News
1 December 2007
Disputes about name of the metropolis
The name for the metropolis has been a bone of contention for quite a long time. Tomasz Pietrzykowski, the former governor of the Silesian province, thinks that the name “Silesia” is the best option.
Zygmunt Frankiewicz the mayor of Gliwice is of the same opinion. Yet, Piotr Uszok, the mayor of the city of Katowice prefers the name “Katowice.”
The creators of the web page ZobaczSlask.pl and academics from Wrocław are also against the name claiming that Silesia is the name of the whole region with its capital in Wrocław.
Internet users are collecting signatures under the letter of protest against calling the metropolis “Silesia.” Signatories to the letter include: prof. Jan Miodek, prof. Jan Harasimowicz (University of Wrocław), dr Maciej Łagiewski, director of the Municipal Museum of Wrocław and dr Bogdan Kloch, director of the Municipal Museum in Rybnik. The letter supported also by Henryk Waniek, a writer, will soon reach the mayors of Silesian and Zagłebie cities and the new governor of the province.
Prof. Marek Szczepański thinks that the letter of protest is just another way of inviting people to a discussion on the future name for the union of cities. “No doubt any name will raise controversies. Silesia is in fact a name of the region which spans from German town of Goerlitz to the Czech city of Opava. Yet the name “Katowice” might raise doubts in Tychy or in Sosnowiec,” says Professor Szczepański.
The internet forum of Gazeta Wyborcza testifies to the great amount of emotions stirred by the name with more than 300 post on that subject.
The creators of the web page ZobaczSlask.pl and academics from Wrocław are also against the name claiming that Silesia is the name of the whole region with its capital in Wrocław.
Internet users are collecting signatures under the letter of protest against calling the metropolis “Silesia.” Signatories to the letter include: prof. Jan Miodek, prof. Jan Harasimowicz (University of Wrocław), dr Maciej Łagiewski, director of the Municipal Museum of Wrocław and dr Bogdan Kloch, director of the Municipal Museum in Rybnik. The letter supported also by Henryk Waniek, a writer, will soon reach the mayors of Silesian and Zagłebie cities and the new governor of the province.
Prof. Marek Szczepański thinks that the letter of protest is just another way of inviting people to a discussion on the future name for the union of cities. “No doubt any name will raise controversies. Silesia is in fact a name of the region which spans from German town of Goerlitz to the Czech city of Opava. Yet the name “Katowice” might raise doubts in Tychy or in Sosnowiec,” says Professor Szczepański.
The internet forum of Gazeta Wyborcza testifies to the great amount of emotions stirred by the name with more than 300 post on that subject.