Kielce AUD is a city in central Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe 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...

 with 204,891 inhabitants (June 2009). It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship

Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship

Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, or Świętokrzyskie Province , is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is presently divided. It is situated in central Poland, in the historical province of Lesser Poland, and takes its name from the Świętokrzyskie mountain range...

 (Holy Cross Voivodeship) since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship

Kielce Voivodeship

Kielce Voivodeship is a former unit of administrative division and local government in Poland.-1921-1938:Kielce Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1921-1939. Back then, it covered a large chunk of central part of the country, including such...

 (1919–1939, 1945–1998). The city is located in the middle of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains

Swietokrzyskie Mountains

Świętokrzyskie Mountains , are a mountain range in central Poland, in the vicinity of the city of Kielce. The mountain range consists of a number of separate ranges, the highest of which is Łysogóry . The two highest peaks are Łysica at 612 meters and Łysa Góra at 593 meters...

 (Holy Cross Mountains), at the banks of Silnica river, in northern part of the historical Polish province of Lesser Poland

Lesser Poland

Lesser Poland is one of the historical regions of Poland, with its capital in the city of Kraków. It forms the southeastern corner of the country, and should not be confused with the modern Lesser Poland Voivodeship, which covers only a small, southern part of Lesser Poland...

. Once an important centre of limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

 mining, Kielce is now a centre of trade and commerce.

History

The area of Kielce has been inhabited since at least the 5th century BC. Until the 6th or 7th century the banks of the Silnica were inhabited by Kelts. They were driven out by a Slavic tribe of Vistulans

Vistulans

Vistulans were an early medieval West Slavic tribe inhabiting the land of modern Lesser Poland.From the 1st century and possibly earlier, the Vistulans , were part of the Carpian Tribe, which got its name from the area that they lived in, which was beside the Carpathian Mountain Range...

 who started hunting in the nearby huge forests and had settled most of the area now known as Małopolska

Lesser Poland

Lesser Poland is one of the historical regions of Poland, with its capital in the city of Kraków. It forms the southeastern corner of the country, and should not be confused with the modern Lesser Poland Voivodeship, which covers only a small, southern part of Lesser Poland...

 and present-day Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. The lands of Wiślanie were at first subdued by Bohemia

Bohemia

Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...

, however they soon came under the control of the Piast dynasty and became a part of Poland. According to a local legend, Mieszko, son of Boleslaus II of Poland dreamt he was attacked by a band of brigands in a forest. In the dream he saw a vision of Saint Adalbert

Adalbert of Prague

This article is about St Adalbert of Prague. For other uses, see Adalbert .Saint Adalbert, Czech: ; , , Czech Roman Catholic saint, a Bishop of Prague and a missionary, was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic Prussians. He evangelized Poles and Hungarians. St...

 who drew a winding line which turned into a stream. When Mieszko woke up, he found the Silnica River whose waters helped him regain strength. He also discovered huge white tusks of an unknown animal. Mieszko announced he would build a town and a church to St. Adalbert at that site. According to this legend, the town's name Kielce commemorates the mysterious tusks (kieł in Polish).

Various other legends exist to explain the name's origin. One states that the town was named after its founder who belonged to the noble family of Kiełcz, while another claims that it stems from the Kelts who may have lived in the area in previous centuries. Other theories connect the town's name to occupational names relating to mud huts, iron tips for arrows and spears, or the production of tar (pkielce, a settlement of tar makers). The earliest extant document referring to the settlement by the name of Kielce dates to 1213.

The area of the Holy Cross Mountains was almost unpopulated until the 11th century when the first hunters established permanent settlements at the outskirts of the mountains. They needed a place to trade furs and meat for grain and other necessary products, and so the market of Kielce was formed. In the early 12th century the new settlement became a property of the Bishops of Kraków

Kraków

Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...

, who built a wooden church and a manor. In 1171 a stone church was erected by bishop Gedeon Gryf. During the times of Wincenty Kadłubek a parochial school in Kielce was opened in 1229. By 1295 the town was granted city rights. In the mid-13th century the town was destroyed by the Mongol invasion of Ögedei Khan

Ögedei Khan

Ögedei Khan, born Ögedei was the third son of Genghis Khan and second Great Khan of the Mongol Empire by succeeding his father...

, but it quickly recovered.

The area around Kielce was rich in minerals such as copper

Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...

 ore, lead

Lead

Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...

 ore, and iron

Iron

Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...

