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, locate ...

, 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 populou ...

. 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 V ...

of Poland, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, 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 o ...

. Until 1532, it was in the hands of the Piast dynasty, then it belonged to the Hohenzollern dynasty. After 1623 it was a state country 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 ...

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 opposing ...

, 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 ne ...

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 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 exi ...

. Archaeological discoveries have shown that there was a fortified settlement (a '' gród'') here, probably founded by the Polish King Bolesław I the Brave 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, 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 ...

. 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 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 Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

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 m ...

and Greater Poland 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 let ...

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 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. Branche ...

-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 Wrymo ...

. Due to German settlers coming to the area, the city was being Germanized. It came under the control of the Habsburg monarchy of

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 and his wife Queen Marie Casimire, visited the city, greeted by the townspeople and clergy, on the king's way to the Battle of Vienna. 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''. ...

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 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 in 1863. According to the Prussian census of 1905, the city of Beuthen had a population of 60,273, of which 59% spoke German, 38% spoke Polish 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 Provinces of Prussia, province of the Free State of Prussia from 191 ...

. 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 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 sch ...

, 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 inf ...

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 fro ...

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 capi ...

), 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. 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. 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 previo ...

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. The Germans operated a Nazi prison in the city with a forced labour 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. 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 P ...

. 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 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Districts

The city of Bytom is divided into 12 districts ( Polish: ''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 * A ...

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

Szombierki Szombierki (german: Schomberg) is a Bytom#Districts, 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 indus ...

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

from 2007 to 2011, winning it twice in 1954 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 wor ...

. 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 nu ...

which won the title in 1980, and is one of the oldest clubs in the region.

Culture

Bytom's cultural venues include: * Silesian Opera – 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 – 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 ...

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

Notable people

* Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki (), Polish composer and musician * Heinrich Schulz-Beuthen (1838–1915), German composer * Siegfried Karfunkelstein (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 doctor ...

(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 P ...

(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 (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 (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 (1914–2008), German aviator and test pilot * Horst Winter (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, during ...

(1929-2021) Chief Rabbi of Denmark and humanitarian. * Haim Yavin (born 1932), Israeli news anchor * Wolfgang Reichmann (1932–1991), German actor * Reinhard Opitz (1934–1986), German political scientist * Józef Szmidt (born 1935), Polish triple jumper * Jan Liberda (1936–2020), Polish footballer * Wiesław Ochman (born 1937), Polish opera singer * Jan Banaś (born 1943), Polish footballer * Walter Winkler (1943–2014), Polish footballer * Zygmunt Anczok (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 (born 1955), Polish poet, writer, translator and scholar * Waldemar Legień (born 1963), Polish judoka, Olympic champion from Seoul and Barcelona * Susanna Piontek (born 1963), writer * Michał Probierz (born 1972), Polish football manager and former football player * Marcin Suchański (born 1977), Polish footballer * Marzena Godecki (born 1978), Australian actress * Dorota Kobiela (born 1978), Polish filmmaker * Paul Freier (born 1979), German footballer * Jakub Pszoniak (born 1980), Polish writer * Marek Suker (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 (born 1985), Polish-American playwright * Kamil Drozd (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 me ...

, 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 h ...

, 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 Cr ...

, Slovenia * Recklinghausen, 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 administrative ...

, 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 Holocaust locations in Poland