Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', german: Beuthen O.S.) is a city in

Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, located ...

, in southern

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

. Located in the

Silesian Voivodeship Silesian Voivodeship, or Silesia Province ( pl, województwo śląskie ) is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centered on the historic region known as Upper Silesia ('), with Katowice serving as its capital. Despite the Silesian ...

of Poland, the city is 7 km northwest of

Katowice Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most popul ...

, the regional capital. It is one of the oldest cities in the

, and the former seat of the Piast dukes of the

Duchy of Bytom The Duchy of Bytom ( pl, Księstwo Bytomskie) or Duchy of Beuthen (german: Herzogtum Beuthen) was one of many Silesian duchies. It was established in Upper Silesia about 1281 during the division of the Duchy of Opole and Racibórz among the sons of ...

. Until 1532, it was in the hands of the

Piast dynasty The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great. Branch ...

, then it belonged to the

Hohenzollern dynasty The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenbu ...

. After 1623 it was a

state country State country (german: Freie Standesherrschaft; cs, stavovské panství; pl, państwo stanowe) was a unit of administrative and territorial division in the Bohemian crown lands of Silesia and Upper Lusatia, existing from 15th to 18th centuries. T ...

in the hands of the Donnersmarck family. From 1742 to 1945 the town was within the borders of

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, and played an important role as an economic and administrative centre of the local industrial region. Until the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, it was the main centre of national, social, cultural and publishing organisations fighting to preserve Polish identity in

. In the interbellum and during World War II, local Poles and Jews faced persecution by Germany. After the war, decades of the

Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million nea ...

were characterized by a constant emphasis on the development of

heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...

, which deeply polluted and degraded Bytom. After 1989, the city experienced a socio-economic decline. The population has also been rapidly declining since 1999. However, it is an important place in the cultural, entertainment, and industrial map of the region.

Geology

The bedrock of the Upland of Miechowice consists primarily of sandstones and slates. The rocks are punctuated with abundant natural resources of coal and iron ore from the Carboniferous period. In the north part of the upland, in the Bytom basin lays the broad range of the triassic rocks, from sandstones to limestones, with rich ore, zinc and lead reserves. The upper layer is composed of clay, sand and gravel.

Coat of arms

One half of the

coat of arms of Bytom The coat of arms of Bytom in Silesia, Poland, was adopted in 1886 by a resolution of the town council. The arms are composed of two symbols. The left (heraldic: dexter) half shows a miner digging with a pickaxe for smithsonite, referring to the t ...

depicts a miner mining coal, while the other half presents a yellow eagle on the blue field – the symbol of

History

Bytom is one of the oldest cities of

, originally recorded as ''Bitom'' in 1136, when it was part of the Medieval

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exist ...

. Archaeological discoveries have shown that there was a fortified settlement (a ''

gród A gord is a medieval Slavonic fortified settlement, usually built on strategic sites such as hilltops, riverbanks, lake islets or peninsulas between the 6th and 12th centuries CE in Central and Eastern Europe. The typical gord usually consisted ...

'') here, probably founded by the Polish King

Bolesław I the Brave Bolesław I the Brave ; cs, Boleslav Chrabrý; la, Boleslaus I rex Poloniae (17 June 1025), less often known as Bolesław the Great, was Duke of Poland from 992 to 1025, and the first King of Poland in 1025. He was also Duke of Bohemia betw ...

in the early 11th century. After the

fragmentation of Poland The period of rule by the Piast dynasty between the 10th and 14th centuries is the first major stage of the history of the Polish state. The dynasty was founded by a series of dukes listed by the chronicler Gall Anonymous in the early 12th cen ...

in 1138, Bytom became part of the

Seniorate Province Seniorate Province, also known as the Senioral Province, , was a district principality in the Duchy of Poland that was formed in 1138, following the fragmentation of the state. Its ruler held the title of the High Duke, ruling all duchies wit ...

, as it was still considered part of historic

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a s ...

. In 1177 it became part of the Silesian province of Poland, and remained within historic

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

since. Bytom received

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

from Prince Władysław in 1254 with its first centrally located market square. The city of Bytom benefited economically from its location on a trade route linking

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

with Silesia from east to west, and

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

with

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The me ...

and

Greater Poland Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a Polish historical regions, historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed ...

from north to south. The first

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Church of the Virgin Mary was built in 1231. In 1259 Bytom was raided by the

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...

