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100-397: The county covers an area of 457.23 square kilometres (176.5 sq mi). As of 2019 its total population is 165,374, out of which the population of Czechowice-Dziedzice is 35,926, that of Szczyrk is 5,734, that of Wilamowice is 3,100, and the rural population is 120,614. Apart from the city of Bielsko-Biała , Bielsko County is also bordered by Pszczyna County and Oświęcim County to

200-547: A 2020 report by the IQAir company, it was ranked thirty-eighth in Europe and fifth in Poland. The biggest contributor to air pollution is the fact that many households, including in the inner city area, still use traditional heating systems based on burning coal. The environmental situation in the city has been gradually improving in recent years. This is influenced by municipal measures such as

300-480: A bleach through a process leading to similar results: high-energy photons of light, often in the violet or ultraviolet range, can disrupt the bonds in the chromophore, rendering the resulting substance colorless. Extended exposure often leads to massive discoloration usually reducing the colors to a white and typically very faded blue. The broad-spectrum effectiveness of most bleaches is due to their general chemical reactivity against organic compounds, rather than

400-680: A castle (which still survives today) was built on a hill. In the second half of the 13th century, the Piast dukes of Opole invited German settlers to colonize the Silesian Foothills . As the dukes then also ruled over the Lesser Poland lands east of the Biała River, settlements arose on both banks like Bielitz (now Stare Bielsko ), Nickelsdorf ( Mikuszowice Śląskie ), Kamitz ( Kamienica ), Batzdorf ( Komorowice Śląskie ) and Kurzwald in

500-523: A chemical bleach, most commonly EDTA . A conventional fixer then dissolves the reduced silver but leaves the unexposed silver halide intact. This unexposed halide is then exposed to light or chemically treated so that a second development produces a positive image. In color and chromogenic film, this also generates a dye image in proportion to the silver. Photographic bleaches are also used in black-and-white photography to selectively reduce silver to reduce silver density in negatives or prints. In such cases,

600-458: A colored image. The silver is 'bleached' to a soluble form in a solution of ferric EDTA, which is then dissolved in 'fix', a solution of sodium or ammonium thiosulfate. The procedure is the same for paper processing except that the EDTA and thiosulfate are mixed in 'bleachfix'. In Reversal processing , residual silver in the emulsion after the first development is reduced to a soluble silver salt using

700-414: A cup of water, or 21 ml per litre, or ⁠ 1 / 3 ⁠ cup of bleach in a gallon of water) is effective against many bacteria and some viruses in homes. Even "scientific-grade", commercially produced disinfection solutions such as Virocidin-X usually have sodium hypochlorite as their sole active ingredient, though they also contain surfactants (to prevent beading) and fragrances (to conceal

800-578: A forest-park complex on the model of the Vienna Forest with many summer villas of Bielsko's factory owners built in its surroundings. However, the demographic boom was weaker than, for example, in the Upper Silesian conurbation , due to the restriction of the settlement of workers in the city proper. Many of them lived in the surrounding villages, which formally remained separate, even though they were taking on an increasingly urban character. According to

900-463: A fortified settlement in what is now the Stare Bielsko (Old Bielsko) district of the city were discovered between 1933 and 1938 by a Polish archaeological team. The settlement was dated to the 12th – 14th centuries. Its dwellers manufactured iron from ore and specialized in smithery . The current centre of the town was probably developed as early as the first half of the 13th century. At that time

1000-789: A long time, they were administratively combined for the first time by the Nazi authorities after the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Biała became a district of Bielsko under the name Bielitz-Ost . During the World War II , the city belonged to the Third Reich , within the province of Upper Silesia . Germans committed various crimes against the Polish and Jewish population. Several Polish teachers and principals were deported to Nazi concentration camps and murdered there. Many Jewish residents were murdered at

1100-566: A monument to Martin Luther was unveiled there. It was one of only two in the whole of Austria-Hungary (the other was erected in the Bohemian town of Aš ), and now is the only one within the borders of Poland. In the second half of the 19th century, Lutherans ceased to constitute the majority of the population due to the influx of new inhabitants, mostly Catholic or Jewish. After the Prussian king Frederick

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1200-455: A negative impact on human health and can also have destructive effects on buildings, especially historical ones. Pollution from traffic is concentrated within densely built-up areas known as "street canyons." The city's air quality is significantly influenced by transregional factors, such as the influx of pollutants from neighboring municipalities. The quality of the water flowing through the city has been gradually improving. However, in 2022,

1300-603: A powerful oxidizer, is the active agent in many household bleaches. Since pure chlorine is a toxic corrosive gas, these products usually contain hypochlorite , which releases chlorine. "Bleaching powder" usually refers to a formulation containing calcium hypochlorite . Oxidizing bleaching agents that do not contain chlorine are usually based on peroxides , such as hydrogen peroxide , sodium percarbonate , and sodium perborate . These bleaches are called "non-chlorine bleach", " oxygen bleach ", or "color-safe bleach". Reducing bleaches have niche uses, such as sulfur dioxide , which

