Bielsko-Biala (German Bielitz), city in southern Poland, capital of Bielsko-Biala Province, on the Biala River near Kraków. Bielsko-Biala, a rail junction, has been a textile center since the Middle Ages; machinery and electrical equipment are produced here. The city lies at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, and several health resorts are nearby. Bielsko was founded in the 13th century and fortified in the 15th century. It was a lordship in the Middle Ages and was made a duchy in 1752. From 1772 to 1919 it was in Austria-Hungary, and since the end of World War I in 1918 it has belonged to Poland. In 1950 Bielsko was combined with adjoining Biala Krakowska; it was briefly called Biala Malopolska. Population (1997 estimate) 179,800.