, as well as limestone. In the 15th century Kielce became a significant centre of metallurgy. There were also several glass factories and armourer shops in the town. In 1527 bishop Piotr Tomicki founded a bell for the church and between 1637 and 1642 Manierist palace was erected near the market place by Bishop Jakub Zadzik

Jakub Zadzik

Jakub Zadzik was a Polish Great Crown Secretary from 1613 to 1627, bishop of Chełmno from 1624, Crown Deputy Chancellor from 1627, Great Crown Chancellor from 1628 to 1635, bishop of Kraków from 1635, diplomat, szlachcic, magnate in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...

. It is one of the very few examples of French Renaissance architecture in Poland and the only example of a magnate's manor from the times of Vasa dynasty to survive World War II.

During The Deluge

The Deluge (Polish history)

The term Deluge denotes a series of mid-17th century campaigns in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In a wider sense it applies to the period between the Khmelnytsky Uprising of 1648 and the Truce of Andrusovo in 1667, thus comprising the Polish–Lithuanian theaters of the Russo-Polish and...

 the town was pillaged and burnt by the Swedes. Only the palace and the church survived, but the town managed to recover under the rule of bishop Andrzej Załuski. By 1761 Kielce had more than 4,000 inhabitants. In 1789 Kielce were nationalised and the burgers were granted the right to elect their own representatives in Sejm

Sejm

The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....

. Until the end of the century the city's economy entered a period of fast growth. A brewery

Brewery

A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....

 was founded as well as several brick factories, a horse breeder, hospital, school and a religious college.

As a result of the 3rd Partition

Partitions of Poland

The 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, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...

 the town was annexed by Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

. During the Polish-Austrian War of 1809 it was captured by prince Józef Poniatowski

Józef Antoni Poniatowski

Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski was a Polish leader, general, minister of war and army chief, who became a Marshal of France.-Early Austrian years and war with Turkey:...

 and joined with the Duchy of Warsaw

Duchy of Warsaw

The Duchy of Warsaw was a Polish state established by Napoleon I in 1807 from the Polish lands ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the terms of the Treaties of Tilsit. The duchy was held in personal union by one of Napoleon's allies, King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony...

, but after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815 it was joined with the Kingdom of Poland

Congress Poland

The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...

. For a brief period when Kraków was an independent city-state

City-state

A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...

 (Republic of Kraków), Kielce became the capital of the Kraków Voivodeship

Kraków Voivodeship

Kraków Voivodeship, refers to several historical Voivodeships of Poland in the surrounding regions, with the city of Kraków as its capital.- Kraków Voivodeship 1975-1998 :...

. Thanks to the efforts by Stanisław Staszic  Kielce became the centre of the newly-established Old-Polish Industrial Zone (Staropolski Okręg Przemysłowy). The town grew quickly as new mines, quarries and factories were constructed. In 1816 the first Polish technical university was founded in Kielce. However, after Staszic's death the Industrial Zone declined and in 1826 the school was moved to Warsaw

Warsaw

Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...

 and became the Warsaw University of Technology

Warsaw University of Technology

The Warsaw University of Technology is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland, and one of the largest in Central Europe. It employs 2,453 teaching faculty, with 357 professors . The student body numbers 36,156 , mostly full-time. There are 17 faculties covering almost all fields of...

.

In 1830 many of the inhabitants of Kielce took part in the November Uprising

November Uprising

The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...

 against Russia. In 1844 a priest Piotr Ściegienny intended a local uprising to liberate Kielce from Russian rule, for which he was sent to Siberia

Siberia

Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

. In 1863 Kielce took part in the January Uprising

January Uprising

The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...

. As a reprisal for insubordination the tsarist authorities closed all Polish schools and turned Kielce into a military garrison city. Polish language

Polish language

Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

 was banned. Because of these actions many gymnasium

Gymnasium (school)

A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...

 students took part in the 1905 Revolution and were joined by factory workers.

After the outbreak of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, Kielce was the first Polish city to be liberated from Russian rule by the Polish Legions

Polish Legions in World War I

Polish Legions was the name of Polish armed forces created in August 1914 in Galicia. Thanks to the efforts of KSSN and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament, the unit became an independent formation of the Austro-Hungarian Army...

 under Józef Piłsudski. After the war when Poland regained its independence after 123 years of Partitions, Kielce became the capital of Kielce Voivodeship. The plans to strengthen Polish heavy and war industries resulted in Kielce becoming one of the main nodes of the Central Industrial Area (Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy). The town housed several big factories, among them the munitions factory "Granat" and the food processing plant Społem.

