Tadeusz Kościuszko Square

Kościuszko Square lies in the very centre of Bytom. It used to be called Boulevard, Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Platz, Adolf-Hitler-Platz and Józef Stalin Square. Its history shows how the city centre has changed.

A boulevard by the stations

The importance of the square came from the town's connection to the railway and the building of two stations, in 1869 and 1872. Dworcowa Street linked one of them with the square, which brought great changes. Richly decorated four-storey tenement houses with hotels, shops and restaurants were built, and a fountain was set up in the middle of the square. In 1894 the first steam tram passed through, and four years later an electric one.

Demolitions

In 1972 the city council announced a national competition for a new development of the city centre. In 1979 demolition of all 23 buildings of the block began, although experts had concluded that the danger of collapse resulted from mining damage. The plan to build a department store was not carried out, and the square was turned into a quiet green space overgrown with grass and trees.

Today

Several dozen architectural details survive from the former buildings. Some of them can be seen on the walls of a branch of the Upper Silesian Museum at Korfantego 34, and ceramic panels were sent to Warsaw. On the former green space the Agora shopping and entertainment centre was built, opened on 15 November 2010. Its southern wall forms the northern frontage of the square, so the square has regained its original size.

Half a kilometre away is the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom, and about 700 metres from here the site of the synagogue.

Practical information

• Location: the centre of Bytom, by the Agora shopping centre.
• The square is open to the public; combine a visit with a trip to the museum.