. The Duchy of Opole was split and in 1281 Bytom became a separate duchy, since 1289 under overlordship and administration of the

Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...

. It existed until 1498, when it was re-integrated with the

Piast The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented List of Polish monarchs, Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I of Poland, Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Poland during the Piast dynasty, Piasts' royal rule i ...

-ruled

Duchy of Opole Duchy of Opole ( pl, Księstwo opolskie; german: Herzogtum Oppeln; cs, Opolské knížectví) was one of the duchies of Silesia ruled by the Piast dynasty. Its capital was Opole (Oppeln, Opolí) in Upper Silesia. Duke Boleslaw III 'the Wrymou ...

. Due to German settlers coming to the area, the city was being

Germanized Germanisation, or Germanization, is the spread of the German language, people and culture. It was a central idea of German conservative thought in the 19th and the 20th centuries, when conservatism and ethnic nationalism went hand in hand. In ling ...

. It came under the control of the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

in 1526, which increased the influence of the German language. In 1683, Polish King

John III Sobieski John III Sobieski ( pl, Jan III Sobieski; lt, Jonas III Sobieskis; la, Ioannes III Sobiscius; 17 August 1629 – 17 June 1696) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696. Born into Polish nobility, Sobie ...

and his wife Queen

Marie Casimire Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquien ( pl, Maria Kazimiera Ludwika d’Arquien; 28 June 1641 – 30 January 1716), known also by the diminutive form "Marysieńka", was a French noblewoman who became the queen consort of Poland and grand ...

, visited the city, greeted by the townspeople and clergy, on the king's way to the

Battle of Vienna The Battle of Vienna; pl, odsiecz wiedeńska, lit=Relief of Vienna or ''bitwa pod Wiedniem''; ota, Beç Ḳalʿası Muḥāṣarası, lit=siege of Beç; tr, İkinci Viyana Kuşatması, lit=second siege of Vienna took place at Kahlenberg Mou ...

. The city became part of the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

in 1742 during the

Silesian Wars The Silesian Wars (german: Schlesische Kriege, links=no) were three wars fought in the mid-18th century between Prussia (under King Frederick the Great) and Habsburg Austria (under Archduchess Maria Theresa) for control of the Central European ...

and part of the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

in 1871. In the 19th and the first part of the 20th centuries, the city rapidly grew and industrialized. GimnazjumPolskiewBytomiu

Bytom was one of the main centers of Polish resistance against Germanization in Upper Silesia in the 19th century, up until the mid-20th century. Polish social, political and cultural organizations were formed and operated here. From 1848, the newspaper '' Dziennik Górnośląski'' was published here. Poles smuggled large amounts of gunpowder through the city to the

Russian Partition The Russian Partition ( pl, zabór rosyjski), sometimes called Russian Poland, constituted the former territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that were annexed by the Russian Empire in the course of late-18th-century Partitions of Po ...

of Poland during the

January Uprising The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...

in 1863. According to the Prussian census of 1905, the city of Beuthen had a population of 60,273, of which 59% spoke

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, 38% spoke

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

and 3% were bilingual. In 1895, the "Sokół" Polish Gymnastic Society was established, and, during the

Silesian uprisings The Silesian Uprisings (german: Aufstände in Oberschlesien, Polenaufstände, links=no; pl, Powstania śląskie, links=no) were a series of three uprisings from August 1919 to July 1921 in Upper Silesia, which was part of the Weimar Republic ...

, in 1919–1920, Polish football clubs Poniatowski Szombierki and

Polonia Bytom Polonia Bytom () is a Polish football club based in Bytom, founded in 1920, two times Polish Champions. The team currently plays in the III liga (as of 2022–23). History Beginnings Polonia was founded on 4 January 1920 in the Upper Silesia ...

were founded, which later on, in post-

Poland both won the national championship. After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, in the Upper Silesian plebiscite of 1921, 74.7% of the votes in Beuthen city were for

, and 25.3% were for

, due to which it remained in Germany, as part of the

Province of Upper Silesia The Province of Upper Silesia (german: Provinz Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ''Provinz Oberschläsing''; szl, Prowincyjŏ Gōrny Ślōnsk; pl, Prowincja Górny Śląsk) was a province of the Free State of Prussia from 1919 to 1945. It comprise ...

. In the interwar period, Bytom was one of two cities (alongside

Kwidzyn Kwidzyn (pronounced ; german: Marienwerder; Latin: ''Quedin''; Old Prussian: ''Kwēdina'') is a town in northern Poland on the Liwa River, with 38,553 inhabitants (2018). It is the capital of Kwidzyn County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Geogra ...

