Katowice (Czech: Katovice, German: Kattowitz) is a city in Upper Silesia in southern Poland on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers. Katowice is the capital of the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of the Katowice Voivodeship. Katowice is the main city of the Upper Silesian Industry Area and one of the main districts of Metropolis Katowice. Its population is 321,163, within a greater urban area population of 3,487,000 (2004).
The finest examples of Modernism (International Style and Bauhaus inspired architecture) could be easily found in the city downtown. Central Katowice also contain a significant number of Art Nouveau (Secesja) buildings along with the Communist Era giants such as Spodek or Superjednostka.
