Contested identities and symbolic changes in the urban space of Bytom (Poland). The historical-geographical approach

Abstract

Bytom is a city located in Upper Silesia, in the southern part of Poland which after World War II found itself within the boundaries of Poland after several hundred years. For many centuries, the main function of the city has been metal-ore and hard coal mining, which considerably contributed to its historical identity. The over 800-year history is full of numerous social, economic and ethnic conflicts caused by frequent changes in the city’s political affiliation and frequent redefinitions of its identity. After the collapse of communism, during the political and economic transformation, there arose a need to determine a new development path, in particular a new perspective on the heritage from the times of German dominance and from the times of communism. The mining and heavy industries have already ceased to be the basis of Bytom’s identity. Taking account of these historical rationales, this article attempts to answer the question of whether, among a number of contradictions and conflicts, the urban community of today’s Bytom, heterogeneous in terms of its origin, will be able to generate a model of cultural identity and historical remembrance accepted by all. All these complex and at the same time contradictory processes have been discussed through the prism of their reflection in the urban space and examined by means of historical analysis and contemporary cartographic and photographic sources.