Katowice, Ger. Kattowitz, city (1993 est. pop. 366,200), capital of Śląskie prov., S Poland. One of the chief mining and industrial centers of Poland, it has industries producing heavy machinery and chemicals; mines in the region yield coal, iron, zinc, and lead. The city was chartered in 1865 and passed from Germany to Poland in 1921. Katowice is also an important educational and cultural center.