) in

, in which a Polish gymnasium was allowed to operate. In 1923 a branch of the

Union of Poles in Germany Union of Poles in Germany ( pl, Związek Polaków w Niemczech, german: Bund der Polen in Deutschland e.V.) is an organisation of the Polish minority in Germany, founded in 1922. In 1924, the union initiated collaboration between other minorities, ...

was established in Bytom. There was also a Polish

preschool A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, or play school or creche, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary school ...

, two

scout troop A Scout troop is a term adopted into use with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and the Scout Movement to describe their basic units. The term troop echoes a group of mounted scouts in the military or an expedition and follows the terms cavalry, mounted infa ...

s and a Polish bank. In a secret ''

Sicherheitsdienst ' (, ''Security Service''), full title ' (Security Service of the ''Reichsführer-SS''), or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Established in 1931, the SD was the first Nazi intelligence organization ...

'' report from 1934, Bytom was named one of the main centers of the Polish movement in western Upper Silesia. Polish activists were persecuted since 1937. The Bytom Synagogue was burned down by Nazi German SS and SA troopers during the

Kristallnacht () or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (german: Novemberpogrome, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) paramilitary and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from ...

on 9–10 November 1938. Before 1939, the town, along with Gleiwitz (now

Gliwice Gliwice (; german: Gleiwitz) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. The city is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river (a tributary of the Oder). It lies approximately 25 km west from Katowice, the regional cap ...

), was at the southeastern tip of German Silesia.

World War II and post-war period

During the German

invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

, which started

, the Germans carried out mass arrests of local Poles. On September 1, 1939, the day of the outbreak of the war, Adam Bożek, the chairman of the Upper Silesian district of the Union of Poles in Germany, was arrested in Bytom and then deported to the

Dachau concentration camp , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...

. The Germans carried out revisions in the Polish gymnasium and the local Polish community centre, 20 Polish activists were arrested on September 4, 1939, then released and arrested again a few days later to be deported to the

Buchenwald concentration camp Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or su ...

. Also three Polish teachers, who had not yet fled, were arrested, while the assets of the Polish bank were confiscated. The '' Einsatzgruppe I'' entered the city on September 6, 1939, to commit atrocities against Poles. Many Poles were conscripted to the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

and died on various war fronts, including 92 former students of the Polish gymnasium. The Beuthen Jewish community was liquidated via the first ever Holocaust transport to be exterminated at

Auschwitz-Birkenau Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...

. The Germans operated a Nazi prison in the city with a

forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...

subcamp in the present-day Karb district. There were also multiple forced labour camps within the present-day city limits, including six subcamps of the Stalag VIII-B/344

prisoner of war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...

. In 1945 the city was transferred to Poland as a result of the

Potsdam Conference The Potsdam Conference (german: Potsdamer Konferenz) was held at Potsdam in the Soviet occupation zone from July 17 to August 2, 1945, to allow the three leading Allies to plan the postwar peace, while avoiding the mistakes of the Paris Pe ...

. Its German population was largely expelled by the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

and the remaining indigenous Polish inhabitants were joined mostly by Poles repatriated from the eastern provinces annexed by the Soviets. In 2017, the Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System, located mostly in the neighboring city of

Tarnowskie Góry Tarnowskie Góry (German: ''Tarnowitz''; szl, Tarnowske Gōry) is a town in Silesia, southern Poland, located in the Silesian Highlands near Katowice. On the south it borders the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union, a megalopolis, the greater Si ...

, but also partly in Bytom, was included on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

Districts

The city of Bytom is divided into 12 districts (

: ''Dzielnice''), year of inclusion within the city limits in brackets: * Śródmieście (lit. ''city centre''/''downtown'') * Rozbark (1927) * Bobrek (1951) *

Karb Karb ( ) is a 2015 Pakistani romantic drama serial on Hum TV. It is directed and produced by Amna Nawaz Khan and written by Rahat Jabeen. It stars Adnan Siddiqui, Armeena Khan and Saman Ansari in lead. Cast * Adnan Siddiqui as Hamza * Arme ...

(1951) * Łagiewniki (1951) * Miechowice (1951) *

Szombierki Szombierki (german: Schomberg) is a district of Bytom, Poland, located in the southern part of the city. Szombierki Heat Power Station and Szombierki Coal Mine (KWK Szombierki), both recognized as important historical and industrial monuments, ...

