Rybnik is a city in southern
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, in the
Silesian VoivodeshipSilesian Voivodeship is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centring on the region known as Upper Silesia...
. Rybnik is located close to the border with the
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
and just outside the southern border of the largest
urban areaAn urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
in Poland, the
Upper Silesian Metropolitan UnionMetropolitan Association of Upper Silesia also Upper-Silesian Metropolis also Metropolis "Silesia" / "Silesia" Metropolis is a union of 14 adjacent cities in the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland....
. Rybnik is about 290 km south of
WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2009 was estimated at 1,709,781, and the Warsaw metropolitan area at approximately 2,785,000...
and about 100 km west of
KrakówKraków , in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow and pronounced
, is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland and a popular tourist destination. Its historic centre was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites as the first of its kind...
.
The city of Rybnik has a population of about 141,000, and its metropolitan area is 0.7 million. The Rybnik area is an important economic region of Poland, and visible center of culture, with a famous School of Music and Philharmonic Orchestra.
Population and location
The city itself has 141,374 inhabitants (including 0.03% foreigners),
densityThe density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol of density is ρ .- Formula :Mathematically:where: is the density, is the mass, is the volume....
: 961 per km². (as of 31 Dec 2003). Rybnik ranks as
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
's 25th largest city. Rybnik's
unemploymentUnemployment occurs when a person is available to work and seeking work but currently without work. The prevalence of unemployment is usually measured using the unemployment rate, which is defined as the percentage of those in the labor force who are unemployed...
is significantly lower (4.6%) than the national average of 8.8% (as of October 2008). Ethnically, 88% of Rybnik's population declare themselves as
PolesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a Western Slavic ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Poles are sometimes defined as people who share a common Polish culture and are of Polish descent. Their religion is predominantly Roman Catholic...
, 9% as
SilesiansSilesians , are the inhabitants of Silesia in Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic....
and 3% as "others".
The city of Rybnik is the centre of a metropolitan area, the Rybnik Coal Region ( with a population of 0.7 million. The distance to
KatowiceKatowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about 50 km on north from the Silesian Beskids and about 100 km on south-east from Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Metropolitan...
is about 50 km, and to
OstravaOstrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic, however it is the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. It is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava is located at the confluence of the Ostravice,...
is about 30 km.
History
The city's name derives from the Polish word for "fish" (
ryba) and meant "fishpond" in the Old
Polish languagePolish is a West Slavic language and the official language of Poland. Its written standard is the Polish alphabet which corresponds basically to the Latin alphabet with a few additions...
. (In
RomanyRomany relates or may refer to:*The Romani people, also known as Gypsies*Romani language or Romany language, the language of the Romani people*"Romany", the pseudonym of a broadcaster and writer of Romani descent, George Bramwell Evens...
,
rebniko means "fishpond" to this day). The name highlights the importance of
fish farmingFish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases juvenile fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...
for the city's economy in the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
, which is reflected in its
coat of armsA coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways. Historically, they were used by knights to identify them apart from enemy...
until this day.
The city's origins can be traced back into the 9th and 10th century, when three
SlavicThe Slavic Peoples are an ethnic and linguistic branch of Indo-European peoples, living mainly in eastern and central Europe. From the early 6th century they spread from their original homeland to inhabit most of eastern Central Europe, Eastern Europe and the Balkans...
settlements existed on Rybnik's present-day territory which eventually merged to form one town. In the course of the medieval eastward migration of German settlers (
OstsiedlungThis article covers the medieval eastward migrations of Germans. For a general view, see History of German settlement in Eastern EuropeOstsiedlung, literally "settlement in the east", also called German eastward expansion, refers to the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from...
), Rybnik, as many other Polish settlements, was incorporated (granted city status and right) according to the so-called Magdeburg Law at some point before 1308 (the exact date remains unknown). This, however, is not to be confused with a change in national affiliation; Rybnik continued to be part of the
KingdomThe person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch. It was a common form of government in the world during the ancient and medieval times. A Monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or...
of
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, until
SilesiaSilesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in present-day Poland, with parts in the Czech Republic and Germany....
as a whole became a
fiefdomUnder the system of medieval European feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a liege lord, generally to a vassal, in return for a form of allegiance, originally to give him the means to fulfill his military...
of the
BohemiaBohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Czech Republic...
n crown in 1327. The city continued to grow and developed into a regional trade centre. In the 15th century, the Hussites devastated the city, before being eventually defeated in a decisive battle on a hill nearby. From 1526,
BohemiaBohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Czech Republic...