1400-471: A result of disputes with the Lipnik municipality, which refused to give up part of its territory, even though the western part of Lipnik formed an urban and functional unity with Biała. West Lipnik also formed the de facto Jewish quarter of Biała , due to the official ban on Jewish settlement in the town, which was in effect from 1757 to 1848. Joachim Adler's cloth factory, considered the first mechanized factory in

1500-618: A single industrial region with Bielsko, also with a predominance of textile industry . From 1867 it was the capital of Biała County . At the turn of the 20th century, a number of "Vienna-like" buildings were constructed in Biała, too, including a pompous Neo-Renaissance town hall in 1895–1897. According to the 1910 census, Biała had a population of 8,668. 69.3% used German in their domestic interactions, 29.3% used Polish , and 1.4% used another language (mainly Czech or Ukrainian ). 72.1% were Roman Catholic , 17,7% Jewish and 12.3% Lutheran . Of

1600-696: A solution of calcium hypochlorite as an alternative for Javel water, and patented bleaching powder (solid calcium hypochlorite ) in 1799. Around 1820, French chemist Antoine Germain Labarraque discovered the disinfecting and deodorizing ability of hypochlorites and was instrumental in popularizing their use for such purpose. His work greatly improved medical practice, public health, and the sanitary conditions in hospitals, slaughterhouses , and all industries dealing with animal products. Louis Jacques Thénard first produced hydrogen peroxide in 1818 by reacting barium peroxide with nitric acid . Hydrogen peroxide

1700-458: A source that could be important in terms of inhalation exposure to these compounds. While the authors suggested that using these cleaning products may significantly increase the cancer risk, this conclusion appears to be hypothetical: Sodium hypochlorite solution, 3–6%, (common household bleach) is typically diluted for safe use when disinfecting surfaces and when used to treat drinking water. A weak solution of 2% household bleach in warm water

1800-543: A town in the 17th century, Biała officially was granted borough rights by the Polish king Augustus II the Strong in 1723. At that time it counted only 40 inhabited houses and about 300 residents, mostly German-speaking and Lutheran . There has been a new urban layout made, in the center of which was a rectangular market square - today's Wojska Polskiego Square . In the course of the First Partition of Poland in 1772, Biała

1900-431: A variety of clothing in a home setting. Most industrial and household bleaches belong to three broad classes: Chlorine-based bleaches are found in many household "bleach" products, as well as in specialized products for hospitals, public health, water chlorination , and industrial processes. The grade of chlorine-based bleaches is often expressed as percent active chlorine . One gram of 100% active chlorine bleach has

2000-530: A weak sulfurous odor. It can be obtained by reacting sodium bisulfite with zinc It is used as such in some industrial dyeing processes to eliminate excess dye, residual oxide, and unintended pigments and for bleaching wood pulp . Reaction of sodium dithionite with formaldehyde produces Rongalite , which is used in bleaching wood pulp , cotton , wool , leather and clay . In Negative film processing , silver halide grains are associated with couplers which, on development, produce metallic silver and

2100-583: Is a city in southern Poland, with a population of approximately 166,765 as of December 2022, making it the 22nd largest city in Poland , and an area of 124.51 km (48.07 sq mi). It is the core of the broader metropolitan area with around 335,000 inhabitants. It serves as the seat of the Bielsko County , Euroregion Beskydy , Roman Catholic Diocese of Bielsko–Żywiec and the Evangelical Church Diocese of Cieszyn . Situated north of

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2200-463: Is also an important commercial and industrial hub, as well as a road and railway junction. It is a significant tourist destination due to its numerous architectural monuments (a popular slogan Little Vienna refers to many Revivalist and Art Nouveau buildings shaping the cityscape of the central districts) and its direct proximity to the mountains (fourteen mountain peaks lie within the city limits). Both Bielsko and Biała derive their names from

2300-426: Is easily broken, giving rise to very reactive oxygen species, which are the active agents of this type of bleach. The main products in this class are: In the food industry , other oxidizing products like bromates are used as flour bleaching and maturing agents . Sodium dithionite (also known as sodium hydrosulfite) is one of the most important reductive bleaching agents. It is a white crystalline powder with

2400-660: Is still popular today, refers. The local architect of the Jewish origin Carl Korn had the greatest influence on the architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, shaping the character of "Little Vienna", while the plan for urban regulation was prepared in 1899 by the Viennese urban planner Max Fabiani . In 1855 a branch of the Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway was built from Dziedzice to Bielsko, which in 1877

2500-631: Is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color from (i.e. to whiten) fabric or fiber (in a process called bleaching) or to disinfect after cleaning. It often refers specifically to a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite , also called "liquid bleach". Many bleaches have broad-spectrum bactericidal properties, making them useful for disinfecting and sterilizing. They are used in swimming pool sanitation to control bacteria, viruses, and algae and in many places where sterile conditions are required. They are also used in many industrial processes, notably in

