The great history of Rybnik is not well-known, but the latest researches show that humans settled at this place in Paleolithic. The ancestors of people who live in Rybnik now came from a tribe called Goleszyce, which was living there in the early Middle Ages. At that time Rybnik had a big amount of ponds and held a primary function as a fishing place. So this is the key to the name of our city, because in Slovonic languages "RYBNIK" means "a fishing pond".

Thanks to its good location Rybnik became an urban centre with numerous temples and inns. Rybnik was quickly developing as a local centre of trade and craft. It was also famous for breeding fish. In XVI century Rybnik together with its region formed "Rybnik's country" and with the whole Silesia it was dependant on the Habsburgs. At that time Rybnik took out the right for markets, so-called "market's privilege".

In 1740 Rybnik was joined into Prussia. In 1818 it became a district city. The Industry evolution had an influence on the intensively increasing number of people. After the First World War Rybnik citizens took part in Silesian Insurrections. And Rybnik was the main conspiration centre. One of the effects of those Insurrections was, in 1922, joining Silesia to Poland. A lot of administrative offices came into being in Rybnik. The city numbered  28,500 citizens and underwent numerous changes at that time. As a result Rybnik became one of the most beautiful cities in Poland.

The central position of the city contributed to its becoming a centre of social, political and cultural life in that area. The Second World War interrupted that period of development of the city. The German army occupied Rybnik as early as on 1st September, breaking heroic defence of Polish soldiers, who were aided by volunteers- earlier Silesian Insurgents. During Hitler's occupation Polish resistance was active in the area. After heavy fights Rybnik was liberated on 26th March 1945 by Russian troops.

After The Second World War Rybnik became the service centre for ROW (Rybnik Coal-Mining Region). Apart from industry, there were culture, education,sport and recreation developed. Currently Rybnik is a district city consisting of 27 districts, which are inhabited by about 150 000 people.