Fr. Karl Urban (1864–1923) – Researcher of the History of Upper Silesia

Piotr Górecki

Faculty of Theology of the University of Opole
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6052-3968

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the person and scientific achievements of Fr. Karl Urban (1864–1923), in the years 1899–1923 a priest at Sadów in the Lubliniec deanery. He himself – being the son of Carl Urban (1836–1922), a teacher in Upper Silesian schools, the author of a few books combining the subjects of pedagogy and history – he was engaged in scientific activity almost all his life. He published some of his research works in the Silesian scientific journal: „Oberschlesische Heimat. Zeitschrift des Oberschlesischen
Geschichtsvereins”, and he was actively participating in the activities of the Upper Silesian Historical Society founded in 1904. The members of that society focused their work mainly on the history of local communities, creating accounts contributing to the synthetic history of Upper Silesia. The preliminary archival query found the first articles of Fr. Urban, concerning the history of the lands of Lubliniec and Koszęcin. The author shares the preliminary results of his research, the aim of which is to publish a book about this forgotten researcher of local history on the hundredth anniversary of his death.

Keywords:

Fr. Karl Urban, archival research, history of the catholic Church in Upper Silesia, history of Upper Silesia