Koszutka () is a part and a district of Katowice, located in the northern part of the city, in the Chorzów Hills, bordering Wełnowiec-Józefowiec, Bogucice, Śródmieście, and Dąb. It is the smallest in terms of area and one of the most densely populated districts of the city, with a large proportion of elderly residents. It is mainly residential, with a well-developed service sector, and is also the seat of several public administration institutions.
Koszutka began to develop in the 17th century as a colony of Bogucice. Its growth in the 19th century was limited due to mine subsidence caused by underground fires in coal seams. Koszutka underwent major transformation during the Polish People's Republic era, when the construction of (renamed Osiedle Koszutka in 1990) began in the 1950s. As part of post-war expansion, many residential and public buildings were constructed, the oldest of which are in the socialist realist style. The most characteristic buildings in Koszutka include the near , the building of the Coal Industry Studies and Design Office, , and residential buildings, the Spodek arena, and the now-demolished Polish State Railways Regional Directorate building, which has been replaced by the .KTW office complex.
The main transport routes in Koszutka include Chorzowska Street and Wojciech Korfanty Avenue, which intersect at Jerzy Ziętek Square. Tram lines also run along these streets, connecting the district with other cities in Metropolis GZM. The district has an area of 1.38 km², and at the end of 2020, it had 10,121 inhabitants.
Geography Location Koszutka is one of Katowice's 22 districts (auxiliary unit No. 12), belonging to the group of downtown districts. It is the smallest district of the city in terms of area, covering 138 ha, which accounts for 0.84% of Katowice's territory. Koszutka is located in the northern part of the city, 3 kilometres from center, and borders Wełnowiec-Józefowiec to the north, Bogucice to the east, Śródmieście to the south, and Dąb to the west. The district's boundaries are as follows: to the north – from the intersection of and C. K. Norwid streets to the east, parallel to Słoneczna Street (the buildings on this street belong to Wełnowiec-Józefowiec), then continuing parallel to Jesionowa and Cedrowa streets; to the east – it surrounds the townhouse estate on Brzozowa and Osikowa streets, then runs south along Brzozowa Street to the intersection with J. Ordon Street and further along Olimpijska Street to the junction with ; to the south – along W. Roździeński Avenue, then it surrounds Jerzy Ziętek Square from the south, after which the border runs along Chorzowska Street to the intersection with ; to the west – along J. N. Stęślicki Street (along the western traffic lane of this street), then along the green belt in the place of the former railway track to the intersection of Słoneczna and C. K. Norwid streets.
According to physio-geographical regionalization, Koszutka is located in the mesoregion, which forms the southern part of the Silesian Upland macroregion. The Silesian Upland itself is a part of the subprovince. Historically, it forms part of eastern Upper Silesia.
Geology Koszutka is located in the in an area with horst structures. At the turn of the Devonian and Carboniferous periods, the Paleozoic bedrock of the Silesian Uplands was disturbed by the formation of a sinkhole, which during the Carboniferous was filled with conglomerates, sandstones, and shales containing bituminous coal deposits. These formations form the bedrock of the district, while the upper series overlying the northern part of Koszutka, north of , J. Ordon, and streets. There are also outcrops of the Ruda layers (younger Carboniferous series – Westphalian A) belonging to the Łęka group. Their total thickness reaches 300 m. In the lower part, this layer is composed of sandstones with about six thin coal seams, while the upper part, composed mainly of shales, is much richer – it contains about 30 coal seams, 8 of which are more than 1 m thick. The area where the townhouses on Osikowa and Cedrowa streets are located is formed by saddle beds with a thickness of 73–76 m, containing up to 4 coal seams with a total thickness of 14–17 m.
The main features of Koszutka's terrain were formed during the Tertiary period, with intensive processes of chemical weathering and denudation occurring at that time. During the Quaternary, the area was likely covered by the Scandinavian ice sheet twice: during the oldest Mindel glaciation and during the Riss glaciation. The sediments from the first glaciation were mostly removed during the interglacial, while the Riss glaciation ice sheet left behind tills along valley depressions. The southern and northwestern parts of Koszutka are composed of Pleistocene glacial and fluvioglacial sands and gravels.
In the current Holocene, processes of erosion and removal of Pleistocene sediment covers are occurring. Holocene alluvial deposits extend meridionally in a line from Wełnowiec through Koszutka to the Rawa river valley, parallel to the west of .
Topography
Koszutka is located in the Silesian Upland, on the Bytom-Katowice Plateau, which is part of the Katowice Upland mesoregion. The terrain of the district is varied. The southern and western parts consist of river valley floors with Pleistocene terraces, while the northern areas are hilly uplands formed on Carboniferous rocks.
The present-day relief of Koszutka was shaped mainly by the Mindel glaciation and the maximum stage of the Riss glaciation, while in recent times, human activity related to settlement and mining has also had a significant impact. This has led to the destruction of the natural substrate and the creation of new forms of landscape degradation. The entire area of the district also constitutes an anthropogenic surface of levelling.
