Katowice is a Polish city in Upper Silesia, a partner city of Ostrava and the centre of a metropolitan area of about 2.1 million inhabitants.
Katowice is a Polish city in Upper Silesia. It is the centre of the Upper Silesian–Zagłębie Metropolis, which brings together 41 cities and municipalities and has about 2.1 million inhabitants.[1] The mayor is Marcin Krupa.[2]
Economic history
Upper Silesia and the Ostrava area both grew on coal mining, metallurgy and heavy industry, and in recent decades they have been going through a similar transformation: the decline of traditional industries, the reuse of large industrial sites and efforts to attract technology companies and skilled workers.[1]
Partnership with Ostrava
Katowice has partnership agreements with twelve cities around the world. Ostrava is the nearest, about 70 kilometres away in a straight line.[1][2] The two cities have so far cooperated mainly in culture and youth affairs.[2] In June 2026 the transport and investment committees of both cities met together for the first time, in Ostrava, and discussed high-speed rail, among other topics.[1]
The mayors of Ostrava and Katowice, Jan Dohnal and Marcin Krupa, signed a memorandum of cooperation in Ostrava on 30 September 2026. It covers transport and cross-border mobility, strategic planning, economic development, investment, science and innovation, energy, education and culture; the cities also want to present the region jointly. The memorandum provides for regular meetings, working groups and one coordinator on each side. It creates no new administrative structure and no legally enforceable obligations.[1][3]
Pages linking here
Chronology
- — The mayors of Ostrava and Katowice signed a memorandum on closer cooperation between the two cities. → Deník: Moravskoslezský kraj Ostravská Drbna
Sources
- Info.cz — 30 September 2026
- Ostravská Drbna (ČTK) — 30 September 2026
- Deník: Moravskoslezský kraj — 30 September 2026