(1951) * Górniki (1975) * Osiedle gen. Jerzego Ziętka (1975), also known as Sójcze Wzgórze * Stolarzowice (1975) *

Stroszek ''Stroszek'' is a 1977 German tragicomedy film directed by Werner Herzog and starring Bruno S., Eva Mattes, and Clemens Scheitz. Written specifically for Bruno S., the film was shot in Plainfield, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. Most of the lead ...

(1975) * Sucha Góra (1975)

Radzionków Radzionków (; german: Radzionkau, ) is a town in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Borders on the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – metropolis with the population of 2 million. Located in the Silesian Highlands. It is situated in t ...

with Rojca (currently a district of Radzionków) were located within the city limits of Bytom from 1975 until 1997.

Economy

Trade is one of the main pillars of the economy of Bytom. Being a city with long traditions of commercial trade, Bytom is fulfilling its new

postindustrial In sociology, the post-industrial society is the stage of society's development when the service sector generates more wealth than the manufacturing sector of the economy. The term was originated by Alain Touraine and is closely related to si ...

role. In the centre of Bytom, and mainly around Station Street and the Market Square, is the largest concentration of registered merchants in the county. In 2007, Bytom and its neighbours created the

Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union The Metropolis GZM ( pl, Metropolia GZM, formally in Polish Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia) is a metropolitan unit composed of 41 contiguous municipalities in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland. The seat of the metropolitan council is ...

, the largest urban centre in Poland.

Public transport

The tram routes are operated by

Silesian Interurbans Silesian Trams ( pl, Tramwaje Konurbacji Śląskiej) is one of the largest tram systems in the world and the largest and longest tram system in Poland, located entirely within the Silesian Voivodeship. Started as a part of the German Empire in 189 ...

Tramwaje Śląskie S.A

Sport

Bytom is home to

which has both a football and an ice hockey team (

TMH Polonia Bytom TMH Polonia Bytom is a professional ice hockey team in Bytom, Poland. They play in the Polish 1. Liga The Polish 1. Liga operates as the second level of ice hockey in Poland. The league lies below the Polska Hokej Liga The Polska Hokej Liga is ...

). Its football team played in the

Ekstraklasa Poland Ekstraklasa (), meaning "Extra Class" in Polish, named PKO Ekstraklasa since the 2019–20 season due to its sponsorship by PKO Bank Polski, is the top Polish professional league for men's association football teams. Contested by 18 cl ...

from 2007 to 2011, winning it twice in

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

and in

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

. The

district is home to another former Polish champion

Szombierki Bytom Szombierki Bytom () is a Polish football club from Szombierki district of Bytom. Szombierki currently competes in IV liga Silesia. Their greatest achievement was winning the Polish championship during the 1979–80 season. Fans Due to the num ...

which won the title in

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

, and is one of the oldest clubs in the region.

Culture

Bytom's cultural venues include: *

Silesian Opera Silesian Opera in Bytom ( pl, Opera Śląska w Bytomiu) is an opera company in Bytom, Silesia, Poland, that was founded in 1945. Its home is the former City Theatre, designed by architect Albert Bohm, that was built in Neoclassical style between ...

– ul. Moniuszki 21/23 * (Town's Public Library) * Dance Theatre Rozbark in Bytom * Bytomskie Centrum Kultury (Bytom Cultural Centre) * Kronika – Center of modern art * City Choir of St. Grzegorz Wielki Among Bytom's art galleries are: Galeria Sztuki Użytkowej Stalowe Anioły, Galeria "Rotunda" MBP, Galeria "Suplement", Galeria "Pod Czaplą", Galeria "Platforma", Galeria "Pod Szrtychem", Galeria Sztuki "Od Nowa 2", Galeria SPAP "Plastyka" – Galeria "Kolor", Galeria "Stowarzyszenia.Rewolucja.Art.Pl", and Galeria-herbaciarnia "Fanaberia". Festivals * Annual International Contemporary Dance Conference and Performance Festival * Theatromania – Theatre Festival * Bytom Literary Autumn * Festival of New Music

Education

* The list of Bytom universities includes: **

Silesian University of Technology The Silesian University of Technology (Polish name: Politechnika Śląska; ) is a university located in the Polish province of Silesia, with most of its facilities in the city of Gliwice. It was founded in 1945 by Polish professors of the Lwow P ...