2600-638: Is typical for sanitizing smooth surfaces before the brewing of beer or wine. US government regulations (21 CFR 178 Subpart C) allow food processing equipment and food contact surfaces to be sanitized with solutions containing bleach, provided that the solution is allowed to drain adequately before contact with food and that the solutions do not exceed 200 parts per million (ppm) available chlorine (for example, one tablespoon of typical household bleach containing 5.25% sodium hypochlorite, per gallon of water). A 1-in-47 dilution of household bleach with water (1 part bleach to 47 parts water: e.g. one teaspoon of bleach in

2700-443: Is used for sterilization purposes and water treatment, its ability to disinfect laundry is limited because the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in laundry products is lower than what is used in other applications. The safety of bleaches depends on the compounds present, and their concentration. Generally speaking, the ingestion of bleaches will cause damage to the esophagus and stomach , possibly leading to death. On contact with

2800-413: Is used to bleach wool, either as gas or from solutions of sodium dithionite , and sodium borohydride . Bleaches generally react with many other organic substances besides the intended colored pigments, so they can weaken or damage natural materials like fibers, cloth, and leather, and intentionally applied dyes, such as the indigo of denim . For the same reason, ingestion of the products, breathing of

2900-591: The Beskid Mountains , Bielsko-Biała is composed of two former towns which merged in 1951— Bielsko in the west and Biała in the east—on opposite banks of the Biała River that divides the historical regions of Silesia and Lesser Poland . The history of Bielsko dates back to the 13th century, while Biała was founded in the 16th century and obtained city rights in 1723. Despite the administrative separation, both towns effectively functioned as one urban area already in

3000-906: The Bohemian kings in 1327 and the Duchy of Oświęcim was sold to the Polish Crown in 1457, returning to Lesser Poland after three centuries, the Biała River for next centuries marked the border between the Bohemian crown land of Silesia within the Holy Roman Empire and the Lesser Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . With Bohemia and the Upper Silesian Duchy of Cieszyn, Bielsko in 1526

3100-563: The Duchy of Bielsko as a Bohemian state country ; acquired by the Austrian chancellor Count Friedrich Wilhelm von Haugwitz in 1743, and afterwards by Polish aristocrat Aleksander Józef Sułkowski in 1752, the ducal status was finally confirmed by Empress Maria Theresa in 1754. It remained in possession of the Polish Sułkowski family until the dissolution of the duchy in 1849, while the castle

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3200-460: The Slavic stem *bělъ meaning "white" (in modern Polish biały , in modern Czech bílý ). The river Biała was the first to be named in this way. The reason was probably the general impression of the color of the water: "white", that is, bright and clear. Some researchers also linked the city's name to the bleaching of fiber, which is questionable, however, due to the fact that in the 13th century

3300-453: The bleaching of wood pulp . Bleaches also have other minor uses, like removing mildew , killing weeds , and increasing the longevity of cut flowers . Bleaches work by reacting with many colored organic compounds, such as natural pigments, and turning them into colorless ones. While most bleaches are oxidizing agents (chemicals that can remove electrons from other molecules), some are reducing agents (that donate electrons). Chlorine ,

3400-425: The "Low Emission Economy Plan", which has been implemented since 2015. In 2020, 454 coal-fired boilers in residentional buildings were replaced by gas or district heating using municipal subsidies. Bielsko-Biała belongs to the cities where the environmental condition has been gradually improving over the past few years. The number of days when the permissible daily concentration of suspended particulate matter PM10

3500-473: The 0 °C isotherm, the climate is a Dfb-type called of humid continental climate , which explains its considerable thermal amplitude for Central Europe . The extremes may still be moderated by the western patterns and winds of this direction, which still maintains hybrid characteristics in the city's climate. Foëhn winds help maintain a milder winter in Bielsko-Biała and average about 4 °C lower than

3600-468: The 1910 census, Bielsko had a population of 18,568. 84.3% used German in their domestic interactions, 14.3% used Polish , 0.7% used Czech or Slovak , and 0.7% used another language. 55.9% were Roman Catholic , 27.6% Lutheran , 16.3% Jewish , and 1.1% were of another denomination or with no religion. After 1918, when Austro-Hungary collapsed, Bielsko found itself within a disputed territory between Poland and Czechoslovakia . Attempts to incorporate

3700-561: The 1930s some ethnic German citizens, under the leadership of Rudolf Wiesner , formed an anti-Polish , anti-Jewish Jungdeutsche Partei , which de facto served as a foreign branch of the NSDAP . A considerable number of young Germans joined this Party during the mid-1930s. On the other hand, the interwar period is associated with numerous construction projects, such as a new residential district in Modernist style created since 1934 in place of

3800-481: The 1970s. Bielsko-Biała reached its highest population (184,421) in 1991. Since then, as in most cities in Poland, there has been a gradual decline in population. Between 2002 and 2021, the population declined by 5.1%. According to forecasts by the Central Statistical Office , Bielsko-Biala is expected to have a population of 161,900 in 2025, 150,400 in 2035 and 133,300 in 2050. Bleach Bleach

