Province of Upper Silesia

Province of Upper Silesia Provinz Oberschlesien (German)
Province of Prussia
1919–1938 1941–1945
Flag Coat of arms
Upper Silesia (Red) within the Free State of Prussia (Blue).
Administrative districts and counties in the Gau of Upper Silesia (1943)
Capital	Oppeln (1919–1938) Kattowitz (1941–1945)
Area
• Coordinates	50°40′13.080″N 17°55′13.040″E / 50.67030000°N 17.92028889°E / 50.67030000; 17.92028889
• 1925	9,702 km2 (3,746 sq mi)
Population
• 1925	1,379,408
History
• Established	1919
• Merged with Lower Silesia	1938–1941
• Disestablished	1945
Political subdivisions	Kattowitz region Oppeln region
Preceded by Succeeded by Province of Silesia Silesian Voivodeship (1920–1939) Silesian Voivodeship (1920–1939) Silesian Voivodeship (1945–1950) District of Opolian Silesia
Today part of	Poland Czech Republic

The Province of Upper Silesia (German: Provinz Oberschlesien; Silesian German: Provinz Oberschläsing; Silesian: Prowincyjŏ Gōrny Ślōnsk; Polish: Prowincja Górny Śląsk) was a province of the Free State of Prussia from 1919 to 1945. It comprised much of the region of Upper Silesia and was eventually divided into two government regions (Regierungsbezirke) called Kattowitz (1939–1945), and Oppeln (1819–1945). The provincial capital was Oppeln (1919–1938) and Kattowitz (1941–1945), while other major towns included Beuthen, Gleiwitz, Hindenburg O.S., Neiße, Ratibor and Auschwitz, added in 1941 (the place of future extermination of Jews in World War II).^[1] Between 1938 and 1941 it was reunited with Lower Silesia as the Province of Silesia.