Children's graves discovered under a church in Bytom! Shocking details of the research

St. Adalbert's Church at Klasztorny Square in Bytom holds more secrets within its walls than previously suspected. Archaeological research conducted by the Upper Silesian Museum and Des Henryk Dowgier Anna Dowgier Sp. k. is revealing further pages of this site's history. The latest discovery—children's graves dating back hundreds of years—sheds new light on the church's medieval function and challenges previously held beliefs about this part of the city.

Beneath the main entrance to the church, at a depth of 2.2 meters, archaeologists discovered four skeletons – most likely children, one of which belonged to an adolescent. This is indicated by well-preserved second teeth. The graves date to the Middle Ages. According to Jarosław Święcicki from the Upper Silesian Branch of the Scientific Association of Polish Archaeologists:

— This is another archaeological discovery during the renovation of the Church of St. Adalbert.

Near the graves, they discovered bronze and copper ornaments, fragments of pottery from the 13th and 14th centuries, and a structure made of precisely carved stone blocks. Researchers also discovered a layer of burnt material between the entrance and the thresholds, which is being analyzed for dating purposes.

Święcicki announces that thorough anthropological research and analysis of mortar and plaster samples will help determine not only the age of the remains, but also the origin of the building materials used.

The discoveries don't stop at the graves. Archaeologists have uncovered walls likely dating back to the 14th century, as well as traces of reconstruction dating back to the 15th century. Other finds include bricked-up elements of the portal on both sides of the northern porch and an entrance in the wall of the old sacristy, which may have been used as a fire station in the 19th century.

During work on the façade, the original layout of windows and walls made of crushed stone was discovered. A pointed arch gateway was also revealed, likely still in use in the 17th century.

The church, now dedicated to St. Adalbert, was built on the site of a 13th-century wooden church and monastery, founded by Prince Władysław Opolski for the Franciscans who had been brought to Bytom. Around the mid-15th century, the wooden structures were replaced with brick ones.

Between 1783 and 1786, the Gothic church was rebuilt in the Baroque style thanks to the support of Lazarus Erdmann of the Henckel family. A new nave and tower were built, the interior layout was changed, and an organ was added.

Following the secularization of the Bernardine Order's property in 1810, the monastery building was converted into a school, and the church became a warehouse. In 1833, it became the property of a Protestant parish. Only after World War II did it return to the Catholic Church.

The church was added to the register of historical monuments in 1970. Today, thanks to ongoing archaeological and conservation work, the site is once again becoming a source of knowledge about the past of Bytom and Upper Silesia. The remains of children, ancient walls, and forgotten passages not only add to the history of the church but also serve as a reminder that the earth beneath our feet holds more secrets than we can imagine.

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