3900-586: The 19th century. Industrialization, especially the textile and automotive industries, was of great importance for its development in the past. Between 1975 and 1998, the city was the seat of Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship and currently lies within the Silesian Voivodeship . Bielsko-Biała is the administrative, economic, academic and cultural centre for the Silesian-Lesser Polish border region, sometimes colloquially referred to as Podbeskidzie . It

4000-416: The 20th century, as well as the boundaries of the historical districts (suburbs) of Bielsko. These are: Some peripheral areas are also included within obręby ewidencyjne of Bystra Śląska , Jaworze , Mazańcowice , Międzyrzecze Górne and Pisarzowice , which is a result of the incorporation of parts of these villages into Bielsko-Biała. In some cases (e.g. Mikuszowice Krakowskie, Stare Bielsko, Straconka)

4100-457: The 20th century, such as between Bielsko in the neuter gender and Bielsk in the masculine gender . In the case of Biała, the Polish wording of the name was the only official one, even when the town belonged to the Habsburg monarchy . The Germanized form Beil was used only in the local dialect. The Wymysorys language uses the form Byłc-Bejł which is close to how the two towns were called by

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4200-633: The Bielsko town council and disputes between the suburban population and the privileged burghers of the Old Town. The settlement was established on the land of the village of Lipnik , from which it became independent in 1613. Further development of the village was associated with the influx of refugees from neighboring Silesia during the Thirty Years' War and the Counter-Reformation . Though already named

4300-520: The Bielsko-Biala area, was also established within Lipnik's borders in 1810. Lipnik was finally incorporated into Biała in 1925. The town thus expanded its territory more than sixteen times (before 1925 it had only 1.22 square kilometres (0.47 sq mi), while Lipnik had 20.76 square kilometres (8.02 sq mi)), and the population increased two and a half times. In the 19th century, Biała formed

4400-541: The Deep Stołów Cave ( Jaskinia Głęboka w Stołowie ) was also discovered on the slopes of Stołów. With a length of 554 m (1,818 ft) and a depth of 25 m (82 ft), it is one of the largest caves in the Polish part of Carpathians . Several smaller caves can also be found in the Klimczok area. Bielsko-Biała has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) with cold, damp winters and warm, wet summers. However, using

4500-508: The Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, Municipal Office in Bielsko-Biała]. Bielsko-Biała is officially divided into 30 osiedla , which are auxiliary units of the municipality. In parallel, there is a division into obręby ewidencyjne ( cadastral areas), the boundaries of which reflect the former boundaries of the municipalities gradually incorporated into Bielsko-Biała in

4600-511: The Great had invaded Silesia, Bielsko remained with the Habsburg monarchy as part of Austrian Silesia according to the 1742 Treaty of Breslau . In late 1849 Bielsko became a seat of political district . In 1870 it became a statutory city . The town's development in the 19th century was primarily linked to the textile industry , and to a lesser extent the engineering industry. The Bielsko-Biała area

4700-618: The Western Beskid Foothills ( Pogórze Zachodniobeskidzkie ) physiographic macroregion. Within the administrative borders of Bielsko-Biała—in the southern districts—there are also mountain massifs of the Little Beskids ( Beskid Mały ) and the Silesian Beskids ( Beskid Śląski ). Most of the mountainous areas of Bielsko-Biała lie within two landscape parks : Little Beskids Landscape Park and Silesian Beskids Landscape Park . At

4800-509: The area of Poland. The latitudinal extent is approximately 13 km (8.1 mi) km and the meridional extent approximately 17.5 km (10.9 mi). The straight line distance from the city center to the Czech border is 31 km (19 mi), and to the Slovak border 35 km (22 mi). The greater part of Bielsko-Biała lies in the Silesian Foothills ( Pogórze Śląskie ), which are part of

4900-437: The area of the former Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship was divided and Bielsko-Biała was incorporated into the Silesian Voivodeship . The economic transformation after 1989 affected the industrial city with a serious socio-economic crisis. The textile industry, which almost disappeared from Bielsko-Biała, was the most affected. The car factory bought directly by Fiat limited its production only to components. The bad condition of

5000-495: The autochthonous German population. The combined name Bielsko-Biała in Polish or Bielitz-Biala in German was used as early as the 19th century in the names of various societies, clubs, branches of institutions and businesses (e.g. Bielitz-Bialaer Leseverein , Bielitz-Bialaer Actienbrauerei or Bielsko-Bialski Związek Adwokatów ), in the titles of local newspapers (e.g. Bielitz-Bialaer Anzeiger or Bielitz-Bialaer Wochenblatt ), as

5100-468: The bleach composition is typically an acid solution of potassium dichromate . A Risk Assessment Report (RAR) conducted by the European Union on sodium hypochlorite conducted under Regulation EEC 793/93 concluded that this substance is safe for the environment in all its current, normal uses. This is due to its high reactivity and instability. The disappearance of hypochlorite is practically immediate in