During the Polish Defensive War

Invasion of Poland (1939)

The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...

 of 1939, the main portion of the defenders of Westerplatte

Westerplatte

Westerplatte is a peninsula in Gdańsk, Poland, located on the Baltic Sea coast mouth of the Dead Vistula , in the Gdańsk harbour channel...

 as well as the armoured brigade of General Stanisław Maczek were either from Kielce or from its close suburbs. During the occupation that lasted for most of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the town was an important centre of resistance. There were several resistance groups active in the town (among them the Armia Krajowa

Armia Krajowa

The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...

 (AK) and the Gwardia Ludowa

Gwardia Ludowa

Gwardia Ludowa or GL was a communist armed organisation in Poland, organised by the Soviet created Polish Workers Party. It was the largest military organization which refused to join the structures of the Polish Underground State. It was created in 1942 and in 1944 it was incorporated by the...

 (GL)).

Notable acts of resistance:

• Theft of 2 tons of TNT from the "Społem" factory, which were then used by the partisans to make hand grenades.
• The daring escape from jail in Kielce of a dozen or so AK members, organised in November 1942 by Stanisław Depczyński.
• A grenade attack by a unit of the GL on the Smoleński coffee shop, killing 6 Germans including a major in the SS (February 1943).
• Assassination of the noted Gestapo
  Gestapo
  The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
  
   officer Franz Wittek on 15 June 1944, by a unit under Second Lt. Kazimierz Smolak on the corner of Solna and Paderewskiego Streets. One of the attackers died during the attack and a further four lost their lives not long afterwards. This was not the first assassination attempt against Wittek. In 1942, Henryk Pawelec fired at him in the market square, but his pistol misfired. In February 1943, a unit under the command of Stanisław Fąfar shot at Wittek by the Seminarium building. Wittek, though wounded by 14 bullets, survived.
• Successful assassinations of local collaborators, including the shooting of Jan Bocian in broad daylight in a shop in Bodzentyńska Street.
• An attack on the factory of C. Wawrzyniak in March 1943, terrorizing and disarming the volksdeutscher workers and destroying the machinery.
• An attack on the HASAG factory in May 1943 and the takeover of the Kielce Herbskie railway station.

Moreover, the hills and forests of Holy Cross Mountains became a scene of heavy partisan

Partisan (military)

A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...

 activity. A small town of Pińczów

Pinczów

Pińczów is a town in Poland, in Świętokrzyskie Voivodship, about 40 km south of Kielce. It is the capital of Pińczów County. Population is 12,304 .-History:...

 located some 30 kilometres from Kielce became the capital of the so-called Pinczów Republic, a piece of Polish land controlled by the partisans. The Swietokrzyskie Mountains Home Army District fought against the Germans long before Operation Tempest

Operation Tempest

Operation Tempest was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II by the Polish Home Army , the dominant force in the Polish resistance....

 inflicted heavy casualties on the occupying forces and later took part in the final liberation of their towns and cities in January 1945. During the war, many of inhabitants of Kielce lost their lives. Today, Kielce is a rapidly developing city of growing regional importance.

Jews

Up to the Second World War, like many other cities in Europe, Kielce had a significant Jewish population: according to the Russian census of 1897, out of the total population of 23,200, Jews constituted 6,400,(around 27% percent). On the eve of the Second World War there were 24,000 Jewish inhabitants in Kielce, around one-third of the population at the time. Immediately after the German occupation in September 1939 action was taken against the Jews in the form of fines, confiscation of property, forced labour, and the like. In April 1941, the Jewish ghetto

Ghetto

A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...

 was established, and the Jews were forced to move into it. During this time, many of them were forced to work at a nearby German ammunition plant. In August 1942, the extermination of the Jewish ghetto began and in 5 days only 2,000 were left. Those who survived the massacre were sent to another forced labour camp before going to the Treblinka extermination camp

Treblinka extermination camp

Treblinka was a Nazi extermination camp in occupied Poland during World War II near the village of Treblinka in the modern-day Masovian Voivodeship of Poland. The camp, which was constructed as part of Operation Reinhard, operated between and ,. During this time, approximately 850,000 men, women...

.

Kielce pogrom

On July 4, 1946, local Polish anti semites attacked the Jewish community of some 200 Holocaust survivors, killing 42. This has been theorized as a cause of outward Jewish migration (displaced persons) from Poland immediately following the end of the war.

