Borders of the present Śląskie Voivodeship should not be identified with historical borders of the Silesian region. Historical Silesia included lands which now are in Oder's and Vistula's river-basins. Several changes of Silesia's nationality and its divisions made the history of this land complicated. During the last eleven centuries, Silesia has been under the rules of Czechs, Poles, Hungarians, Austrians and Prussians. Many times it came from hands to hands but now most of its lands are inside the borders of the Republic of Poland (provinces of Lower Silesia, Opole, a part of Silesia and Lubin). A little piece of Lower Silesia belongs to Germany (town called Heyeswerda) and to Czech Republic (Silesia Opawsko-pomorski and Western part of Silesia called Zaolzie)
Throughout centuries, administrative borders of Silesia underwent several changes and now it is hard to say exactly which lands are historically Silesian and which are not. Everything depends on historical period we will refer it to. In the Middle Ages main fortified castles were: Wrocław (Breslau), Głogów, Niemcza and Legnica. Places in Lower Silesia which are not parts of the present Śląskie Voivodeship. The name itself Upper Silesia' appeared in 15th century and its lands were in the shadow of economically predominant Lower Silesia till 18th century.

Nowadays, the Śląskie Voivodeship consists of Western parts of Upper Silesian lands (remaining part of Upper Silesia remains inside borders of Opole's province and of Czech Republic) that makes more than a half of the province and lands such as Beskid Żywiecki, Zagłębie Dąbrowskie and Jura Częstochowska. Not historical factors but economic ones decided that these lands are parts of Śląskie Voivodeship.

Administrative division

Śląskie Voivodeship was formed on 1st January, 1999 out of the former: bielskie, częstochowskie and katowickie voivodeships.

There are 166 gminas in the voivodeship: 48 town gminas, 21 town-village gminas, and 97 village gminas. The voivodeship is divided in 36 poviats, the number includes 17 land poviats and 19 city poviats.

Development Strategy of the Śląskie Voivodeship 2000-2020 (pdf 2,2 MB)