Architecture
Katowice belongs to those Polish cities that do not originate from medieval towns. The city centre was formed in the mid-19th century when the city was part of the Kingdom of Prussia and had an ethnic-German majority. The buildings of the time are decorated in an eclectic style (mostly Renaissance with elements of Baroque) and elements of Art Nouveau style (secesja). By the end of the nineteenth century the centre of Katowice was being referred to as a "little Paris", something which may surprise visitors today,
Examples of Modernism (International Style and Bauhaus inspired architecture) may be found in the city centre. Central Katowice also contain a significant number of Art Nouveau (Secesja) buildings along with the Communist Era giants such as Spodek or Superjednostka.
Katowice's Rynek is the old centre and marketplace of the city. Unfortunately many old buildings were demolished in the 1950s to make space for monumental communist modern buildings. Several streets around the Rynek and the Rynek itself are now closed to traffic and have been made into a shopping promenades.
Regeneration of the Rynek area should start at 2007-2008 and there was an international architectural competition in 2006 to find the best design.
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