Tourists attractions

• Palace of Kraków Bishops (1637–1641): summer residence of Bishops of Kraków, built in early baroque style by Giovanni Battista Trevano
  Giovanni Battista Trevano
  Giovanni Battista Trevano was an Italian architect from Lombardy who worked in Poland as royal architect for King Sigismund III Vasa, of the Swedish dynasty of Vasa, who was ruling Poland at the time....
  
   and Tomasz Poncino; houses a museum with an important gallery of Polish paintings
• Baroque
  Baroque
  The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
  
   Cathedral (12th century, rebuilt 1632–1635 and again in 19th century)
• Holy Trinity Church (1640–1644)
• Tomasz Zieliński romantic manor (1846–1858)
• Old Town market (18th century)
• Sienkiewicza Street
  Sienkiewicza Street, Kielce
  Sienkiewicza Street in Kielce is the main commercial and historic "artery" of the city of Kielce, Poland. It was built in the middle of the 19th century. It was originally called Konstantego Street, then Postal Street and in 1919 it received its present name. Shops and department stores are...
  
  
• Stefan Żeromski
  Stefan Zeromski
  Stefan Żeromski was a Polish novelist and dramatist. He was called the "conscience of Polish literature". He also wrote under the pen names: Maurycy Zych, Józef Katerla and Stefan Iksmoreż.- Life :...
  
   museum
• Synagogue (renaissance)
• 5 geological nature reserve
  Nature reserve
  A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
  
  s in town area
• Kadzielnia Gorge (a former quarry where many of the East German
  German Democratic Republic
  The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
  
   westerns were filmed)
• Holy Cross Mountains Article with photo gallery about Holy Cross
• Monastery of Karczówka-An interesting article and photo gallery of the Monastery on Karczówka

Education

• Politechnika Świętokrzyska (Kielce University of Technology
  Kielce University of Technology
  The Kielce University of Technology is a relatively young institution, although the traditions of higher education in Kielce go back to the beginning of the 19th century...
  
  ) http://www.tu.kielce.pl
• Uniwersytet Jana Kochanowskiego (Jan Kochanowski University
  Jan Kochanowski University
  The Jan Kochanowski University of Humanities and Sciences in Kielce formerly the Świętokrzyska Academy is a public university in Kielce, Poland, dating its tradition to an educational institution established in 1945.-External links:...
  
  ) http://www.pu.kielce.pl
• Swietokrzyska Szkola Wyzsza
• Wszechnica Swietokrzyska
• Wyzsza Szkola Administracji Publicznej www
• Wyzsza Szkola Ekonomii i Prawa im. prof. Edwarda Lipinskiego www
• Wyzsza Szkola Handlowa im. Boleslawa Markowskiego
• Wyzsza Szkola Umiejetnosci
• Wyzsza Szkola Technik Komputerowych i Telekomunikacji
• Wyzsza Szkola Zarzadzania Gospodarka Regionalna i Turystyka
• Wyzsza Szkola Telekomunikacji i Informatyki www
• Towarzystwo Wiedzy Powszechnej OR Kielce
• Juliusz Słowacki High School www
• Stefan Żeromski High School www
• Jan Śniadecki High School http://www.sniadek.kie.pl/
• Hanka Sawicka High School
• św. Jadwiga Królowa High School

Cinemas

• "Helios" www
• "Moskwa" www

Theatres

• Stefan Żeromski Theatre www
• Kieleckie Centrum Kultury - KCK www
• "Kubuś" - The puppet and actor Theatre www

Sports

• Korona Kielce
  Korona Kielce
  Korona Kielce, , is a Polish football club, currently playing in the Ekstraklasa. In the years 2002-2008 Club belonged to Polish holding company Kolporter Holding and achieved its greatest success - in 2005, winning promotion to the first division...
  
   - men's football
  Football in Poland
  Football is the most popular sport in Poland. Over 400,000 Poles play football regularly, with millions more playing occasionally. The first professional clubs were founded in the early 1900s, and the Polish national football team played its first international match in 1921.There are hundreds of...
  
   team, currently plays in Poland's top football league, Ekstraklasa.
• Vive Targi Kielce
  Vive Targi Kielce
  Vive Targi Kielce is a Polish professional handball team based in Kielce, founded in 1965 as Iskra Kielce. Playing in Men's PGNiG Superliga.- Local achievements :* Championship of Poland:...
  
   (Iskra Kielce) men's Handball team playing in Polish Ekstraklasa Men's Handball League
  Polish Ekstraklasa Men's Handball League
  -Champions of Poland:-See also:* Handball in Poland* Polish Ekstraklasa Women's Handball League* Sports in Poland...
  
