Franciscan Friary in Bytom

The Franciscan Friary in Bytom is one of the oldest monasteries in the city. The foundation dates from 1257 or 1258, and the founder was Duke Władysław of Opole. Today the Franciscans look after the parish of St Adalbert here.

Seven centuries of history

In the 15th century the wooden buildings were replaced with masonry ones. In 1430 a Hussite raid left the friary empty for seven years, and after the Reformation it again stood without inhabitants. The Conventual Franciscans returned in 1605. In 1717 the friary was incorporated into the Bohemian province, and in 1754 into the Silesian one. The Prussian government dissolved it in 1810 and sold it to the Protestant congregation. In 1945 it was taken over by Catholics repatriated from the east, and in 1954 the Franciscans of the Province of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary returned.

Architecture and crypt

The complex combines features of Gothic, Baroque and Modernism. It includes St Adalbert's Church, formerly dedicated to St Nicholas, a chapel in the monastic house and a crypt with the necropolis of the Henckel von Donnersmarck family. Not far away, in Szombierki, stands the Szombierki Heat and Power Plant.

Practical information

• The complex lies at plac Klasztorny 5 in Bytom.
• It is a working parish church; visiting the crypt and the monastic parts requires arrangement with the friary. Check this before your visit.