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5200-432: The bleach smell). See hypochlorous acid for a discussion of the mechanism for disinfectant action. An oral rinse with a 0.05% dilute solution of household bleach is shown to treat gingivitis . Color-safe bleach is a solution with hydrogen peroxide as the active ingredient (for stain removal) rather than sodium hypochlorite or chlorine. It also has chemicals in it that help brighten colors. Though hydrogen peroxide

5300-539: The boundaries of osiedla and obręby ewidencyjne are similar, in many others (e.g. Aleksandrowice, Dolne Przedmieście, Lipnik, Mikuszowice Śląskie) osiedla and obręby ewidencyjne with the same names do not correspond territorially. The commons understanding of 'districts' in Bielsko-Biała and the belonging of particular areas to them draws loosely on both types of division. There has been human habitation in Bielsko since around 1400 BC, wooden tools have been found along with stone axes dating from 1000 BC. The remnants of

5400-642: The city into the Republic of German-Austria failed. In July 1920, the Conference of Ambassadors decided to divide Cieszyn Silesia in such a way that Bielsko became part of the autonomous Silesian Voivodeship in the Second Polish Republic . Political life was largely shaped by nationalist disputes. The influx of Polish officials and teachers increased the proportion of the Polish population, but Bielsko nevertheless retained its predominantly German character. In

5500-499: The city limits: Cyberniok, Dębowiec, Klimczok, Kołowrót, Kopany, Kozia Góra, Łysa Góra, Palenica, Przykra, Równia, Stołów, Szyndzielnia, Trzy Kopce and Wysokie. In addition, the slopes of Czupel, Gaiki and Magurka Wilkowicka mountains partly reach the peripheral districts of Bielsko-Biała. On the south-western slopes of Stołów is the Stołów Cave ( Jaskinia w Stołowie ), whose passages are 21 m (69 ft) long. In 2003, an entrance to

5600-532: The cloth industry in Bielsko was not yet developed. The German name was derived from the Slavic one. In medieval and early modern documents, the name of the town appears both in a form close to modern Polish and Czech ( Bilsko , Belsko ) and German ( Bilitz , Belicz , Bylitz ). Over time, the official name Bielitz in German and Bílsko in Czech became established, while in Polish there were still various fluctuations in

5700-436: The former castle gardens, or the building of the first Polish high school (now Nicolaus Copernicus High School ) put into use in 1927. In 1938, the municipality of Aleksandrowice was incorporated, where an airport and a pilot school were established. The history of Biała dates back to the second half of the 16th century. The first written mention comes from 1564 and describes a small craftsmen settlement of thirteen houses. It

5800-761: The fumes, or contact with skin or eyes can cause bodily harm and damage health. The earliest form of bleaching involved spreading fabrics and cloth out in a bleachfield to be whitened by the action of the Sun and water . In the 17th century, there was a significant cloth bleaching industry in Western Europe, using alternating alkaline baths (generally lye ) and acid baths (such as lactic acid from sour milk, and later diluted sulfuric acid ). The whole process lasted up to six months. Chlorine-based bleaches, which shortened that process from months to hours, were invented in Europe in

5900-587: The highest peak is Klimczok in Silesian Beskids at 1,117 m (3,665 ft) above sea level. The upland part of Bielsko-Biała consists of dozens of hills, separated by valleys of rivers and streams, the central one being the valley of the Biała River . The Beskid massifs are separated by the Wilkowice Gate ( Brama Wilkowicka ) connecting the Silesian Foothills ( Pogórze Śląskie ) with the Żywiec Basin ( Kotlina Żywiecka ). There are 14 mountain peaks within

6000-437: The historic Old Town was the clearest sign of the city's decline in the 1990s, while its gradual revitalization started in 2002 became an important symbol of changes for the better. During the first and second decades of the 21st century, Bielsko-Biała managed to return to the path of economic prosperity. Between 2001 and 2009, on the site of the demolished Lenko and Finex textile factories, a large shopping mall, Galeria Sfera ,

6100-410: The household) during the use of bleach-containing products. The increase in chlorinated volatile organic compound concentrations was the lowest for plain bleach and the highest for the products in the form of "thick liquid and gel ". The significant increases observed in indoor air concentrations of several chlorinated VOCs (especially carbon tetrachloride and chloroform) indicate that bleach use may be

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6200-461: The late 18th century. Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele discovered chlorine in 1774, and in 1785 Savoyard scientist Claude Berthollet recognized that it could be used to bleach fabrics. Berthollet also discovered sodium hypochlorite , which became the first commercial bleach, named Eau de Javel ("Javel water") after the borough of Javel , near Paris, where it was produced. Scottish chemist and industrialist Charles Tennant proposed in 1798

