Bielsko County
Bielsko County (Polish: powiat bielski) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat is the city of Bielsko-Biała, although the city is not part of the county (it constitutes a separate city county). The county contains three towns: Czechowice-Dziedzice, 13 km (8 mi) north-west of Bielsko-Biała, Szczyrk, 14 km (9 mi) south of Bielsko-Biała, and Wilamowice, 12 km (7 mi) north-east of Bielsko-Biała.
The county covers an area of 457.23 square kilometres (176.5 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 150,764, out of which the population of Czechowice-Dziedzice is 34,811, that of Szczyrk is 5,860, that of Wilamowice is 2,818, and the rural population is 107,275.
Neighbouring counties
Apart from the city of Bielsko-Biała, Bielsko County is also bordered by Pszczyna County and Oświęcim County to the north, Wadowice County to the east, Żywiec County to the south, and Cieszyn County to the west.
Bielsko
Bielsko [ˈbjɛlskɔ] (German: Bielitz, Czech: Bílsko) was until 1950 an independent town situated in Cieszyn Silesia, Poland. In 1951 it was joined with Biała Krakowska to form the new town of Bielsko-Biała. Bielsko constitutes the western part of that town.
Bielsko was founded by the Cieszyn Piast dukes in the late 13th century on the grounds of village later called Stare Bielsko (Old Bielsko), on the Biała River. It was first mentioned in a written document in 1312. Originally settled by Germans, it became the largest German-language center (Deutsche Sprachinsel Bielitz) in the Duchy of Teschen, and remained so until the end of World War II. In 1572 it gained autonomy as the Duchy (State) of Bielsko. During the 18th century a rapid development of textile industry occurred, and at the beginning of the 19th century more than 500 weavers worked in the town. After the 1920 division of Cieszyn Silesia between Poland and Czechoslovakia it became, despite the protests of local Germans, a part of Poland.
Bielsko (disambiguation)
Bielsko is a former town in southern Poland, now part of Bielsko-Biała.
Bielsko may also refer to:
