rd tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season II Liga referred to a league at the 2nd tier, although this changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland...
. Throughout a varied career the club reached a pinnacle between 1974 and 1977, making it into top Polish league Ekstraklasa. During those glory days GKS Tychy also participated in the 1976–77 UEFA Cup. Tychy City Stadium is home to the club and seats 12,000 spectators.
A few notable footballers were either born in Tychy or spent some of their career at the club, the most famous being Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Henryk Dudek is a retired Polish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.After beginning his career in his home country, he went on to have successful spells in Netherlands and England, winning the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, appearing in 186 official games for the club over...
. Ekstraklasa player Bartosz Karwan
Bartosz Karwan
-Club:He spent 2 seasons in the Bundesliga with Hertha BSC.In September 2010, he joined GKS Katowice. He was released one year later.-International:He was a part of Poland national football team, which appeared 22 times and scored 4 goals.-Honours:...
started his career there, as did retired player Radosław Gilewicz. Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
defender Lukas Sinkiewicz
Lukas Sinkiewicz
Lukas Sinkiewicz is a German footballer who plays as a defender for VfL Bochum. He has represented Germany on three occasions.-Career:...
was born in Tychy, but now holds German nationality.
They are allied with Cracovia Krakow
Cracovia Kraków
Cracovia is a professional multisports club based in Kraków, Poland. Cracovia is the oldest Polish football club still in existence , and has continually participated in competition since its founding on 13 June 1906...
Other sporting teams
Tychy is also home to several other sports teams, including basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team Big Star Tychy, futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
team GKS Jachym Tychy and floorball
Floorball
Floorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s in Sweden. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played...
team TKKF Pionier Tychy.
Notable people
Tychy has been the birth place and home of notable people, both past and present. German sculptor August KissAugust Kiss
August Karl Eduard Kiss was a German sculptor.Kiss studied at the Berlin Academy under Christian Rauch, Tieck and Schinkel...
(1802–1865) was born in Paprotzan, Prussia, which is now situated within modern day Tychy. Most famous for his grand neoclassical works, Kiss also sculpted the fine pulpit of St. Adalbert's church in Tychy's neighbouring town of Mikołów. Augustyn Dyrda (b. 1926) is a sculptor who currently resides in the city and is best known for his socialist realist
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
and modernist works, including several in Tychy itself.
Soldier Roman Polko
Roman Polko
Major General dr Roman Polko is a Polish Army officer, acting chief of Biuro Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego , former commander of "GROM", doctor of military science studies, speciality: management....
(b.1962) is one son of Tychy whose achievements hold national importance today. His distinguished career has led him to the post of acting chief in Poland's Bureau of National Security.
People from the city
- Adam Juretzko, German wrestler
- August Kiß, German sculptor
- Bartosz KarwanBartosz Karwan-Club:He spent 2 seasons in the Bundesliga with Hertha BSC.In September 2010, he joined GKS Katowice. He was released one year later.-International:He was a part of Poland national football team, which appeared 22 times and scored 4 goals.-Honours:...
, footballer - Józef KrupińskiJózef KrupinskiJózef Krupiński was a Polish poet. He spent the last days of his life in Orzesze, Poland. Prizewinner of the Edward Stachura Award and member of the Association of Polish Writers in Katowice....
, lyricist - Krzysztof OliwaKrzysztof OliwaKrzysztof Artur Oliwa is a Polish former professional ice hockey player. He played as a left winger in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, icehockey player - Lucyna Langer, female athlete
- Łukasz Sinkiewicz, footballer
- Mariusz CzerkawskiMariusz CzerkawskiMariusz Czerkawski is a retired Polish ice hockey player. He played for the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League . In addition to playing in the NHL, Czerkawski played for several different European-based teams...
, icehockey player - Roman OgazaRoman OgazaRoman Grzegorz Ogaza was a Polish football player.-Life and work:Roman Ogaza was born 17 November in Katowice. He was a striker...
, footballer - Ryszard RiedelRyszard RiedelRyszard Henryk Riedel – was the original lead singer of blues-rock band Dżem . He is often regarded as one of the most popular and well known vocalist of Polish music along with occasional collaborator Czesław Niemen...
, musician, lived here - Ireneusz KrosnyIreneusz KrosnyIreneusz Krosny is a Polish actor and mime artist. Born in Tychy, between 1982 and 1992 he worked with three amateur pantomime groups, most notably, "Scena Pantomimy", founded and led by Krosny He began his professional career in 1992 with the solo act "One Mime Theatre"...
, pantomime comedian
External links
- Makropix.com, 360° interactive view of a square in Old Tychy