, including the
fiefdomUnder the system of medieval European feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a liege lord, generally to a vassal, in return for a form of allegiance, originally to give him the means to fulfill his military...
of
SilesiaSilesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in present-day Poland, with parts in the Czech Republic and Germany....
, which Rybnik was a part of, came under the authority of the
HabsburgThe House of Habsburg or Hapsburg was an important royal house of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1452 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian and Spanish Empire and several other countries...
crown.
At the beginning of the
War of the Austrian SuccessionThe War of the Austrian Succession involved nearly all the powers of Europe...
between
Frederick II of PrussiaFrederick II was a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was Frederick IV of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
(the Great) and the
HabsburgThe House of Habsburg or Hapsburg was an important royal house of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1452 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian and Spanish Empire and several other countries...
empress
Maria Theresa of Austria
, the greatest part of
SilesiaSilesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in present-day Poland, with parts in the Czech Republic and Germany....
, including Rybnik, was annexed by
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
in 1740, which Austria eventually recognized in 1763. Coal mining gained importance for Rybnik's economy as early as the 18th century. In 1871,
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
, including Rybnik, merged into the
German EmpireThe German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871 to 1918, when it became a German republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of Wilhelm II .The term Second Reich...
, the first modern German nation state. At this point,
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
had already ceased to exist as an independent state, having been divided between
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
, Austria and Russia in the
Third Partition of PolandThe Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The partitions were carried out by Prussia, Russia and Habsburg Austria dividing up the Commonwealth lands...
of 1795.
With the intensification of Germanization and anti-Polish politics in the
German EmpireThe German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871 to 1918, when it became a German republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of Wilhelm II .The term Second Reich...
in the late 19th and early 20th century, the ethnically mixed region of
Upper SilesiaUpper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Lower Silesia is to the northwest. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, Bohemia, Poland, Holy Roman Empire, Austria, Prussia, and later of unified German Reich...
became affected by growing tensions between German and Polish nationalists. After the end of World War I in 1918, Polish statehood was finally restored. Amidst an atmosphere of ethnic unrest, a
referendumA referendum , ballot question, or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal...
was organized to determine the future national affiliation of
Upper SilesiaUpper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Lower Silesia is to the northwest. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, Bohemia, Poland, Holy Roman Empire, Austria, Prussia, and later of unified German Reich...
. Although an overall majority had opted for Germany, the area was finally divided in an attempt to satisfy both parties. Although both parties considered the territory they were assigned insufficient, the division was justified insofar as in the German and Polish parts a majority had voted in favour of the respective nation.
The lowest amount of pro-German votes was registered in the districts of Rybnik and
PszczynaPszczyna is a town in southern Poland with 26,827 inhabitants within the immediate gmina rising to 50,121 inhabitants in the powiat, which includes the town of Pszczyna, itself, Brzeźce , Czarków , Ćwiklice , Jankowice , Łąka , Piasek , Poręba , Rudołtowice , Studzionka , Studzienice , Wisła...
(Pless). The city and the largest part of the district of Rybnik were attached to Poland; Rybnik thus became part of a Polish state for the first time since 1526. The referendum and eventual division of
Upper SilesiaUpper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Lower Silesia is to the northwest. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, Bohemia, Poland, Holy Roman Empire, Austria, Prussia, and later of unified German Reich...
were accompanied by three
Silesian UprisingsThe Silesian Uprisings were a series of three armed uprisings of the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia, from 1919–1921, against Weimar 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...
, the first of which (in 1919) was centered on Rybnik.
Within the
Second Polish RepublicThe Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; from the creation of an independent Polish state in the aftermath of World War I, to the invasion of Poland in 1939 by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and the Slovak Republic,...
of the interwar period, Rybnik was part of the Silesian Voivodeship, which enjoyed far-reaching political and financial autonomy.
