# Ruda Śląska

> city in Poland in Silesian Voivodeship

**Wikidata**: [Q108679](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108679)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruda_Śląska)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ruda-slaska

## Summary
Ruda Śląska is a city with powiat rights located in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland. Established in 1959, this large human settlement covers an area of 78 square kilometers and had a population of 131,062 as of the 2023 census.

## Key Facts
- **Location:** Situated in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland on the continent of Europe.
- **Inception:** The city was established in 1959.
- **Administrative Status:** Classified as a city with powiat rights in Poland, a big city, and a large human settlement.
- **Population:** 
  - 2023: 131,062 (census determination method).
  - 2021: 133,793 (Polish census of 2021), comprising 64,505 males and 69,288 females.
  - 2016: 139,412.
- **Geography:** 
  - Area: 78 square kilometers.
  - Elevation: 272 meters above sea level.
  - Coordinates: 50.27006 latitude, 18.87424 longitude.
- **Borders:** Shares borders with Katowice, Mikołów, Gmina Gierałtowice, Zabrze, Bytom, Świętochłowice, Chorzów, Gliwice County, and Mikołów County.
- **Timezone:** Observes Central European Time (UTC+01:00) as standard time and Central European Summer Time (UTC+02:00) as daylight saving time.
- **Government:** 
  - Head of Government: Michał Pierończyk (since September 29, 2022).
  - TERC Municipality Code: 2472011.
- **Symbols:** 
  - Patron Saint: Saint Barbara (since June 6, 1998).
  - Coat of Arms: Coat of arms of Ruda Śląska.
- **Infrastructure:** 
  - Postal Codes: 41-700 to 41-717.
  - Local Dialing Code: 32.
  - License Plate Codes: SRS, SL.
- **Twin Towns:** Vibo Valentia, Mank, Melk, Giżycko, and Papenburg.
- **Identifiers:** 
  - GND ID: 4369145-6.
  - VIAF ID: 142048511.
  - MusicBrainz Area ID: 38839348-ff82-4484-814a-c80eeae99688.
  - SIMC Place ID: 0942630.
  - GeoNames IDs: 3086800, 7531588, 7530951.

## FAQs
**Where is Ruda Śląska located?**
Ruda Śląska is a city in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland, situated in Europe. It shares borders with several major cities including Katowice, Zabrze, Bytom, and Chorzów.

**What is the population of Ruda Śląska?**
According to the 2023 census, the population is 131,062. The 2021 Polish census recorded a population of 133,793, with a female majority of 69,288 compared to 64,505 males.

**When was Ruda Śląska founded?**
The city was established in 1959.

**Who is the current head of government?**
As of September 29, 2022, the head of the government is Michał Pierończyk.

**What are the administrative and technical codes for Ruda Śląska?**
The city uses the TERC municipality code 2472011, the SIMC place ID 0942630, and postal codes ranging from 41-700 to 41-717. Vehicle license plates use the codes SRS or SL.

**What is the city's patron saint?**
Saint Barbara has been the patron saint of Ruda Śląska since June 6, 1998.

**Which cities are twinned with Ruda Śląska?**
Ruda Śląska has twinning agreements with Vibo Valentia (Italy), Mank (Austria), Melk (Austria), Giżycko (Poland), and Papenburg (Germany).

## Why It Matters
Ruda Śląska holds significance as an independent urban unit with "powiat rights" within the densely populated and industrially important Silesian region of Poland. Its formation in 1959 consolidated the area into a cohesive administrative entity capable of managing local governance distinct from surrounding counties. The city maintains a robust international presence through its twinning relationships with European partners in Italy, Austria, and Germany, facilitating cultural and economic exchange. Additionally, its demographic data is closely tracked through national censuses, reflecting its role as a significant population center in the Silesian Voivodeship.

## Notable For
- **Geographic Centrality:** Located in the heart of the Silesian metropolitan area, directly bordering major cities like Katowice, Gliwice, and Zabrze.
- **Administrative Autonomy:** Possesses the status of a city with powiat rights, giving it administrative independence equivalent to a county.
- **Demographic Tracking:** Detailed population statistics are maintained, including specific breakdowns by gender and determination method (e.g., Polish census of 2021).
- **Cultural Symbols:** Distinctive civic symbols including a specific flag, coat of arms, and the dedication of Saint Barbara as the patron saint.
- **Digital Presence:** Extensive integration into global knowledge bases, including high sitelink counts (68) and numerous identifiers across academic and geographic databases (VIAF, GND, MusicBrainz).

