Katowice developed from a small village to a major urban industrial center over several decades, from the late eighteenth to the mid-nineteenth century. The oldest and most important urban axis is the line connecting the three squares: Wolności, Rynek (Market Square) and Szramka. Of these three sites, the Market Square was laid out as the firSt It was a place which for several centuries was an important transportation hub. The oldest urban axis is lined with a number of stately edifices, including the synagogue, the church of Saint Mary’s, etc.