With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the border city Rybnik returned under the rule of Germany, being in the part of
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
that was directly incorporated into the German state. The population was ethnically categorized and either "re-Germanized" or disfranchised and partially deported into the
General GovernmentThe General Government refers to a part of the territories of Poland under German military occupation during World War II and that were a separate part of "Greater Germany"...
as Poles.
After the eventual German defeat which ended World War II in the European theatre of war in 1945, Rybnik was once more integrated into
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the territory of which was now being shifted westward on Stalin's initiative. Rybnik thus ceased to be German-Polish border city. Its population was again categorized to be either "re-polonized" or forcefully resettled to Germany. A large portion of ethnic Germans from Rybnik eventually settled in the West German city of
DorstenDorsten is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located on the northern edge of the Ruhr Area, along the Lippe River and the Wesel-Datteln Canal.-History:In 1251 Dorsten was granted city rights by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden...
(District of
RecklinghausenRecklinghausen is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. It borders the rural Münsterland and is characterized by large fields and farms in the north and industry in the south...
), which eventually became one of Rybnik's twin towns in 1994.
In the post-war period,
coalCoal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mining continued to gain importance. The 1970s saw the construction of a
coal-fired power stationA fossil-fuel power plant is a power plant that burns fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or petroleum to produce electricity.Fossil-fuel power plants are designed on a large scale for continuous operation...
, which is important for power generation in the region and beyond. A reservoir on the river
RudaRuda may refer to:* Ruda, worshipped among the North Arabian tribes of pre-Islamic Arabia* Ruda, Sweden* Ruda, Italy* Ruda, a village in Ghelari Commune, Hunedoara County, Romania* Ruda, a village in Budeşti Commune, Vâlcea County, Romania...
was constructed to provide it with cooling water. In 2002, the University of Economics (
Akademia Ekomomiczna), the
University of SilesiaUniversity of Silesia, also called Silesian University , is an autonomous state university in Silesian Voivodship, Silesia, Poland. Its campuses are located mostly in Katowice...
(
Uniwersytet Śląski), both in based
KatowiceKatowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about 50 km on north from the Silesian Beskids and about 100 km on south-east from Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Metropolitan...
, and the Silesian Polytechnic University (
Politechnika Śląska) based in
GliwiceGliwice is a city in Upper Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Gliwice is the west district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – a metropolis with a population of 2 million...
established a joint campus in Rybnik to improve academic training opportunities in the area.
Tourism
In contrast to the central part of the
Upper Silesian Industry AreaUpper Silesian Coal Basin is a coal basin in Silesia, mostly in Poland but also partly in the Czech Republic...
a short distance to the north, Rybnik enjoys the reputation of a "green" city having a relatively clean environment. While the city is no centre of tourism, it does have various interesting sights and opportunities for recreation. To the north-east of the built-up area, there is a reservoir (
Zalew Rybnicki) on the river
RudaRuda may refer to:* Ruda, worshipped among the North Arabian tribes of pre-Islamic Arabia* Ruda, Sweden* Ruda, Italy* Ruda, a village in Ghelari Commune, Hunedoara County, Romania* Ruda, a village in Budeşti Commune, Vâlcea County, Romania...
, which serves as a cooling water source for the power station. Surrounded by forests, it offers swimming, fishing, sailing and surfing opportunities, and due to the power station's waste heat it is warm enough all year to be a habitat for
grass carpThe Grass Carp is a herbivorous, freshwater fish species of family Cyprinidae, and the only species of the genus Ctenopharyngodon. It is cultivated in China for food but was introduced in Europe and the United States for aquatic weed control...
s. The Beskidy Mountains, a popular recreational area, also for skiing, are within a 1–2 hours drive.