  , few times Champions and medalist of Poland (winner in 1993 1994 1996 1998 1999 2003 and 2009, second places in 1995 2004, third places in 1980 1997 2001 2005 ) .
• KKL Kielce (athletics) - Official website of KKL Kielce
• Oficina da Capoeira Kielce - Capoeira Club in Kielce
• Muay Thai Kielce
• Żak Kielce (judo club)
• Kielecki Klub Karate Kyokushin
• Rushh Kielce (boxing club)
• Gwardia Kielce (boxing club)
• KS FART Kielce (volleyball club)
• Orlęta Kielce (football club, IV league)
• Polonia Białogon Kielce (football club)
• Czarnovia Kielce (football club)
• AZS Politechnika Kielce (football club)
• AZS WSU Kielce (football club)
• Scyzory Kielce (American football)
• Tęcza Kielce
• Mountain biking in Kielce
• Contact Kielce billiards club from Kielce, Champion of Poland and medalist of Polish League

Road

Kielce is an important transport hub, a city run by international and domestic routes: Gdańsk

Gdansk

Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...

 – Elbląg

Elblag

Elbląg is a city in northern Poland with 127,892 inhabitants . It is the capital of Elbląg County and has been assigned to the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. Before then it was the capital of Elbląg Voivodeship and a county seat in Gdańsk Voivodeship...

 – Warszawa – Radom

Radom

Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...

 – Kielce – Kraków

Kraków

Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...

 – Chyżne

Chyžné

Chyžné is a village and municipality in Revúca District in the Banská Bystrica Region of Slovakia.-History:In historical records, the village was first mentioned in 1427 . It belonged to Jelšava and after to Muráň...

 Wiśniówka

Wisniówka

Wiśniówka may refer to the following places:*Wiśniówka, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Wiśniówka, Lublin Voivodeship *Wiśniówka, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship...

 – Kielce – Tarnów

Tarnów

Tarnów is a city in southeastern Poland with 115,341 inhabitants as of June 2009. The city has been situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999, but from 1975 to 1998 it was the capital of the Tarnów Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east-west connection...

 – Pilzno

Pilzno

Pilzno is a town in Poland, in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in Dębica County. It has 4,484 inhabitants . It is located at the junction of important roads - West-East European E40 Highway, and National Road 73 Pilzno is a town in Poland, in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in Dębica County. It has...

 – Jasło  Sulejów

Sulejów

Sulejów is a town in central Poland with 6,375 inhabitants . It is situated in Łódź Voivodeship , having previously been in Piotrków Voivodeship . Sulejów gives its name to the protected area known as Sulejów Landscape Park....

 – Kielce – Opatów

Opatów

Opatów is a town in Poland, in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. It is the capital of Opatów County. Its population is 7,833 .Tourist attractions include a 12th century Collegiate Church of St...

 – Szczebrzeszyn

Szczebrzeszyn

Szczebrzeszyn is a city in southeastern Poland in Lublin Voivodeship, in Zamość County, about 20 km west of Zamość. From 1975–1999, it was part of the Zamość Voivodeship administrative district. The town serves as the seat to Gmina Szczebrzeszyn. A 2004 census counted 5,357 inhabitants...

 – Zamość

Zamosc

Zamość ukr. Замостя is a town in southeastern Poland with 66,633 inhabitants , situated in the south-western part of Lublin Voivodeship , about from Lublin, from Warsaw and from the border with Ukraine...

 – granica polsko-ukraińska (przejście graniczne w Zosinie)

Provincial roads: Dąbrowa

Dabrowa

Dąbrowa is a Polish name for an oak forest. It appears in many Polish toponyms, including three towns and 86 villages. It is also referenced in the Dąbrowa coat of arms.Towns and villages named Dąbrowa include:...

 – Masłów – Radlin

Radlin

Radlin is a town in Wodzisław County, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 17,656 inhabitants .- Sport :* Górnik Radlin - men's volleyball team playing in Polish Volleyball League .- External links :*...

 Kielce – Piekoszów

Piekoszów

Piekoszów is a village in Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Piekoszów. It lies approximately west of the regional capital Kielce....

 Kielce – Chęciny

Checiny

Chęciny is a town in Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,252 inhabitants .The town is first mentioned in historical documents from 1275. It obtained its city charter in 1325. The most important sight in the town is the royal castle built in the late 13th or early 14th century...

 – Małogoszcz Kielce – Suków

Sukow

Sukow is a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....

 – Raków

Raków

Raków is a village in Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Raków. It lies approximately south-east of the regional capital Kielce...

 – Staszów

Staszów

Staszów is a town in Poland, in Świętokrzyskie Voivodship, about 54 km southeast of Kielce. It is the capital of Staszów County. Population is 15,108 .- Demography :...

 – Połaniec Kielce – Ruda Strawczyńska

Ruda Strawczynska

Ruda Strawczyńska is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Strawczyn, within Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It lies approximately west of Strawczyn and west of the regional capital Kielce....

