Church of St Margaret in Bytom

The Church of St Margaret stands on St Margaret's Hill in Bytom, in the Szombierki district. It is a brick neo-Gothic church from 1881, surrounded by a parish cemetery. It belongs to the oldest parish in the city.

The hill and the earlier churches

The present building stands in the middle of a no longer existing stronghold from the 11th century, today an archaeological site. The first church, Romanesque and of brick, was founded around 1170 by Bolesław the Curly; it was the oldest Christian foundation in Bytom. It was destroyed in 1430 after the Hussites captured the area. By 1598 only a wooden church stood here, rebuilt in 1681 as a small cemetery church. When the wooden church threatened to collapse, it was pulled down in the second half of the 19th century and the present church was built to a design by Jan Kowolik. It was consecrated on 7 June 1881.

The bell and the discoveries

The tower holds one bell, weighing about 60 kilograms, named after St John of Nepomuk. It was cast in 1734 by Franciszek Stanke in Opava. In 2018, during archaeological work in the vestibule of the church, the remains of a person buried there were found. The St Margaret Mission House is run by Divine Word Missionaries.

Practical information

• Address: Małgorzatki 7, Bytom (Szombierki).
• The church is in use; a visit to the interior should be arranged with the parish.
• In the city centre, about 600 m from here, stands the Silesian Opera building, and nearby is the Szombierki Power Station.