6300-449: The lungs. Mixing bleach with rubbing alcohol or acetone makes chloroform , while mixing with hydrogen peroxide results in an exothermic and potentially explosive chemical reaction that releases oxygen . Miracle Mineral Supplement (MMS), also promoted as "Master Mineral Solution" or "Chlorine Dioxide Solution" or CDS, to evade restrictions by online retail platforms, is a bleach solution that has been fraudulently promoted as

6400-627: The most effective strike of the first wave of Solidarity . The strikers forced the mayor of the city, the provincial governor, the commander of Milicja Obywatelska and the municipal and voivodeship secretaries of the Communist party to resign. From 1975 to 1998, Bielsko-Biała was the capital of the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship , covering most of Polish Cieszyn Silesia and south-western Lesser Poland (counties of Żywiec , Oświęcim , Wadowice and Sucha Beskidzka ). To describe its territory,

6500-439: The name Podbeskidzie was adopted, which is still popular among Bielsko-Biała residents ("Bielsko-Biała - the capital of Podbeskidzie"), but elsewhere it is criticized as an artificial term that is trying to replace traditional historical and geographical lands. The subject of a lively public debate is the long-term effects of the loss of the status of a provincial capital as a result of the administrative reform in 1998 , when

6600-589: The name Bielsko-Biała was created on January 1, 1951. Until 1975, it was part of the Katowice Voivodeship . In post-war Poland, the city has remained an important centre of textile industry (second only to Łódź ), alongside which new branches have developed: in 1946 the Gliding Institute was established and in 1948 the car engine plant WSM, on the basis of which the FSM Automobile Factory

6700-414: The name of a railroad station, on maps printed jointly for both cities, and in many other publications. Bielsko-Biała is located in the southern part of the Silesian Voivodeship , on the border of historical regions: Cieszyn Silesia (left-bank districts, 57.89% of the area) and Lesser Poland (right-bank districts, 42.11% of the area). The city represents 1.01% of the area of the voivodeship and 0.04% of

6800-443: The natural aquatic environment, reaching in a short time concentration as low as 10 μg/L or less in all emission scenarios. In addition, it was found that while volatile chlorine species may be relevant in some indoor scenarios, they have a negligible impact in open environmental conditions. Further, the role of hypochlorite pollution is assumed as negligible in soils. Industrial bleaching agents can be sources of concern. For example,

6900-418: The nearby Auschwitz extermination camp . Only less than 1000 people of the city's Jewish community of nearly 8000 survived the war. Several widely known Holocaust survivors from Bielsko-Biała were Roman Frister , Gerda Weissmann Klein and Kitty Hart-Moxon , all of whom wrote accounts of their experiences during the war. However, when it comes to material losses, the city survived the war almost intact. It

7000-583: The north, Wadowice County to the east, Żywiec County to the south, and Cieszyn County to the west. The county is subdivided into 10 gminas (one urban, two urban-rural and seven rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population. 49°49′N 19°02′E  /  49.817°N 19.033°E  / 49.817; 19.033 Bielsko-Bia%C5%82a Bielsko-Biała ( Polish: [ˈbjɛlskɔ ˈbjawa] ; Czech : Bílsko-Bělá ; German : Bielitz-Biala , Silesian : Biylsko-Biołŏ ; Wymysorys : Byłc-Bejł )

7100-508: The partition of the Duchy of Opole in 1281, Bielsko passed to the Dukes of Cieszyn within fragmented Poland . The town was first documented in 1312 when Duke Mieszko I of Cieszyn granted a town charter . The Biała again became a border river, when in 1315 the eastern Duchy of Oświęcim split off from Cieszyn as a separate under Mieszko's son Władysław . After the Dukes of Cieszyn had become vassals of

7200-466: The population of the Silesian Voivodeship. Population density was 1,356 people per square kilometer. The natural increase , according to data for 2020, was negative, at -610 (-3.58 per thousand residents). 1519 children were born and 2129 deaths were registered. The fertility rate at 1.44 was slightly higher than that of the voivodeship and Poland as a whole. The balance of internal migration

7300-420: The population of the neighboring communes is increasing. On December 31, 2021, the population of Bielsko-Biała was 168,835, including 79,740 (47.2%) men and 89,095 (52.8%) women. This means that there were 112 women for every 100 men. 56.4% of Bielsko-Biała's residents were of working age , 17.5% were of pre-working age, and 26.0% of residents were of post-working age. The city's population accounted for 3.77% of

7400-506: The remaining 0.9%, there were small groups of Greek Catholics , Orthodox Christians , Calvinists and five people with no religion. With the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in 1918, Biała became part of the Second Polish Republic . Throughout the interwar period it belonged to the Kraków Voivodeship . From 1925, the official name of the town was Biała Krakowska . Although the two towns effectively functioned as one urban area for

7500-409: The same bleaching power as one gram of elemental chlorine . The most common chlorine-based bleaches are: Other examples of chlorine-based bleaches, used mostly as disinfectants, are monochloramine , halazone , and sodium dichloroisocyanurate . Peroxide-based bleaches are characterized by the peroxide chemical group , namely two oxygen atoms connected by a single bond , (–O–O–). This bond

