Plac Grunwaldzki in Bytom

Plac Grunwaldzki lies in central Bytom, north of the Market Square. The middle of the square is occupied by a green space with benches and a sundial, and a few pre-war buildings survive around it.

The origin of the name and the buildings

The square has a long history: the development of this area is dated to the 11th century, and in the 13th century a castle of the Bytom Piasts is said to have stood here, later pulled down. Plans from the mid-18th century show a riding ground for the Prussian cavalry on this spot. By 1870 at the latest the square was named Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz, and in 1945 it was given its present name.

Of the original buildings, three remain in each of the northern and southern frontages. In the eastern frontage a four-storey building was erected in the 1950s, and on Podgórna Street stands a three-storey building. The square once had a brewery in the tenement house at Podgórna 5 and the Hamburger Hof hotel at Podgórna 6.

The site of the former synagogue

In the eastern part of the square stood a synagogue, built in 1809. After it was demolished in 1869, it was replaced by a new building designed by the Bytom builder Paul Jackisch, opened on 2 December 1869. On the night of 9 to 10 November 1938 the synagogue was burned down. In 2007 a commemorative plaque was placed on the site.

Practical information

• Location: central Bytom, north of the Market Square.
• The square is open to all; nearby you will also find the Tiele-Winckler Palace in Miechowice.
• The plaque commemorating the synagogue is on the eastern side of the square.