Sights worth visiting:
- the neo-gothic basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building , usually located in the forum of a Roman town. In Hellenistic cities, public basilicas appeared in the 2nd century BC.Basilicas were also used for religious purposes...
of St. Anthony (Bazylika św. Antoniego),
- the building of the former district authority (1887),
- the neo-classical new town hall (1928),
- the neo-classical old town hall with clock-tower, today housing the registry office and the museum of local history,
- the Church of St. Catherine (Kościół św. Katarzyny) (1534),
- the Church of St. Lawrence (Kościół św. Wawrzyńca) (1717),
- a late Baroque
Baroque is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church, which had decided at the time of the Council of Trent that the arts should communicate religious themes in...
estate house (1736),
- a Piast castle from the early 13th century, completely redesigned in the 18th century.
Famous people from Rybnik
- Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy "Jurek" Dudek ; born 23 March 1973 in Rybnik) is a Polish football goalkeeper who plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid C.F. and Poland. Dudek won the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool F.C. in 2005 and is his country's second-most capped goalkeeper with 59 caps.-Career:Dudek began...
, Real MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. It is the most successful team in Spanish football and was voted by FIFA as the most successful club of the 20th century, having won a record thirty-one La Liga titles, seventeen Spanish Cups, a record nine European...
and Polish national football team goalkeeperIn many team sports, a goalkeeper is a designated player that is charged with directly preventing the opposite team from scoring by defending the goal...
,
- Henryk Górecki
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki is a composer of contemporary classical music. Górecki studied at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice between 1955–60. In 1968, he joined the faculty and rose to provost before resigning in 1979. Górecki became a leading figure of the Polish avant-garde during the...
, composerA composer is a person who creates music, usually by musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of...
of classical music.
- Otto Landsberg
Otto Landsberg was a German jurist and politician.-Life:Landsberg was born in 1869 in Rybnik. After passing the Abitur in 1887 in Ostrowo, he moved to Berlin to study law. In 1895, having passed the First and Second State Examination , he opened a lawyer's office in Magdeburg...
, German politician.
- Thomas Zdebel, Polish football player of Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in present-day Poland, with parts in the Czech Republic and Germany....
n-German descent.
- Ewa Sonnet
Ewa Sonnet is a Polish adult model and pop singer. Sonnet is the famous leading model of the Polish Busty models.-Career:...
, Polish modelthumb|200px|Alesya Nazarova modeling a dress by [[bebe stores|bebe]]A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed for the purpose of displaying and promoting fashion clothing or other products and for advertising or promotional purposes or who poses for works of art.Modeling...
and singer.
- Lidia Grychtołówna, Polish pianist
- Adam Makowicz
Adam Makowicz is a Polish - American pianist and composer living in Toronto, who performs jazz and classical piano pieces, as well as his own compositions...
, Polish jazz pianist
- Piotr Paleczny, Polish pianist
- Thomas Godoj
Thomas Godoj is a Polish-German rock-pop singer and songwriter. He is known most notably for winning the fifth season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar, the German version of Pop Idol.-Early and personal life:...
, winner of 2008 Deutschland sucht den SuperstarDeutschland sucht den Superstar is a German casting-show, also commonly known by its initials DSDS. It is the German version of the Idols franchise, produced by and broadcast on RTL...
- Viktor Lepiarczyk, 20th Century Phenomenon! --Scientist, Chemical Engineer, Performing Artist, Genius
Sports
In 2006, the 8th European Glider Aerobatic Championships took place in Rybnik.
The aeroclub of Rybnik is very successful in national and international
gliderUnpowered aircraft are a group of aerial vehicles that can fly without propulsion. They can be classified as gliders, balloons and kites. In this instance, 'flight' means a trajectory that is not merely a vertical descent such as a parachute. In the case of kites, the flight is not free, but...
aerobatic competitionsCompetition aerobatics is an air sport in which judges rate the skill of pilots performing aerobatic flying. It is practiced in both piston-powered single-engine airplanes and gliders....
:
Jerzy MakulaJerzy Makula is a Polish pilot who won the FAI World Glider Aerobatic Championships six times.- Glider aerobatics :He was World Glider Aerobatic Champion in 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1999. In 1995, 2001, 2003 and 2005 he was World Vice-Champion. In the World Glider Aerobatic Championships...
won the European Glider Aerobatic Championships two times and the World Glider Aerobatic Championships six times. Other current or former members of the Polish national glider aerobatics team from Aeroclub ROW are Małgorzata Margańska, Krzysztof Brzikalik, Lucjan Fizia, Stanisław Makula and Ireneusz Boczkowski.