7600-457: The same time, they are protected under the Natura 2000 nature protection programme. The relief of Bielsko-Biała is quite diverse. Within the administrative borders of the city there are both upland and mountainous areas. The centrally located Bolesław Chrobry Square is 313 m (1,027 ft) above sea level. The lowest point are Komorowice Ponds at 262 m (860 ft) above sea level, while

7700-606: The selective inhibitory or toxic actions of antibiotics . They irreversibly denature or destroy many proteins , including all prions , making them extremely versatile disinfectants. Hypochlorite bleaches in low concentration were also found to attack bacteria by interfering with heat shock proteins on their walls. According to 2013 Home Hygiene and Health report, using bleach, whether chlorine- or peroxide-based, significantly increases germicidal efficiency of laundry even at low temperatures (30-40 degrees Celsius), which makes it possible to eliminate viruses, bacteria, and fungi from

7800-471: The skin or eyes, it causes irritation, drying, and potentially burns. Inhalation of bleach fumes can cause mild irritation of the upper airways. Personal protective equipment should always be used when using bleach. Bleach should never be mixed with vinegar or other acids, as this will create highly toxic chlorine gas , which can cause severe burns internally and externally. Mixing bleach with ammonia similarly produces chloramine gas, which can burn

7900-533: The state of a significant portion of surface water, both in the Biała and Wapienica rivers, was classified as poor. The city's ecological situation has been gradually improving in recent years, thanks in part to the actions of municipal authorities, such as the implementation of the "Low-Emission Economy Plan" since 2010. Between 2008 and 2022, with the city's support, over 7200 solid fuel boilers and furnaces were eliminated in residential buildings in Bielsko-Biała. The first municipal Energy Management Bureau in Poland

8000-712: The surrounding Beskid forests (the so-called forest churches)—and immediately after the issuing of the Patent of Toleration by Emperor Joseph II in 1781, an Evangelical district was established north of the historical centre, with the Church of the Saviour , the present seat of the Lutheran bishop and schools, known as the Bielsko Zion ( Bielski Syjon ). To this day, it remains a Protestant cultural centre of supra-regional significance. In 1900,

8100-470: The surrounding mountains each year. The sunniest days are between late summer and early fall, with a few months reaching 9 sunny days. In the 1960s 55 cm of snow cover was recorded. Bielsko-Biała is a city with relatively high air pollution . According to a 2016 report by the World Health Organization , it was ranked as the twenty-seventh most polluted city in the European Union. Then in

8200-479: The town. Jiří Třanovský was active in the Bielsko castle. Bielsko retained its Protestant character also after the Thirty Years' War . The recatholisation campaign, which started in the second half of the 17th century, was not very successful. Throughout the Counter-Reformation period, Lutheran services were held—at first in the Holy Trinity Church with the permission of the authorities, later in homes or in

8300-463: The town. Poles transferred from the eastern areas that had been annexed to the USSR , as well as new settlers from central Poland, especially Lesser Poland , came to Bielsko-Biała. The new Polish authorities initially restored the pre-war borders, including the division into Bielsko and Biała in two different voivodeships. But soon the decision to re-unify the two towns was made. The new municipality under

8400-953: The use of elemental chlorine in the bleaching of wood pulp produces organochlorines and persistent organic pollutants , including dioxins . According to an industry group, the use of chlorine dioxide in these processes has reduced the dioxin generation to under-detectable levels. However, the respiratory risk from chlorine and highly toxic chlorinated byproducts still exists. A European study conducted in 2008 indicated that sodium hypochlorite and organic chemicals (e.g., surfactants , fragrances ) contained in several household cleaning products can react to generate chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These chlorinated compounds are emitted during cleaning applications, some of which are toxic and probable human carcinogens . The study showed that indoor air concentrations significantly increase (8–52 times for chloroform and 1–1170 times for carbon tetrachloride , respectively, above baseline quantities in

8500-408: The west as well as Kunzendorf ( Lipnik ), Alzen ( Hałcnów ) and Wilmesau ( Wilamowice ) in the east. Nearby settlements in the mountains were Lobnitz ( Wapienica ) and Bistrai ( Bystra ). Those settlements did not undergo Slavonicisation in the following centuries, which led to the creation of a German language island ( Bielitz-Bialaer Sprachinsel ) that survived until the 20th century. After

8600-432: Was -355 in 2020, while foreign migration was +24. 592 marriages were concluded. 28.6% of residents were single, 55.0% were married, 6.9% were divorced, and 9.4% were widows and widowers. At the time of the merger of Bielsko and Biała in 1951, the city had a population of about 60,000. Over the years, the population increased with the development of industry and the incorporation of nearby municipalities, particularly fast in