 – Łopuszno – Włoszczowa – Koniecpol

Koniecpol

Koniecpol is a town in Częstochowa County, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 6,366 inhabitants . In the times of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth it was the seat of the Koniecpolski magnate family....

 – Święta Anna – Częstochowa

Czestochowa

Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...

In addition, Kielce have a network of district roads, covering 109 streets with a total length of 114.9 km (71.4 mi) and a network of roads covering 446 streets with a total length of 220.9 km (137.3 mi). 57.5% of roads in the city has improved hard surface, 8.4% of hard surface is not improved, while 34.1% - a dirt surface.

Railway transport

Rail transport is present in Kielce in 1885, when it completed construction of the line linking Iwanogród (Deblin) from Dąbrowa Mining, which runs through the city center. Currently, Kielce is an important intersection of railway lines, running to Częstochowa and Lubliniec (Railway lubliniecko-Kielce), Warsaw, Kraków and Sandomierz. The administrative boundaries of the city is the railway station and railway stations Kielce: Kielce Piaski, Białogon Kielce, Kielce and Kielce Czarnów Herbskie.

Air transport

At present, residents of Kielce are only available to the Airport the Kielce-Maslow, as a civilian airport located in the sports Maslow. It is not able to accommodate large passenger planes, because its runway is only 900 m. Its reconstruction is also not viable. In June 2006 the decision was made about the location of a new airport near the village of the municipality Obice Morawica, able to handle regular airlines. The present purchase of land for investment. The nearest international airports are located in Kraków-Balice

John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice

-Traffic:Figures in MillionsThe busiest international routes are to London and Dublin.-Getting there:In addition to road access by private car or taxi, other options are:-By train:...

, Warsaw-Okecie

Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport

Warsaw Chopin Airport is an international airport located in the Włochy district of Warsaw, Poland. Poland's busiest airport, Warsaw Chopin handles just under 50% of the country's air passenger traffic....

 and Rzeszów-Jasionka

Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport

Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport is an international airport located in southeastern Poland, in Jasionka, a village from the center of the city of Rzeszów. It is the seventh-busiest airport in Poland, and has seasonal transatlantic connections....

.

Local transport

Municipal Communications was founded in Kielce, July 22, 1951, when the Faculty was created, and then Department of Urban Transport in the City of Municipal Enterprises in Kielce.

After many changes today, the city operates 54 regular bus lines, four lines of special constants (C, F, Z, 100 (formerly TK)) and one night lines (101) and 11 lines of special holidays. The lines are operated by Municipal Transport Company, and Kielce Bus Company Workers under an agreement signed with the Management of Urban Transport. In Kielce, there are two depots. The rolling stock is composed of about 165 buses, of which the movement is about 145 cars.

During the 2009/2010 Transport Authority in Kielce realize the Polish Operational Programme Development of Eastern 2007 - 2013 project "Development of public transport system in Kielce Metropolitan Area." At the beginning of the year went to Kielce 20 new buses - MAZ 203 and Solaris Urbino 12, another 20 reached in 2010. These buses will support new lines, which ensure the transport of the inhabitants of Kielce and the Metropolitan Area shall carry out the contract completely independent from that which currently carries MPK Kielce. Part of the project, which is responsible for ZTM also envisages installation of 24 electronic boards at bus departure time and 20 stationary ticket vending machines.

Long-distance transport

The history of communication dates back to coach in Kielce in 1945, when the District was set up base station. Already in 1946, were regularly organized courses in Kraków, Warsaw, Jelenia Gora, Teplice and the neighboring towns.

In 1984 he was put to use the bus station in Kielce, then one of the most modern of its kind in Europe. Its unusual architecture and innovative communications solutions qualify him among the most interesting sights of the city.

After 1990, the Kielce Bus Station was renamed the State Motor Transport Company SA in Kielce, has since maintained a regular passenger long-distance communications and international.

Politics

Kielce constituency

Members of Parliament (Sejm

Sejm

The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....

) elected from Kielce constituency in 2005:

• Przemysław Gosiewski, PiS (votes: 31253)
• Konstanty Miodowicz
  Konstanty Miodowicz
  Konstanty Miodowicz is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 14505 votes in 33 Kielce district, candidating from Platforma Obywatelska list....
  
  , PO (14505)
• Włodzimierz Stępień, SLD (12655)
• Małgorzata Olejnik, Samoobrona (12398)
• Józef Cepil
  Józef Cepil
  Józef Cepil is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 10526 votes in 33 Kielce district, candidating from Samoobrona Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej list.He was also a member of Sejm 2001-2005....
  