Twin towns
Rybnik is
twinnedSister cities, also known as town twinning, is an agreement between towns, cities and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties...
with:
Bedburg-HauBedburg-Hau is a municipality in the district of Cleves in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approx. 5 km south-east of Cleves....
in GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
DorstenDorsten is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located on the northern edge of the Ruhr Area, along the Lippe River and the Wesel-Datteln Canal.-History:In 1251 Dorsten was granted city rights by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden...
in GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
(since 15.04.1994) EurasburgEurasburg is a municipality in Oberbayern . It sits about 40 kilometers south of the Bavarian state capital, Munich, in the county of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen....
in GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
(since 05.07.2001) Haderslev in DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
Ivano-Frankivs'k in UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
(since 12.10.2001) |
|
KarvináKarviná is a city in Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic, on the Olza River. It is administrative center of Karviná District. Karviná lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia and is one of the most important coal mining centers in the Czech Republic...
in Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
(since 30.04.2004) LarissaLarissa is a city and the capital of the Thessaly periphery of Greece, and capital of the Larissa Prefecture. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by rail with the port of Volos and with Thessaloniki and Athens...
in GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
(since 13.06.2003) LievinLiévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais...
in FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
(since 04.12.2000) MazametMazamet is a town and commune of south-western France, in the Tarn département, 41 m. S.S.E. of Albi by rail. Population 10,544. It is the second-largest component of the Castres-Mazamet metropolitan area, the Communauté d'agglomération de Castres-Mazamet, an urban area with a 1999 census...
in FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
(since 04.06.1993) |
|
Newtownabbey Newtownabbey is a large suburb of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Newtownabbey Urban Area is directly north of Belfast and contains a large number of smaller developments, including Carnmoney, Ballyduff, Glengormley, Jordanstown, Monkstown, Rathcoole and Whiteabbey. Overall...
in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
(since 18.10.2003) Saint-VallierSaint-Vallier is the name or part of the name of several cities:Quebec municipalities*Saint-Vallier, Quebec, a municipality in Bellechasse Regional County MunicipalityFrench communes* Saint-Vallier, Charente, in the Charente département...
in FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
(since 05.07.1961) SzolnokSzolnok is the capital of the county of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok in central Hungary.-History:The area has been inhabited since ancient times. Before the Conquest of Hungary, it was inhabited by Celts, Slavs and Avars...
in HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
Vilnius CountyVilnius County is the largest of the 10 counties of Lithuania, located in the east of the country around the city Vilnius.-History:Until the Partitions of Poland in late 18th century the area belonged to the Vilnius Voivodship and Trakai Voivodship of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
in LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of...
(since 02.10.2000) |
External links
- http://www.rybnik.pl/ Rybnik's Official website (Polish, some content in English)
- http://www.rybnik.com.pl/ Commercial information portal (Polish only)
- http://www.rybnicki.info/ Independent information portal (Polish only)
- http://www.rybnicki.com/ The Photo-website of Rybnik (Polish and Silesian)
- http://www.rybnik.zobacz.slask.pl/ Rybnik, Silesia (Polish, some content in English)
- http://www.row.rybnik.pl/ Site made by fans about football club in Rybnik (KS ROW Rybnik) (Polish only)
- http://www.dfk-rybnik.vdg.pl/ German minority in Rybnik (German)
- http://www.freundeskreis-rybnik.de/ Friends of Rybnik in the German twin town of Dorsten
Dorsten is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located on the northern edge of the Ruhr Area, along the Lippe River and the Wesel-Datteln Canal.-History:In 1251 Dorsten was granted city rights by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden...
(German)
- http://www.infonacja.pl/ Company Information portal (Polish only)
- http://www.smolna.rybnik.pl/ First information portal for Rybnik's quarter - Smolna (Polish only)
- http://zapomniany.rybnik.pl/ Rybnik during World War II (Polish only)
- http://www.kampus.rybnik.pl/ rybnickie pismo akademickie KAMPUS