8700-580: Was annexed by the Habsburg Empire and incorporated into the crownland of Galicia . After that the town underwent major urban transformations in the 1780s in connection with the construction of the Central Galician Road, part of which is today's 11 Listopada Street . At that time, the New Market was also delineated - the present Wolności Square . The town's boundaries were artificially limited as

8800-479: Was associated with the construction of new housing estates with large panel system-buildings , like Złote Łany (1970–1975), Wojska Polskiego (1976–1980), Beskidzkie (1976–1982) or Karpackie (1979–1982). The population has also increased due to the incorporation of surrounding communes: Kamienica and Mikuszowice (together with Olszówka  [ pl ] ) in 1969, Straconka in 1973, Stare Bielsko , Komorowice , Hałcnów and Wapienica in 1977. Bielsko-Biała

8900-403: Was built. It is a characteristic post-modernist architectural structure on the banks of the Biała river, however criticised for its negative influence on the traditional commercial zone located around the nearby 11 Listopada Street pedestrian zone. Like other contemporary cities, Bielsko-Biała is strongly affected by suburbanization , which results in a decrease in the number of inhabitants while

9000-532: Was described as the third largest centre of the textile industry in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy , after Brno and Liberec . In the second half of the 19th century, new tenements, villas of wealthy industrialists and public buildings in Revival and Art Nouveau styles began to spring up in the landscape of the city. These were often inspired by the architecture of Vienna, to which the slogan "Little Vienna", which

9100-564: Was established in Bielsko-Biała in 1997, and it currently operates as an energy team within the Department of Environmental Protection and Energy of the Municipal Office. In 2022, there were three monitoring stations in the city as part of the National Air Quality Monitoring System, and the city installed 36 air quality sensors in urban areas to depict the distribution of pollutants within the city [Source: Data from

9200-418: Was exceeded in the years 2018-2022 were as follows: 52, 30, 33, 41, 24, respectively. The main contributors to air pollution are the use of outdated solid fuel sources in households, emissions of gases and particles from industrial plants, and traffic. The operation of outdated heating systems and solid fuel combustion sources within the city promotes the formation of smog during the heating season. Smog has

9300-482: Was extended to Żywiec and connected to the Galician Transversal Railway . A 268 metres (879 ft) long tunnel under the centre of Bielsko was then built. In 1888, a railway connection to Cieszyn and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska was opened. In 1895, an electric tram line was established in Bielsko. It connected the railway station with Zigeunerwald/Cygański Las, which in the meantime was transformed into

9400-469: Was first used for bleaching in 1882, but did not become commercially important until after 1930. Sodium perborate as a laundry bleach has been used in Europe since the early twentieth century, and became popular in North America in the 1980s. Colors of natural organic materials typically arise from organic pigments , such as beta carotene . Chemical bleaches work in one of two ways: Sunlight acts as

9500-547: Was founded in 1972. The factory was born from an agreement between the FSO and Fiat for the construction of a new model, the Polski Fiat 126p, Polish version of Fiat 126 commonly known as Maluch . A huge industrial complex has been built in the northern part of the city. Thousands of people came from all over Poland to work then; in the 1970s Bielsko-Biała observed the biggest population boom in its history. The influx of new residents

9600-532: Was inherited by the Austrian House of Habsburg and incorporated into the Habsburg monarchy . From 1560 Bielsko was held by Frederick Casimir of Cieszyn , son of Duke Wenceslaus III Adam , who due to the enormous debts his son left upon his death in 1571, had to sell it to the Promnitz noble family at Pless . With the consent of Emperor Maximilian II , the Promnitz dynasty and their Schaffgotsch successors ruled

9700-475: Was located near the mouth of Niwka to the Biała River , in the area of today's Łukowa Street. Administratively, it belonged to the Silesian County of the Kraków Voivodeship within the Kingdom of Poland . The first residents most likely came from the suburbs of neighboring Bielsko. They crossed to the other side of the river tempted by the opportunity to build new houses in the face of restrictions imposed by

9800-625: Was made famous on a large scale by the Studio Filmów Rysunkowych (Animated Film Studio), founded in 1947. It was one of five animation studios in post-war Poland. Among the children's TV series produced here were Reksio , Bolek i Lolek , Margo the Mouse and Porwanie Baltazara Gąbki . The general strike launched by the workers of the Bewelana textile factory in January 1981 is considered

9900-505: Was not bombed, and fighting during the Soviet offensive in the winter of 1945 was limited to today's peripheral districts, such as Hałcnów and the eastern part of Lipnik . After World War II, the ethnic structure of the place changed. Most of the German population was expelled and those who remained assimilated with the Poles. In the 21st century, there is only a small German minority circle in

10000-487: Was still owned by the Sułkowskis until World War II. Bielsko was the first town in the Duchy of Cieszyn where the teachings of Martin Luther spread in the late 1530s, even before Duke Wenceslaus III Adam adopted Lutheranism in 1545. Also later, Bielsko was home to the strongest Protestant community in the whole of Cieszyn Silesia, which in 1587 obtained a privilege guaranteeing that only Lutheran services would be held in

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