Henryk XV Hochberg favored an independence movement for a
Silesian Republic or at least Upper Silesia. The latter was supported by Związek
Górnośląski (1919–1924) which was financed by him. With the outbreak of the
Silesian Uprising, Hochberg sided firmly with the German cause and afforded the
land to German paramilitary organizations, even for a prison for Poles. Jan
Henryk XV himself supplied units at his expense, commanded by his son, Jan
Henryk XVII in a bitter fight for Góra Świętej Anny. Earlier that year (1921)
the plebiscite was hold that was to determine the future of that region. In
Pszczyna county 53 thousand voted for Poland and only 18 thousand for Germany.
In contrast, voting solely in Pszczyna town gave victory to Germany. In the
view of voting results and in consequence of the Third Silesian Uprising, the
land of Pszczyna was granted to Poland. On May 29 1922, the Polish army
officially claimed the city for Poland. The first mayor of city became Jand
Figna.
World War II
1939 Defensive War saw a warfare also in the surroundings of Pszczyna,
witness now by leftovers of concrete strongholds. In that area Battle of
Pszczyna took place. German forces had breached main Polish defensive lines
protecting Silesia. Germans murdered 14 Poles (14 September), they were buried
in the forest of Pszczyna. At the turn of January and February 1945 war storm
came through Pszczyna with no serious damage to the city. Unfortunately,
beautiful wooden church of Saint Jadwiga burned in 1939. Tragic events took
place in January 1945, when Nazis evacuated prisoners of Auschwitz Birkenau and
in the event killed many of them, even at the streets of Pszczyna. The city was
finally liberated on 10 February 1945
After 1945