– Faculty of Transport ** Medical University of Silesia ** Polish Japanese Institute of Information Technology ** Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomii i Administracji * Secondary schools: ** I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Jana Smolenia ** II Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Stefana Żeromskiego ** IV Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Bolesława Chrobrego ** 21 other secondary schools

Politics

Bytom/Gliwice/Zabrze constituency

Members of 2001–2005 Parliament (

Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of t ...

) elected from Bytom/Gliwice/Zabrze constituency * Jan Chojnacki, SLD-UP * Stanisław Dulias, Samoobrona * Andrzej Gałażewski, PO * Ewa Janik, SLD-UP * Józef Kubica, SLD-UP * Wacław Martyniuk, SLD-UP * Wiesław Okoński, SLD-UP * Wojciech Szarama,

PiS Pis ( oc, Pis) is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France. Geography Localisation Hydrography The river Auroue forms most of the commune's eastern border. Population See also *Communes of the Gers department The fol ...

* Krystyna Szumilas, PO * Marek Widuch, SLD-UP

Notable people

Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki (ca. 1665 to 1667 – 30 April 1734) was a Polish Baroque composer. Considered one of the greatest composers of Polish Baroque music, during his lifetime he was called the "Polish Handel". Life Born in Rozbark near Byt ...

(), Polish composer and musician * Heinrich Schulz-Beuthen (1838–1915), German composer *

Siegfried Karfunkelstein Siegfried Karfunkelstein (21 February 1848 – 30 October 1870) was a German Jewish soldier. He joined the army in 1866 and fought during the Austro-Prussian War, and was later killed in action during Franco-Prussian War in October 1870 duri ...

(1848–1870), Prussian soldier *

Ernst Gaupp Ernst Wilhelm Theodor Gaupp (13 July 1865 – 23 November 1916) was a German anatomist from Beuthen in Upper Silesia (today Bytom, Poland). He studied natural sciences and medicine in Jena, Königsberg and Breslau, where he received his doctora ...

(1865–1916), German anatomist * Ludwig Halberstädter (1876–1949), radiologist *

Adolf Kober Adolf Kober (3 September 1879 in Beuthen, Oberschlesien; 30 December 1958 in New York City) was a rabbi and a historian. Life Kober studied History, Philosophy and Oriental Languages at the University of Breslau (Wrocław) and received a Ph ...

(1879–1958),

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

and historian *

Maximilian Kaller Maximilian Kaller (10 October 1880 – 7 July 1947) was Roman Catholic Bishop of Ermland ( pl, Warmia) in East Prussia from 1930 to 1947. However, ''de facto'' expelled from mid-August 1945, he was a special bishop for the homeland-expellees unt ...

(1880–1947), bishop of Warmia * Kate Steinitz (1889–1975), German-American artist and art historian *

Hartwig von Ludwiger Hartwig von Ludwiger (29 June 1895 – 3 or 5 May 1947) was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. Ludwiger was responsible for numerous atrocities committed throughout the Balkans. After the war, he was charged wit ...

(1895–1947), German general *

Max Tau Max Tau was a German-Norwegian writer, editor, and publisher. Life Tau grew up in an environment characterized by what he later termed the "Jewish-German" symbiosis, in a Jewish household heavily influenced by the Jewish enlightenment. He stu ...

(1897–1976), Jewish-German-Norwegian writer, editor and publisher *

Henry J. Leir Henry J. Leir (January 28, 1900 – July 15, 1998) was an American industrialist, financier, and philanthropist. He is primarily known for his role in the post-World War II economic development of Luxembourg. Early life and career Leir was born ...

(1900–1998), American industrialist, financier, and philanthropist *

Friedrich Domin Friedrich Domin (15 May 1902 – 18 December 1961) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1939 and 1961. He was born in Beuthen, Germany (now Bytom, Poland) and died in Munich, Germany. Selected filmography * '' ...

(1902–1961), German film actor * Herbert Büchs (1913–1996), German General * Józef Kachel (1913–1983), head of the pre-war

Polish Scouting Association , type = organization , headquarters = ZHP Headquarters Warsaw , location = Warszawa, Konopnickiej 6 , country = Poland , f-date = 1 November 1918 , founder = Andrzej Małkowski, Olga Małkowska , members = 138,112 , chiefscouttitle = N ...

in Germany *

Hans-Joachim Pancherz Hans-Joachim Pancherz (15 April 1914 – 4 May 2008) was a German aviator and test pilot. He was born in Bytom, then Beuthen, in Upper Silesia. From 1933 he worked as a civilian flight instructor at the Würzburg, Kitzingen and Fürth flying school ...

