The problem of dynamic transformations within complex settlement systems poses an important challenge to planning. This is particularly true of post-industrial and post-mining regions, whose economic past adds an additional dimension affecting development and spatial policy. However, the article highlights the case of a settlement (Szopienice – a district of the city of Katowice in southern Poland) with a heterogeneous genesis in relation to the (post-)mining region in which it is located. Taking into account its economic development founded on zinc and lead metallurgy, the difficulties of development projection are pointed out. These difficulties are emphasised by a focus on the importance of paying attention to this type of locality from several research perspectives. In addition to the aforementioned heterogeneity, the role of “in-between” town locations and spatial peripheralisation is highlighted.

This study examines historical water management practices as a means of addressing climate change, focusing on the Tyski Stream catchment in Upper Silesia, Poland, a region marked by extensive urbanization and industrial evolution. It investigates the effectiveness of historical hydrotechnical systems, such as bead-like ponds from the 15th to 18th centuries, in enhancing water retention, reducing flood risks, and supporting ecosystem services. In a critical period, over 54 years (1827–1881), the number of reservoirs decreased from 142 to 31 (the area of ponds decreased from 161 to 32 ha). Throughout the entire period, between 1748 and 2017, the surface area of the analyzed reservoirs decreased from 163 ha to 16.8 ha. This was related to progressive industrialization, urban sprawl, and changes in legal frameworks, such as land ownership laws, leading to ecosystem degradation, loss of biodiversity, and altered hydrological processes. The research emphasizes the potential of reviving historical water management systems on natural processes to mitigate the impacts of climate change. By analyzing historical cartographic resources, this study assesses the feasibility of reconstructing lake systems in areas with similar topographic and hydrological features. It also stresses the necessity of community engagement and securing widespread social and political support to ensure public acceptance and the success of renaturation initiatives. The findings indicate that restoring these systems can offer diverse benefits, including improved water management, enhanced biodiversity, and greater urban resilience, while addressing the socio-political complexities of implementing large-scale environmental restoration projects. The aim of this study is to utilize archival materials for engineering solutions to prevent flooding and enhance water retention.

This study examines historical water management practices as a means of addressing climate change, focusing on the Tyski Stream catchment in Upper Silesia, Poland a region marked by ex-tensive urbanization and industrial evolution. It investigates the effectiveness of historical hydro-technical systems, such as bead-like ponds from the 15th to 18th centuries, in enhancing water retention, reducing flood risks, and supporting ecosystem services. in a critical period, over 54 years (1827-1881), the number of reservoirs decreased from 142 to 31 (the area of ponds decreased from 161 to 32 ha). This was related to progressive industrialization, urban sprawl, and changes in legal frameworks, such as land ownership laws, leading to ecosystem degradation, loss of biodiversity, and altered hydrological processes. The research emphasizes the potential of reviving historical water management systems on natural processes to mitigate the impacts of climate change. By analyzing historical cartographic resources, the study assesses the feasibility of reconstructing lake systems in areas with similar topographic and hydrological features. It also stresses the necessity of community engagement and securing widespread social and political support to ensure public acceptance and the success of renaturation initiatives. The findings indicate that restoring these systems can offer diverse benefits, including improved water management, enhanced biodiversity, and greater urban resilience, while addressing the socio-political complexities of implementing large-scale environmental restoration projects.

-W momencie wybuchu pierwszej wojny śląskiej (1740—1742) Pszczyna była siedzibą wolnego państwa stanowego rządzonego od XVI wieku przez ród Promnitzów, będącego częścią monarchii habsburskiej. Władający Pszczyną Erdmann II Promnitz, podobnie jak inni przedstawiciele lokalnej władzy na Górnym Śląsku, próbował na początku 1741 roku zachować lojalność względem Habsburgów. Wiosną 1741 roku wobec przewagi wojsk pruskich koalicja prohabsburska szybko się załamała. Pod koniec tego roku Prusacy zaczęli organizować na Górnym Śląsku, w tym w Pszczynie,garnizony wojskowe. Podczas drugiej wojny śląskiej (1744—1745) miała miejsce kontrofensywa wojsk habsburskich, które pod koniec 1744 roku odbiły prawie cały Górny Śląsk. W Pszczynie doszło wówczas do bitwy pomiędzy oddziałami węgierskimi a pruskimi. Konsekwencją wojen śląskich była m.in. reorganizacja administracji, w tym utworzenie powiatu pszczyńskiego.

Książka przybliża elity władzy na pruskim Górnym Śląsku (rejencji opolskiej) w okresie trwania Cesarstwa Niemieckiego (1871-1918): prezydentów rejencji opolskiej, landratów (starostów powiatowych) oraz nadburmistrzów. Autor opisuje praktykę wykonywania przez członków tej elity swoich obowiązków służbowych, dokonuje socjohistorycznej analizy ilościowej i jakościowej grupy wyższych urzędników, przedstawia i ocenia wpływ administracji na specyficzne dla Górnego Śląska procesy i zjawiska. Autor weryfikuje w ramach pracy tezę zakładającą, że rejencja opolska ze względu na to, że była szczególnym w zarządzaniu terenem, wymagała pod pewnymi względami specjalnego doboru osób piastujących ważne stanowiska administracyjne.

After the defeat of the Napoleonic army in the Russian campaign in 1812–1813, Prussia renounced the alliance with France and entered the war known as the “liberation war”. The King of Prussia, Frederick William III, addressed his subjects with an appeal “An mein Volk” (“To my people”), calling for a fight against Napoleon. One of the pillars of this struggle was the creation of units of a voluntary military formation composed of the "people" - the landwehr. After defeating Napoleon landwehr became part of the legend of the Prussian army's strength, which was to cover the ignominious defeat of the Prussian army during the autumn campaign of 1806. Formations like the landwehr were known as early as the 18th century, but their formation was forbidden because of the fear of violating the prevailing social relations. In the end, however, in the spring of 1813, in the spring of 1813, it was decided to establish a landwehr. Despite the initial optimism, its creation encountered numerous difficulties, including the lack of willing recruits, the widespread phenomenon of desertion and problems with weapons. These problems were obvious in the Prussian province of Silesia. The article presents the genesis of this formation, the uniforms and equipment of the landwehr, problems related to recruiting soldiers to the landwehr in Lower and Upper Silesia, and the final division of the landwehr into military units.