## Body

### Geography and Location
Ruda Śląska is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship within the country of Poland on the European continent. The city covers a total area of 78 square kilometers and sits at an elevation of 272 meters above sea level. Its geographic coordinates are 50.27006° latitude and 18.87424° longitude.

The city is landlocked by several administrative neighbors, sharing borders with:
- Katowice
- Mikołów
- Gmina Gierałtowice
- Zabrze
- Bytom
- Świętochłowice
- Chorzów
- Gliwice County
- Mikołów County

Ruda Śląska operates within the Central European Time zone, utilizing UTC+01:00 for standard time and UTC+02:00 for daylight saving time (Central European Summer Time).

### Demographics
The population of Ruda Śląska has fluctuated in recent years according to census data:
- As of June 30, 2016, the population was recorded at 139,412.
- The Polish census of 2021 (recorded on March 31, 2021) showed a population of 133,793. This figure was broken down into 64,505 males and 69,288 females.
- Data from 2023 indicates a population of 131,062, determined via census methods.

### History and Administration
The city was officially established in 1959. It is classified as a "city with powiat rights in Poland," a "big city," and a "large human settlement."

**Government and Codes:**
- **Head of Government:** Michał Pierończyk, holding the position since September 29, 2022.
- **TERC Municipality Code:** 2472011.
- **SIMC Place ID:** 0942630.
- **Postal Codes:** 41-700 through 41-717.
- **Local Dialing Code:** 32.
- **License Plate Codes:** SRS and SL.

### Symbols and Culture
The city possesses distinct cultural and symbolic identifiers:
- **Patron Saint:** Saint Barbara, adopted on June 6, 1998.
- **Coat of Arms:** The official coat of arms of Ruda Śląska.
- **Flag:** The city flag is available as a vector graphic.
- **Imagery:** A prominent image of the city features the "Kościół pw. Św. Pawła Apostoła w Rudzie Śląskiej" (Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Ruda Śląska).

### International Relations
Ruda Śląska participates in international cooperation through twinning agreements with the following administrative bodies:
- Vibo Valentia
- Mank
- Melk
- Giżycko
- Papenburg

### Identifiers and External References
The entity is widely cataloged across various databases and information systems:
- **Library and Academic IDs:** GND ID (4369145-6), VIAF ID (142048511), Library of Congress Authority ID (n93124801), National Library of Israel J9U ID (987007533262105171).
- **Geographic IDs:** GeoNames IDs (3086800, 7531588, 7530951), OpenStreetMap Node ID (31917353), OpenStreetMap Relation ID (383221), iNaturalist Place ID (102027).
- **Digital and Web IDs:** Freebase ID (/m/0jxv8), MusicBrainz Area ID (38839348-ff82-4484-814a-c80eeae99688), Curlie ID (Regional/Europe/Poland/Provinces/Slaskie/Ruda_Slaska/), Quora Topic (Ruda-Śląska-Poland).
- **Encyclopedic Sources:** Described by sources such as the Granat Encyclopedic Dictionary and Otto's encyclopedia. It also has an Online PWN Encyclopedia ID (3969820) and an Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID (place/Ruda-Slaska).
- **Other Technical IDs:** Yale LUX ID (place/4b291aac-f701-4baf-94a7-b0be9716e198), Archinform Location ID (50564), Museum Digital Place ID (28083), Who's On First IDs (101752131, 1125281929).
- **Categorization:** The city is the subject of numerous categories including "Category:Ruda Śląska," "Category:Births in Ruda Śląska," "Category:People from Ruda Śląska," and "Category:Deaths in Ruda Śląska."
- **Erroneous or Legacy Mappings:** The source data includes a SNARC ID referencing a "list of monuments in Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina" and a FactGrid item ID referencing "Friedrich Majer," which appear to be data anomalies or misattributions in the source records.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. [Source](https://www.worlddata.info/europe/poland/timezones.php)
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. Czech National Authority Database
5. MusicBrainz
6. [Source](https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/api/v1/data/localities/by-unit/012414872011-0942630?var-id=1639616&format=jsonapi)
7. Statistics Poland
8. [Source](https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/api/v1/data/localities/by-unit/012414872011-0942630?var-id=1639618&format=jsonapi)
9. [Source](https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/api/v1/data/localities/by-unit/012414872011-0942630?var-id=1639617&format=jsonapi)
10. GeoNames
11. TERYT
12. System for IDs and names of places
13. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
14. [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/places/inaturalist-places.csv.zip)