Two different views of the same location in the south of Poland.

How the city looked as Beuthen In Silesia, Germany, in 1935, and as, Bytom, Poland, 1960.

Adolf Hitler Platz (Place) on Beuthen, Silesia, c.1935. Click image to enlarge and see all the detail.

Beuthen into Bytom

In 1945, the city of Beuthen, Germany, was transferred to Poland as a result of decisions made at the Potsdam Conference. Most of the population who hadn’t already fled westwards were expelled by the Soviet Red Army and incoming Polish authorities. The city was then renamed Bytom and populated with Poles from the eastern provinces of Poland annexed by the Soviets.

An early 1960s photograph of Plac Kosciuszki, Bytom, Poland. Larger size image available.

Bytom today

Bytom is a city with a population of around 180,000 and is located in Silesia in southern Poland, not far from the larger city of Katowice.

Related content on Polish Poland: Information on and images of the smaller town of Bytom Odrzański in Lubuskie, Poland.