In terms of morphological units, Koszutka is located on the Chorzów Hills. They form a series of undulating, rounded or flattened hills exceeding 300 m above sea level in several places – the so-called Bogucice fields. Towards the Rawa river valley, the slopes are cut by valley depressions, including the Wełnowiec Trench. The highest point of the district is located near the border of Koszutka and Wełnowiec-Józefowiec, on Cedrowa Street in its central part. The height of this hill reaches over 310 m above sea level (according to topographic maps, the height of the point is 313.74 m above sea level).
One of the hills in Koszutka is Kafeberg (or Caffeberg), on top of which the was built. The name of the hill was borrowed from a café that operated there in the 1920s. The area around the intersection of Wojciech Korfanty Avenue and is located at an altitude of 280.7 m above sea level, while the northern part of is at an altitude of about 266 m above sea level. The lowest point stretches along Chorzowska Street on the border between Koszutka and Śródmieście, where the altitude drops below 265 m above sea level. The difference in altitude between the extreme points of the district is about 45 meters.
Soils The soils in Koszutka have mostly developed on a substrate of wetland sands. Human activity has led to changes in soil properties, and long-term urban development has resulted in the formation of anthrosols in the district. Some of the land is affected by mining and contaminated with heavy metals. Anthrosols formed from tills dominate throughout the district. Human activity is the main soil-forming factor in these soils.
Surface and groundwater Koszutka is located entirely within the Vistula drainage basin, in the basin of the Rawa river. The Rawa itself does not flow through the district, nor are there any water reservoirs there. Documents from 1698 mention Dębska Struga, a stream forming the border between Bogucice and Dąb, which flowed through Koszutka, among others.
In the classification of Bronisław Paczyński, Koszutka lies within the Silesian-Kraków hydrogeological region, in the Upper Silesian subregion. Aquifers occur in all layers, but their importance depends on several factors. According to the division of Poland into Uniform Groundwater Bodies, the entire district is located in Uniform Groundwater Body No. 111 (Central Vistula Uplands Subregion).
Climate and topoclimate The climatic conditions in Koszutka are similar to those in Katowice as a whole, and are modified by both climatic and local factors. The climate of the district is influenced more by oceanic than continental factors, and is occasionally modified by tropical air masses arriving from the southwest through the Moravian Gate.
The average annual temperature in the multi-year period 1961–2005, measured at the nearby station in , was 8.1 °C. The warmest month in the period studied was July (17.8 °C), and the coldest was January (−2.2 °C). The average annual sunshine duration in the period 1966–2005 was 1,474 hours, while the average cloud cover in the same period was 5.3. The average annual precipitation in the period 1951–2005 was 713.8 mm. The average duration of snow cover is 60–70 days, and the growing season usually lasts from 200 to 220 days. Throughout the year, westerly and southwesterly winds prevail (20.7% and 20.4% of all winds, respectively), while winds from the north are the least frequent (5.7%). The average wind speed is 2.4 m/s.
The climate of the district is modified by local factors, depending on the land cover and the location in relation to river valleys – in the case of Koszutka, in relation to the Rawa river. In densely built-up areas, the local climate is influenced by the warming of the atmosphere as a result of human activity. Dense areas of buildings, roads, and squares cause an increase in air temperature in the ground layer of the atmosphere. These areas also lose heat faster due to radiation at night, and the lack of moisture in the air is not conducive to prolonged heat retention. Nature and environmental protection
The natural vegetation in Koszutka has been shaped since the last glaciation 12,000–16,000 years ago, and over the last 200 years it has been subjected to strong anthropogenic pressure. Originally, the lower areas of the district were covered with oak-hornbeam forests, while beech forests were at higher altitudes. The development of dense housing has led to the almost complete disappearance of natural elements. Ruderal species have developed in urbanized habitats, thriving mainly in anthropogenic habitats of built-up areas and urban wasteland. Conditions were also created for the development of synanthropic animals, the most important of which are birds, including those that have long accompanied humans, such as the house sparrow and pigeon, as well as native birds that have adapted to urban conditions, including swifts, house martins, and barn swallows.
Today, the natural structure of Koszutka is dominated by greenery in the form of street plantings, courtyards, squares, and parks. These areas create green spaces of various sizes. When planning , it was decided that green areas would be located along high-voltage lines. Today, the largest area of landscaped green space is , located at the intersection of Chorzowska and streets. Alojzy Budniok Park is one of the recreational areas for the residents of Koszutka with a sports field and a playground. Other larger green areas in the district include the green complex of Gustaw Holoubek, , and squares. There are no allotment gardens within the boundaries of Koszutka.
Name The name "Koszutka" comes from the surname of one of its historical owners – Koczot (Koszot) – who leased a mill belonging to . Members of the family appear in registry records in the second half of the 17th century. The sources mention, among others, miller Jadwiga Koczotka (or Koszotka). The court records also mention the name "Kosoci" to refer to the meadow of the parson of Chorzów Stary.