Silesian Insurgents' House

The Silesian Insurgents' House at Jana Matejki 3 is a multi-storey functionalist building, erected as the seat of the Union of Silesian Insurgents. It was designed by the architect Zbigniew Rzepecki and built in 1936-1937, with the interiors finished by 1938. Since 2014 the building has been entered in the heritage register.

Construction and the first years

The money for the project was provided by the Silesian Voivodeship, the Administration of the Estates of the Prince of Pszczyna and the insurgents themselves, and the Pokój steelworks supplied 30 tonnes of steel. Work began in July 1936, and the building was opened after the interiors were finished in November 1938. The seven-storey building housed shops, conference rooms and the 500-seat Zorza cinema, and at ground level the Piwnica Śląska restaurant with frescoes. On the second floor a room was arranged for insurgent memorabilia.

September 1939 and later history

In September 1939 the Insurgents' House was a point of armed resistance, commanded by the insurgent Stanisław Karkoszka. The defenders were overcome by anti-tank gun fire, then taken prisoner and shot in the courtyard of a tenement on Zamkowa Street. On the facade hangs a plaque commemorating the defenders of Katowice: Silesian insurgents and scouts. After the war, show trials of soldiers of the anti-communist underground were held in the Zorza cinema, and the cinema was closed in 2002. At the turn of 2021 and 2022 the building was thoroughly renovated and its facade reconstructed.

Nearby

The building stands near the Silesian Theatre and the Cathedral of Christ the King.

Practical information

• Address: ulica Jana Matejki 3, Katowice-Śródmieście.
• The building is in use, so it is easiest to view from the outside, together with the plaque on the facade.