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The Polish grammar school in Bytom

The referendum in Upper Silesia in 1921 sealed the partition of the province into Polish and German sections. In the following years the efforts of the Union of Poles in Germany (Związek Polaków w Niemczech), led to the successful creation of a Polish secondary school in the area of the German Reich, providing tuition up to A-level. In 1930, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the school strike in the Prussian and Russian sectors the Committee for Celebrating the 21st Anniversary of the Struggle for a Polish School (Komitet Obchodu 25-lecia Walki o Szkołę Polską) was called in to life. The idea behind it was to erect a private Polish Grammar School in Germany. The official opening of the Grammar School in Bytom took place on 8th November 1932. From then on the school existed until the outbreak of the Second World War.

The Polish grammar school in Beuthen/Bytom

Muzeum Górnośląskie w Bytomiu, Sign. MGB/H/ZF/1134

School Numbers

In 1932 when the school in Bytom opened, ninety-eight boys received lessons in seven classes. Most of these were former students at the Polish Grammar School in Lubliniec. In the following years the number of students rose steadily despite the unfavourable economic situation and the continuous malicious campaigns against the school. In 1934 the school had 213 students; in 1935 this had risen to 234, and in 1936 to 261. In 1937 the number of students fell to 163 because of the opening of the Polish Grammar School in Marienwerder (Kwidzyn). In 1938 the school had 170 students. In August 1939 there were 206 boys attending the school, most of whom came from Upper Silesia, Pomerania and the Rhineland.

Number of school students at the Polish Grammar School: 1932–1939

Year	Number of:
Year	Students	Classes	Teachers
1932	98	7	13
1933	152	8	16
1934	213	9	18
1935	234	9	20
1936	261	9	21
1937	163	8	23
1938	170	8	21
1939	206	8	18

Source: APK, 683, Prywatne gimnazjum z polskim językiem wykładowym w Bytomiu (1932–1939) [Private Grammar School with lessons in Polish in Bytom (1932-1939)], Sign. 4, annual report (1937–1938), Bl. 8–9; Sign. 202, Spis uczniów (1932–1935) [List of students (1932-1935)]; Sign. 203, Spis uczniów (1937–1938) [List of students (1937-1938)]; Sign. 204, Spis uczniów (1938) [List of students (1938)]; Sign. 205, Spis uczniów (1938–1939) [List of students (1938-1939)]; A. Konieczny, Profesorowie i uczniowie Polskiego Gimnazjum Prywatnego w Bytomiu (1932–1939), [in:] „Studia Śląskie” 1959, vol. 2.