Olkusz (,
Elkish) is a town in south
Poland with 36,607 inhabitants (2014). Situated in the
Lesser Poland Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in
Katowice Voivodeship (1975–1998), it is the capital of
Olkusz County. From 1941 to 1945, the occupying Germans renamed the region to Ilkenau. Olkusz is called 'Silver Town" because of the large amount of silver that was found and mined here.