(1914–2008), German aviator and test pilot *

Horst Winter Harry Winter (24 September 1914 - 3 December 2001), born Horst Winter, was a German-Austrian singer, musician and band director. Biography Born in Beuthen, Upper Silesia (present-day Bytom, Poland), his family moved to Berlin after the Silesian Up ...

(1914–2001), German-Austrian jazz musician *

Leo Scheffczyk Leo Scheffczyk (; 21 February 1920 – 8 December 2005) was a German cardinal and theologian. He was a long-time theologian at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and one of the strongest advocates for orthodoxy during the long pon ...

(1920–2005), German theologian and cardinal *

Bent Melchior Bent Melchior (24 June 1929 – 28 July 2021) was a chief rabbi of Denmark. Life and career Melchior was born to Danish parents in the German city of Beuthen (now Bytom in Poland), where his father, Marcus Melchior, was rabbi. In 1943, durin ...

(1929-2021) Chief Rabbi of Denmark and humanitarian. *

Haim Yavin Haim Yavin ( he, חיים יבין, born September 10, 1932), is an Israeli television anchor and documentary filmmaker. He was one of Israel's leading news presenters, associated with the job for so many decades that he was known as "Mr. Televisi ...

(born 1932), Israeli news anchor *

Wolfgang Reichmann Wolfgang Reichmann (7 January 1932 – 7 May 1991) was a German actor. He appeared in more than 60 films and television shows between 1954 and 1991. He starred in the film '' The Fair'', which was entered into the 10th Berlin International Fi ...

(1932–1991), German actor * Reinhard Opitz (1934–1986), German political scientist *

Józef Szmidt Józef Szmidt (born 28 March 1935 as Josef Schmidt) is a former Polish athlete. He was born in Miechowitz, Beuthen, Province of Upper Silesia, Germany. With a jump of 17.03m in 1960, Szmidt was the first triple jumper to reach 17 metres. Bio ...

(born 1935), Polish triple jumper *

Jan Liberda Jan Konrad Liberda (26 November 1936 – 6 February 2020) was a Polish football forward. Liberda played mostly for one team, Polonia Bytom, where he remained since 1950, until 1969. He ended his career in 1971 at AZ. He twice was the topscorer o ...

(1936–2020), Polish footballer *

Wiesław Ochman Wiesław Ochman (; born 6 February 1937) is a Polish tenor. Life and career In 1960, he graduated from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. Ochman began learning voice under the direction of Gustaw Serafin in Kraków (1955–1 ...

(born 1937), Polish opera singer *

Jan Banaś Jan Banaś (born Hans Dieter Banas on 29 March 1943 in the Schöneberg district of Berlin), nicknamed Bubi, is a Polish footballer, who began his career as a youngster playing for AKS Mikołów (1956–59) before moving to Zryw Chorzów in 195 ...

(born 1943), Polish footballer * Walter Winkler (1943–2014), Polish footballer *

Zygmunt Anczok Zygmunt Józef Anczok (born 14 March 1946 in Lubliniec) is a former Poland, Polish Association football, footballer who played as a left-sided defender, who was an Olympic champion for Poland national football team, Poland in the 1972 Summ ...

(born 1946), Polish footballer *

Jerzy Konikowski Jerzy Konikowski (born 24 January 1947, in Bytom, Poland) is a Polish–German chess master, problemist and author. He was a Polish national team trainer in 1978–1981 (the Polish Women's national team won bronze medal in the 9th Women's Ch ...

(born 1947), chess player *

Leszek Engelking Leszek Engelking (2 February 1955 – 22 October 2022) was a Polish poet, short story writer, novelist, translator, literary critic, essayist, Polish philologist, and literary academic, scholar, and lecturer. Engelking translated a vast amount ...

(born 1955), Polish poet, writer, translator and scholar *

Waldemar Legień Waldemar Legień (born 28 August 1963) is a retired Polish judoka. He won two Olympic gold medals in different weight classes, in 1988 and 1992. He is also the first person to win back-to-back two Olympic gold medals in Judo.Susanna Piontek Susanna may refer to: People * Susanna (Book of Daniel), a portion of the Book of Daniel and its protagonist * Susanna (disciple), a disciple of Jesus * Susanna (given name), a feminine given name (including a list of people with the name) Film ...

