Bielsko-Biała

The city Bielsko-Biała as it exists today came to be in 1951 when the two neighboring cities Bielsko and Biała united.

Throughout history, the territories Bielsko and Biała were part of were frequently contested between the Kingdom of Poland and its rivals, such as Kingdom of Bohemia and Austria. In the 18th century, Bielsko and Biała were incorporated into Austrian Silesia and Galicia respectively close to the geographic border with Prussia/Germany until 1918.

During the era of industrialization, both cities underwent urbanization and developed massive textile and industrial factories adjacent to the Biała River. They were notably one of Austria’s, and later Poland's, largest manufacturers of textile. In the 19th century, Vienna architecture gained immense popularity, and buildings inspired by the Austrian capital began to appear in Bielsko and Biała, including the Bielsko-Biała City Hall located in the latter. As a result, Bielsko and Biała became known as "Little Vienna", a reputation the city retains to this day.

After the First World War, Bielsko and Biała became part of Poland once again – specifically to the Silesia and Cracow voivodeships respectively.

After unification in 1951, Bielsko-Biała continued to be one of Poland’s biggest suppliers of textile and cloth until the majority of the factories were shut down. Today, the city has a growing tourism industry with the Beskid Mountains being a major tourist destination.

Princes Sułkowski Castle

Located in the city center (Bielsko), Princes Sułkowski Castle is the oldest historical building in the city, dating back as far as the 14th century, and the main building of the Historical Museum in Bielsko-Biała.

In the past, the building had served as a military fortress and border stronghold for Poland and other kingdoms with administrative control over the Silesia region. At the same, Princes Sułkowski Castle had a brick wall and additional defensive interiors. The present-day incarnation of the castle was constructed by Ludwik Sułkowski in the 19th century; by that point, it was a residence for nobles, most notably the Sułkowski family.

Inside the castle museum are exhibitions showing the former owners of the castle, daily life in the residence, drawings and pictures of the castle as it looked in previous centuries, the history of the city and more. There is also an armory with various military equipment as well as a room dedicated to the two cities’ craftsman traditions.

Museum of Technology and Textile Industry

The Museum of Technology and Textile Industry, also known as Old Factory, opened in 1996 with one of its goals being to preserve the history and legacy of Bielsko-Biała’s textile industry. It is a branch of the Bielsko-Biała Museum (pl. Muzeum Historyczne w Bielsku-Białej) and is located in the former Büttner factory.

The museum possesses a large collection of machinery, tools and materials that were used for the production of textiles, cloth and woolen products during the 19th and 20th centuries. Amongst the displays are mills for spinning and weaving wool, sewing machines and various machines used for the production of hats. Moreover, there are numerouse illustrations and schematics of the mechanical and artistic processes that were applied during production.

Each era of Bielsko and Biała is shown in separate sections, from the early industrialization to the turn of the millennium. The permanent exhibition “From the Textile Industry to the Small Fiat” provides a detailed history of how Bielsko and Biała developed their cloth factories, their importance to the economies of Austria-Hungary and Second Republic of Poland as well as the diversification of industry during the era of People’s Republic of Poland.

Aside from the technical work, Old Factory also has displays of a factory office and laboratory. The office illustrates the duties and role of the factory supervisor while the laboratory shows how materials and finished products were tested. Multiple documentaries showing the daily life of workers in the textile industry can be viewed in different areas of the museum.

Bolek i Lolek

Bolek i Lolek is a children’s franchise that was created by Władysław Nehrebecki of the Polish animation studio Studio Filmów Rysunkowych (eng. Animated Film Studio) in 1964. The studio was founded in Bielsko-Biała in 1947, and its animated productions greatly contributed to the popularity and cultural significance of the city. Bolek i Lolek together with Reksio are the studio’s most famous productions, and they are strongly associated with Bielsko-Biała.

Bolek i Lolek started as an animated children’s series about the titular brothers Bolek and Lolek playing with each other. The popularity of Bolek i Lolek allowed it to expand into a multimedia franchise, consisting of multiple films, postcards, toys and more. The animated series has been aired in many other countries, too.

A small monument of Bolek and Lolek stands outside Sfera shopping center in Bielsko, depicting the two characters looking at Poland on a globe.

Polski Fiat 126p

In 1972, the Polish and Italian automobile manufacturers FSO and Fiat respectively signed an agreement to form Polish car factory FSM in Bielsko-Biała as well as Tychy. This led to the creation of the famous car Polski Fiat 126p. Nicknamed Maluch, meaning “small one”, this car model was very popular in Poland throughout the 1970s and 1980s due to its small size and cheap price. Polski Fiat 126p was strongly associated with Bielsko-Biała and a symbol of the city for many decades.

In the present day, Polski Fiat 126p and several of its modified models are displayed and preserved in multiple museums. Most notably is Muzeum Fiata 126p on Karpacka 44, which is dedicated to Polish Fiat.

A smaller automobile museum named Muzeum Motoryzacji w Bielsku-Białej is on Kazimierza Wielkiego 1. Aside from Polish car models, the museum has a collection of other vehicles like motorcycles and scooters.

Museum of Technology and Textile Industry also has a section about the old Polish automobile industry.