Bytom
Bytom (Polish pronunciation: [ˈbɨtɔm] ⓘ; 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.
Bytom | |
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From top, left to right: Silesian Opera; Historic tram (in background Main Post Office); Dworcowa Street; Market square; Szombierki Heat Power Station; View of Władysław Sikorski Square; Church of St. Margaret | |
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Flag | |
Bytom | |
| Coordinates: 50°20′54″N 18°54′56″E | |
| Country | Poland |
| Voivodeship | Silesian |
| County | city county |
| Established | 12th century |
| City rights | 1254 |
| Government | |
| • City mayor | Mariusz Wołosz (KO) |
| Area | |
| • City | 69.44 km2 (26.81 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 330 m (1,080 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 249 m (817 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2021) | |
| • City | 161,139 (23rd) |
| • Density | 2,321/km2 (6,010/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 2,710,397 |
| • Metro | 5,294,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 41-900–41-936 |
| Area code | +48 32 |
| Car plates | SY |
| Primary airport | Katowice Airport |
| Website | www |
It is one of the oldest cities in the Upper Silesia, and the former seat of the Piast dukes of the Duchy of Bytom. 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 and Germany, and played an important role as an economic and administrative centre of the local industrial region. Until the outbreak of World War II, it was the main centre of national, social, cultural and publishing organisations fighting to preserve Polish identity in Upper Silesia. In the interbellum and during World War II, local Poles and Jews faced persecution by Germany.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 173,955 | — |
| 1960 | 182,578 | +5.0% |
| 1970 | 187,500 | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 234,292 | +25.0% |
| 1990 | 231,206 | −1.3% |
| 2000 | 195,807 | −15.3% |
| 2010 | 181,617 | −7.2% |
| 2020 | 163,255 | −10.1% |
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After the war, decades of the Polish People's Republic were characterized by a constant emphasis on the development of heavy industry, 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.