  , Samoobrona (10526)
• Krzysztof Grzegorek
  Krzysztof Grzegorek
  Krzysztof Grzegorek is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 8730 votes in 33 Kielce district, candidating from Platforma Obywatelska list....
  
  , PO (8730)
• Radosław Parda, LPR (7856)
• Leszek Sułek, Samoobrona (7590)
• Mirosław Pawlak, PSL (6684)
• Halina Olendzka
  Halina Olendzka
  Halina Olendzka is a Polish politician. She was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 5386 votes in 33 Kielce district, candidating from Prawo i Sprawiedliwość list.-External links:...
  
  , PiS (5386)
• Henryk Milcarz
  Henryk Milcarz
  Henryk Milcarz is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 5251 votes in 33 Kielce district, candidating from Democratic Left Alliance list.-External links:...
  
  , SLD (5251)
• Andrzej Pałys, PSL (5055)
• Krzysztof Lipiec
  Krzysztof Lipiec
  Krzysztof Lipiec is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 4697 votes in 33 Kielce district, candidating from Law and Justice list....
  
  , PiS (4697)
• Jarosław Rusiecki, PiS (4009)
• Zbigniew Pacelt
  Zbigniew Pacelt
  Zbigniew Pacelt is a Polish sportsman , Olympian, coach, sport official and politician...
  
  , PO (3982)
• Maria Zuba
  Maria Zuba
  Maria Zuba is a Polish politician. She was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 3397 votes in 33 Kielce district, candidating from Prawo i Sprawiedliwość list.-External links:...
  
  , PiS (3397)

Famous people

• Thomas Buergenthal
  Thomas Buergenthal
  Thomas Buergenthal is a former judge of the International Court of Justice. He resigned his post as of 6 September 2010. Buergenthal is returning to his position as Lobingier Professor of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence at The George Washington University Law School...
  
  , lived in Kielce ghetto and author of "A Lucky Child"
• Czeslaw Biezanko
  Czeslaw Biezanko
  Czesław Marian Bieżanko was a Polish entomologist and recognized authority on South American butterflies....
  
  , Polish entomologist
• Gustaw Herling-Grudzinski
  Gustaw Herling-Grudzinski
  Gustaw Herling-Grudziński was a Polish writer, journalist, essayist and soldier. He is best known for writing a personal account of life in the Soviet gulag - A World Apart.-Biography:...
  
  , writer
• Stefan Żeromski
  Stefan Zeromski
  Stefan Żeromski was a Polish novelist and dramatist. He was called the "conscience of Polish literature". He also wrote under the pen names: Maurycy Zych, Józef Katerla and Stefan Iksmoreż.- Life :...
  
  , writer
• Adolf Dygasiński
  Adolf Dygasinski
  Adolf Dygasiński was a Polish novelist, publicist and educator. In Polish literature, he was one of the leading representatives of Naturalism....
  
  , writer
• Jan Czarnocki, geologist
• Edmund Niziurski
  Edmund Niziurski
  Edmund Niziurski - - is a popular Polish writer, author of hundreds of humorous novels and stories for children, adolescents and adults, written with a specific kind of irony. Niziurski also is a sociologist and a lawyer....
  
  , writer
• Rafał Olbiński,Polish graphic artist, stage designer and surrealist painter
• Stanisław Staszic, Polish priest, philosopher, statesman, poet and writer, a leader of the Polish Enlightenment
• Krzysztof Klicki
  Krzysztof Klicki
  Krzysztof Klicki is the President of Kolporter Holding S.A. He owns 100 percent shares of Kolporter's shares, the largest private distributor of the press ....
  
  , president of Kolporter Holding
  Kolporter Holding
  Kolporter Holding is a Polish holding company. It was built in the 1990s by Krzysztof Klicki and has its headquarters in Kielce. It has made the Top 500 Polish Companies rankings in Polityka and Rzeczpospolita several times....
  
  , former owner of Korona Kielce
  Korona Kielce
  Korona Kielce, , is a Polish football club, currently playing in the Ekstraklasa. In the years 2002-2008 Club belonged to Polish holding company Kolporter Holding and achieved its greatest success - in 2005, winning promotion to the first division...
  
  
• Michał Sołowow, businessman, shareholder of: Cersanit S.A., Echo Investment, Barlinek, Życie Warszawy
  Zycie Warszawy
  Życie Warszawy is a right leaning Polish newspaper published in Warsaw. It was founded in October 1944 as an initiative of Polish Workers' Party. Currently it is published by Dom Prasowy Sp. z o.o. and owned by Michał Sołowow....
  
