Dąb, Katowice

Dąb is a part and a district of Katowice, located in the northern part of the city, by the Rawa river. It is the earliest mentioned settlement within the current boundaries of Katowice. It was already recorded in a document from 19 March 1299, transferring the villages of Chorzów and Krasny Dąb to the monastery of the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, to which Dąb belonged until the 19th century. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Dąb experienced rapid development due to the establishment of new industrial facilities in the area, especially the Eminencja Coal Mine (renamed "Gottwald" in 1954 and "Kleofas" in 1990) and the Baildon Steelworks. In 1924, Dąb was incorporated into Katowice. Following the decline of major industrial plants at the end of the 20th century, and with the growth of the service and retail sectors, the district remains a multifunctional center. The buildings of Dąb date mainly from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries (they are concentrated mostly along the historic thoroughfares – Dębowa and Agnieszki streets – as well as the streets running perpendicular to them), with a significant proportion of postwar constructions. It is very well connected thanks to Drogowa Trasa Średnicowa and national road 79 (Chorzowska Street), as well as a tram line running parallel to the road toward Chorzów and Katowice's Śródmieście.