The renewed façade of the building standing at 18 Podgórna Street in Bytom is once again catching the eye of residents and passers-by. Restoration work was recently completed here, restoring the former charm of one of the most valuable examples of turn-of-the-century architecture in the entire city.
18 Podgórna Street in Bytom – architecture from the late 19th century
The tenement house was built in 1897 to a design by the Berlin architect Albert Bohm. It was this building that was his first realisation in Bytom. In later years Bohm also designed the classicist building of the Silesian Opera House and the Art Nouveau townhouses on Józefczaka Street. A characteristic feature of the building on Podgórna Street are the three gables with the inscription “Erb: 1897”. The façade, richly decorated with anthropomorphic and floral motifs, also conceals classical elements, such as Corinthian columns on consoles. The decor is complemented by decoratively shaped metal anklets.
Property of the Guttmann family
The history of the tenement house is linked to the brothers Simon and Leopold Guttmann, sons of Jakob Guttmann, the rabbi of Wrocław and an activist of many religious and scientific organisations. The family also owned other tenement houses at Bytom’s Market Square, including those numbered 3, 4 and 8. Built at the turn of the 19th and 20th century, the buildings at the corner of Market Square and Podgórna Street have been the city’s landmark for years. Their soaring corners with pointed helmets were reminiscent of gate towers and were often captured on postcards from different eras.
Destruction and reconstruction of the tenement house
In the course of the following decades, the tenement was frequently rebuilt. The layout of the flats was changed, shop fronts were added, and after the Second World War damage to the roof and ceilings had to be removed. At the same time, the rich decoration of the corner building was simplified, including the disappearance of the helmet from the turret and the ornamentation of the gables. The tenement survived in this truncated form until the 21st century, when its dire condition forced the eviction of its inhabitants. In 2021, fragments of the façade began to fall, endangering passers-by.
18 Podgórna Street in Bytom – renovation
In September 2024, the thorough renovation of the tenement, which had been awaited for years, began. As part of it, the roof and window frames were replaced, and the facade was comprehensively renovated. Already several years earlier, the old wooden ceilings had been removed and replaced with reinforced concrete ones, giving the building a solid reinforcement of the entire structure, which had been heavily strained by time.
Thanks to the work carried out, the building at 18 Podgórna Street has once again become one of the most stunning buildings in the centre of Bytom. Unfortunately, it was not decided to restore the missing decorative elements during the renovation.
Photos: H. Klimek, A. Janocha – archives of the Bytom City Hall
Read also: Metamorphosis | Tenement | Elevation | Brick | Bytom | whiteMAD on Instagram
