City symbols

The crest of Bytom

The crest of Bytom was created in the 13th century and its origins are connected with price Ladislaus of Opole who granted the urban charter to Bytom in line with Magdeburg law in 1254. Granting the legal autonomy to the city was connected with the appointment of the Municipal Council, the documents of which could bear the stamp with the city crest.
The crest of Bytom used also today was established only in the second half of the 19th century. It was then that councillor and historian Simon Mach in 1886 proposed to replace the urban lay judge stamp for the crest bearing a Piast eagle to the Municipal Council. The Council accepted that motion. The symbols introduced by Döppler in the city crest present a black miner's figure holding a pickaxe against a silver background and a golden half-eagle against a blue background.
The currently used crest of the city of Bytom and the flag are defined in the resolution no. XVII/255/03 of the Municipal Council in Bytom dated 17 December 2003 on Adopting the By-laws of the City of Bytom.
The city crest bears a shield divided vertically into two parts:

1. the first, white field bears a black coal wall with a black miner in work clothes chipping off a clump of coal using a pickaxe;
2. the second, blue one, with a Piast half-eagle with four visibly longer feathers.

The flag of Bytom

The city colours include a rectangle composed of five alternative parallel yellow and blue stripes. The crest of the city of Bytom is situated in the flag centre.