Jastrzębie-Zdrój is a city in south Poland with 89,128 inhabitants. Its name comes from the Polish words jastrząb and zdrój. Until the 20th century it was a spa village situated in Upper Silesia. It was granted city rights in 1963. Jastrzębie-Zdrój is currently situated in the Silesian Voivodeship, previously in Katowice Voivodeship. In the early 1980s, the city was one of main centers of workers' protests, which resulted in creation of Solidarity.
History
The first written documentation, relating to this area, date back to around 1305. Administratively, the town is made up of several old settlements, whose origins go back to the distant past. The original name of the town was Jastrzemb. The name's origin, means hawk in Polish language and is connected with the legend of the blackknight. Since the XVI to the beginning of the XIX century part of Wodzisławstate country. Between 1858–1860, trial excavations of hard coal were performed all over the area of Jastrzębie Dolne. These excavations ended up discovering springs containing iodine and bromine brine solutions. In 1860, the count of Königsdorff acquired the lands and suggested the construction of bath facilities. Thus, in 1862, the health resort of Bad Königsdorff-Jastrzemb was brought into life. Shortly after, the town joined the exclusive circle of the most prestigious health resorts in Europe. In 1895, the natural health centre was taken over by a Polish doctor, Mikołaj Witczak, who lent great service to the development of health-resort in Bad Königsdorff-Jastrzemb. His managerial skills together with wise investment made Jastrzębie-Zdrój a highly appreciated and fashionable health resort inside the German Empire and the interbellum Poland. Consequently, numerous health facilities were then set up. The history of Jastrzębie-Zdrój as a health resort came to its end in the 1960s, when all over the area began the intensive exploitation of coking coal deposits. Within a period of 12 years, 5 coal mines were set up. Between 1954–1975, Jastrzębie was part of the Wodzisław County. During the time of political transformation in Poland, Jastrzębie-Zdrój went down the annals of Polish modern history as the place where the so-called "the Jastrzębskie Agreement" was concluded. The signing of the protocol initiated the process of political, economic and social changes in Poland.
Population and location
The city itself had 91,723 inhabitants; its density is 1,047.9 per km². Jastrzębie-Zdrój ranks as Poland's 36th largest city. Jastrzębie-Zdrój's unemployment rate is lower than the national average of 8.8%.
Districts
Jastrzębie-Zdrój is a powiat divided into 15 districts and 6 sołectwos that have its own administrative body. Most of the districts are suburban, some are densely built with many blocks of flats generating huge housing estates, and the rest are of civic nature.
Henryk Sławik, Polish politician, social worker, activist, and diplomat, who during World War II helped save over 30,000 Polish refugees, including 5,000 Polish Jews in Budapest, Hungary by giving them false Polish passports with Catholic designation
Krystian Lupa, Polish theatre director, set designer, playwright, translator and pedagogue
