Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Silesia: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As Schlesien • Slezsko • Śląsk

Photos and Videos

Wrocław: old town square
Map of Europe highlighting the historical region of Silesia in orange, spanning parts of present-day southwestern Poland and northeastern Czech Republic. Surrounding countries and major bodies of water, such as the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean Sea, are labeled for geographic context. An inset in the upper left shows the location of Silesia within the European continent.
A French tank and soldiers in helmets move through a cobblestone street lined with buildings, dispersing crowds during the Silesian uprisings in Kattowitz, Poland, circa 1919-1921.
Deciding Germany's Future: The Potsdam Conference
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics

Related Places

Nysa
Opolskie
province, Poland
Poland
Poland
country, Europe
Historical map showing the unification of Germany by Prussia in the late 19th century. The map highlights in green the Kingdom of Prussia as of 1866, and in yellow the additional territories that formed the German Empire by 1871-1918, encompassing most of north-central Europe. Neighboring countries such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Switzerland are labeled, with major regions and states within the empire clearly marked.
Prussia
historic region, Europe

Key People

default image
Piast Dynasty
Polish ruling family
Schwenckfeld, detail from a portrait by an unknown artist, 1556; in the Schwenkfelder Library, Pennsburg, Pa.
Kaspar Schwenckfeld von Ossig
German theologian
Opitz, Martin
Martin Opitz
German poet
Nathanael Pringsheim.
Nathanael Pringsheim
German botanist
Maimon, engraving by Wilhelm Arndt
Salomon Maimon
Jewish philosopher
Albert
Albert
king of Saxony
Johann Yorck, Graf von Wartenburg
Johann Yorck, count von Wartenburg
Prussian field marshal
Wolff, Christian, freiherr von
Christian, baron von Wolff
German philosopher
default image
Wojciech Korfanty
Polish politician
default image
Joseph Olbrich
German architect
Agricola, Martin: Musica instrumentalis deudsch
Martin Agricola
German composer
default image
Petr Bezruč
Czech poet
default image
Johann Palisa
Silesian astronomer
default image
Witelo
Polish natural scientist and philosopher