  , one of the richest Polish people
• Leszek Drogosz
  Leszek Drogosz
  Leszek Drogosz is a retired Polish boxer and actor.He thrice won the gold medal at the European Amateur Boxing Championships in the Light welterweight division at Warsaw 1953 and West Berlin 1955, and in the Welterweight division at Lucerne 1959. He participated in the Summer Olympics in Helsinki...
  
  , boxer, 3 times European Champion, Olympic medalist
• Wincenty z Kielc

• Krzysztof "K.A.S.A" Kasowski vocalist
• Piotr Marzec better known as Liroy
  Liroy
  Piotr Marzec , better known as Liroy , is a rapper living in Kielce.He is one of the pioneers of rap & hip-hop culture in Poland. His CDs include East On Da Mic ,Albóóm,...
  
   (Leeroy), rapper
• Andrzej Piaseczny vocalist
• Leszek Kumański writer, journalist, stage manager
• Wiesław Gołas actor
• Dagmara Dominczyk
• Marika Dominczyk
  Marika Dominczyk
  -Personal:Dominczyk moved with her family from Kielce, Poland, to New York City when she was three, after her parents were expelled from their native Poland for her father's involvement with Amnesty International and then the Solidarity movement....
  
  
• Gershon Iskowitz
  Gershon Iskowitz
  Gershon Iskowitz was born in Kielce, Poland, on November 21, 1921. He began as an expressionist painter who dealt with figurative subjects and later painted the Canadian landscape in an abstract expressionist style.- Early life :...
  
  

Sportsmen

• Paweł Brożek footballer (Polonia Białogon, GKS Katowice
  GKS Katowice
  GKS Katowice is a Polish football club based in Katowice, Poland. The club currently plays in the Polish First League.-History:In 1963 in Katowice a special organizational committee was called with the purpose of uniting all the clubs and sporting organizations of city into one large club which...
  
  , Wisła Kraków)
• Leszek Drogosz
  Leszek Drogosz
  Leszek Drogosz is a retired Polish boxer and actor.He thrice won the gold medal at the European Amateur Boxing Championships in the Light welterweight division at Warsaw 1953 and West Berlin 1955, and in the Welterweight division at Lucerne 1959. He participated in the Summer Olympics in Helsinki...
  
   boxer
• Zbigniew Piątek
  Zbigniew Piątek
  Zbigniew Piątek is a Polish former road racing cyclist. He was active as an amateur from 1987 to 1993 and from 1994 to 2005 as a professional. He won many of the top races in Poland: the Tour de Pologne, Tour of Malopolska and Szlakiem Grodów Piastowskich...
  
   cyclist
• Piotr Stokowiec (Orlęta Kielce, Polonia Warszawa
  Polonia Warszawa
  Polonia Warsaw is a Polish sports club with football and basketball teams, founded in 1911, and is the oldest such club in Warsaw, where it is based.- History :...
  
  , Wigry Suwałki)
• Michał Sołowow rally driver

Twin Towns - Sister Cities

Kielce is twinned

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 with:

Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...  in Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...  Vinnytsia Vinnytsia Vinnytsia is a city located on the banks of the Southern Bug, in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast.-Names:...  in Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...  Gotha Gotha (town) Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...  in Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...  Flint Flint, Michigan Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...  in Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Sandviken Sandviken Sandviken may refer to:* Sandviken, a Swedish town and the seat of Sandviken municipality* Sandviken Municipality, a Swedish municipality around the town of Sandviken* Sandviken, Norway, a neighbourhood in Bergen, Norway...  in Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....  Gävle Gävle Gävle is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 71,033 inhabitants in 12/31 2010. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland , having received its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria.-History:It is believed that the name Gävle...  in Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....  Orange Orange, Vaucluse Orange is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It has a primarily agricultural economy...  in France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...  Nitra Nitra Nitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 83,572, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center...  in Slovakia Slovakia The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

Dniprodzerzhinsk in Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...   Gorizia Gorizia Gorizia is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, and it is a local center of tourism, industry, and commerce. Since 1947, a twin...  in Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...  Herning Herning Herning Municipality is a municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 1,336 km² and a total population of 84,208...  in Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...  Ramla Ramla Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...  in Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

External links

• Kielce Classifieds
• Website of Korona Kielce
• Municipal website
• WICI Portal of Culture in Kielce - Polish language only
• Website about new constructions in Kielce - Polish language only
• Historic gallery of Kielce - Old Kielce on photos (Pl, En)
• Trade Fair Kielce
• XVII century historical re-enactment group: Kompania Wolontarska
• Our Kielce - Information and Entertainment site
• http://www.kielcecity.pl/ (Polish)