Katowice (German Kattowitz), city in southern Poland, capital of Katowice Province, on the Rawa River near Kraków. Located in the Silesia region, the province is rich in coal and zinc, and the city of Katowice is one of the principal mining and industrial centers of the country. Iron castings, machinery, and ironware are produced here. In 1865 Katowice was chartered as a town by Prussia, of which it was then a part. When Silesia was partitioned between Poland and Germany in 1921, Katowice was incorporated within Poland. It was occupied by German troops from the beginning of World War II in 1939 until 1945. Population (1997 estimate) 349,000.