(born 1963), writer * Michał Probierz (born 1972), Polish football manager and former football player * Marcin Suchański (born 1977), Polish footballer *

Marzena Godecki Marzena Godecki (born 28 September 1978) is a Polish-Australian actress. She is best known for her starring role as Neri in ''Ocean Girl''. Early life Marzena Godecki was born on 28 September 1978 in Bytom, Poland. When she was three years o ...

(born 1978), Australian actress *

Dorota Kobiela Dorota Kobiela (born 1978) is a Polish filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. She is best known for co-directing her first fully painted animated feature film ''Loving Vincent'' (2017) with Hugh Welchman. Career Kobiela conceived ''Loving Vince ...

(born 1978), Polish filmmaker *

Paul Freier Slawomir Paul Freier (Polish: Sławomir Paweł Freier; born 26 July 1979) is a German football coach and former player who was usually employed as a midfielder. He is currently the assistant manager of VfL Bochum U19. Biography Childhood and ...

(born 1979), German footballer * Jakub Pszoniak (born 1980), Polish writer *

Marek Suker Marek Suker (born October 31, 1982) is a Polish football striker who plays for Orzeł Miedary. Career Club In December 2010, he joined Zagłębie Sosnowiec Zagłębie Sosnowiec () is a football club based in Sosnowiec, Poland. The club wa ...

(born 1982), Polish footballer *

Gosia Andrzejewicz Małgorzata "Gosia" Andrzejewicz (born 14 January 1984) is a Polish singer. She debuted in 2004 and has since earned major hits in Poland, like "Pozwól żyć", " Słowa" and "Trochę ciepła". Two of her albums have been certified Gold in her ...

(born 1984), Polish pop singer *

Martyna Majok Martyna Majok ( ; born 1985) is a Polish-born American playwright who received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play ''Cost of Living''. She emigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in New Jersey. Majok studied playwriting a ...

(born 1985), Polish-American playwright *

Kamil Drozd Kamil is a name used in a number of languages. Kamil () is a Polish language, Polish, Czech language, Czech, and Slovak language, Slovak given name, equivalent to the Italian Camillo, Spanish/Portuguese Camilo and French Camille (given name) ...

(born 1997), Polish musician

Twin towns – sister cities

Bytom is twinned with: *

Butte __NOTOC__ In geomorphology, a butte () is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a French word mea ...

, United States *

Drohobych Drohobych ( uk, Дрого́бич, ; pl, Drohobycz; yi, דראָהאָביטש;) is a city of regional significance in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Drohobych Raion and hosts the administration of Drohobych urban hro ...

, Ukraine *

Ormož Ormož (; in older sources , hu, Ormosd, german: Friedau, Prekmurje Slovene: ''Ormošd'') is a town in the traditional region of Prlekija, part of Styria, in northeastern Slovenia. It lies on the left bank of the Drava River and borders with Cro ...

, Slovenia *

Recklinghausen Recklinghausen (; Westphalian: ''Riäkelhusen'') is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. It borders the rural Münsterland and is characterized by large fields and farms in the north and indus ...

, Germany *

Vsetín Vsetín () is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 25,000 inhabitants. Originally a small town, Vsetín has become an important centre of industrial, economic, cultural and sports life during the 20th century. Administ ...

, Czech Republic *

Zhytomyr Zhytomyr ( uk, Жито́мир, translit=Zhytomyr ; russian: Жито́мир, Zhitomir ; pl, Żytomierz ; yi, זשיטאָמיר, Zhitomir; german: Schytomyr ) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the Capital city, a ...

, Ukraine

Gallery

File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-P011875, Oberschlesien, Kraftwerk.jpg, Bobrek power station in the 1930s File:Bytom - City hall 01.jpg, Bytom city hall File:Kosciol sw jacka rozbark tyl.jpg, St. Hyacinth's Church – an example of Neo-Romantic architecture in Bytom File:Bytom - Plac Akademicki 01.JPG, ''Plac Akademicki'' – public square File:Bytom - Kościół pw. Świętej Trójcy 04.jpg, Holy Trinity Church

References

External links

Municipality of Bytom

Old postcards from BytomJewish Community in Bytom
on Virtual Shtetl
Kino Gloria Foundation
{{Authority control Cities in Silesia

Bytom Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', german: Beuthen O.S.) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital ...

Holocaust locations in Poland