Szombierki (german: Schomberg) is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

of Bytom,

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 populou ...

, located in the southern part of the city.

Szombierki Heat Power Station Szombierki Power Station ( pl, Elektrociepłownia Szombierki) is a coal-fired power station in Szombierki district of Bytom, Poland. Operational since 1920, since the 1990s it operates at a limited capacity, and is regarded as a monument due to it ...

and

Szombierki Coal Mine Szombierki Coal Mine is a former coal mine in Szombierki, Bytom, Poland. It was created in 1870 from several smaller coal fields. From mid-1990s it begun to be retired. In 2004 its winding tower "Krystyna" (formerly Kaiser Wilhelm) was added to ...

(KWK Szombierki), both recognized as important historical and industrial monuments, are located here. In 2004 the

winding tower A headframe (also known as a gallows frame, winding tower, hoist frame,Ernst, Dr.-Ing. Richard (1989). ''Wörterbuch der Industriellen Technik'' (5th ed.). Wiesbaden: Oscar Brandstetter, 1989. pit frame, shafthead frame, headgear, headstock o ...

"Krystyna" of the former coal mine KWK Szombierki and its surroundings was listed as a National Heritage Site. In 2009 the tower and the Power Station were voted as two of the "Seven Architectural Wonders of 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 V ...

." In 2013 the Power Station was also recognized as a national heritage site. The village of Szombierki was first mentioned in documents in 1369. In 1768, the first coal mine was established in Szombierki. However, it was closed around 1820. During

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 opposing ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

held prisoners of war in the settlement. POWs worked as forced labourers in the local coal mine, which formed the E72 subcamp of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner of war camp. Szombierki is home to football club

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 nu ...

, established in 1919, Polish champions from 1980. The historic churches of Saint Margaret and of the

Sacred Heart of Jesus The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This dev ...

are located in the district.

Etymology and other names

Etymology

The origin of the district's name is disputed, some suggest it derived from the name of Fridericus de Schonenburch, a knight who was a witness of the vassalage of Casimir II to the king of Bohemia, while others point towards "''Schönberg''" (Meaning Beautiful Mountain in

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 **Ge ...

), a medieval settlement located in the approximate area of Szombierki.

Name of the district in various languages

Former names

Shortly after the Polish communist authorities took over Szombierki, its name was officially changed to "Chruszczów". The origin of the name is unknown and it was changed back in 1985.

Religion

At the turn of the 20th and 19th centuries Szombierki had a population of roughly 3,000 people and the village was subordinate to the Holy Trinity church in Bytom. It was decided that a church was to be built in Szombierki and the construction began in 1902. It was designed by Wilhelm Wieczorek and funded by the

Schaffgotsch The House of Schaffgotsch is the name of an old and influential Silesian noble family which dates back to the thirteenth century. History Around 1240, the first Schaffgotsch appears in a Silesian document as "Sibotho de nobili Familia Ovium" (" ...

. In 1904 the

Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Szombierki The Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Szombierki ( Polish: ''Kościół Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa w Szombierkach'', ''Parafia Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa''), commonly referred to as simply the "Church of the Most Sacred H ...

was completed and it was consecrated on the 20th of June, 1905.

List of churches in Szombierki

Notable people

* Johannes Schweter (born 1901), German

NSDAP The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...

politician * Carl-Heinz Stephan (1904-1989), German mining manager * Wiktor Maks, Pole, President and co-founder of TS Poniatowski (now Szombierki Bytom)

Gallery

File:Bytom Szombierki - Kopalnia Szombierki.jpg, Winding towers Krystyna (right) and Ewa File:Bytom - widok kościoła p.w. Św. Małgorzaty - panoramio (5).jpg, Saint Margaret Church File:Bytom Szombierki Skarpa hala.jpg, City Sports Hall (''Miejska Hala Sportowa'') File:Bytom Szombierki town hall.jpg, Former Szombierki town hall

References

{{reflist Neighbourhoods in Silesian Voivodeship Bytom