Projects and collaborations of the Coal Mining Museum in Zabrze
Projects and collaborations
Our activities have been recognized e.g. through the following awards and distinctions:
Europa Nostra
European Cultural Heritage Award for best revitalization in 2019 for the underground complex of the Queen Louise Adit
European Heritage Hub
Preserving the heritage of Silesian industry through digital artifacts – distinguished by the European Heritage Hub as one of 10 Local Good Practices
ECTN 2024
Second prize for the best project and audience award in the competition organized by the European Cultural Tourism Network ECTN
Historic Monument
“Zabrze – a complex of historic hard coal mines” included in the list of the Polish Historic Monuments. The complex includes the Queen Louise and Guido Coal mines and the underground of the Main Key Hereditary Adit
International Activities
Our Museum actively participates in international initiatives co-financed by the European Union (including Horizon Europe, Creative Europe, Interreg, FENIX, etc.), whose common goal is not only to preserve local culture, but also to foster social inclusion, creating entirely new initiatives through innovation and collaborative efforts together with audiences. Participation in these projects allows the Museum to utilize modern technologies (e.g., digitization and the use of VR/AR), to strengthen the local ecosystem of collaboration (including with universities and the creative sector). It also facilitates the co-creation of European strategies for the transformation of post-mining regions, combining local heritage with global trends in sustainable development.
FEnIKS I
This is the next stage of the revitalization of the post-industrial facilities of the Carnall Zone and the underground of the Guido Coal Mine. Thanks to the modernization of the space, new multimedia exhibitions will be prepared, together with solutions increasing accessibility and the expansion of the educational and cultural offer. The project will strengthen the attractiveness and protection of the industrial heritage of Upper Silesia.
FEnIKS II
The essence of the activities is to reveal the entire potential of the “Queen Louise Adit” brand. The project will include specialized mining and installation works underground, sealing the workings, modernization of ventilation systems, installation of a new elevator in the Wilhelmina shaft and modernization of the suspended monorail – by replacing its drive.
RESILIAGE
The project aims to strengthen community resilience through a better understanding of the factors that influence both the security and development of cultural heritage. The project not only supports rescue services in crisis and disaster situations, but also strengthens the role of citizens, increasing their awareness, readiness and agency.
DIGI CONTENT
This is a step towards the future of cultural heritage – digital, accessible and engaging. The project will create modern standards for the digitization of cultural resources, which will allow for the full preservation and creative use of unique industrial heritage. It is not only archiving, but above all, opening the door to new ways of story-telling.
CULTURE MOVES EUROPE
Participation in the programme allowed to exchange experiences, develop cooperation across borders and promote Silesian industrial heritage in an international environment. It was also an opportunity to draw inspiration from good practices of European partners and build a modern approach to the protection and popularization of the mining heritage.
National Projects
We are an active participant in the process of creating new strategies for the region as part of the Just Transition policies, which are intertwined at every stage with the Triple Transformation (social, digital, and green). Our projects, such as heritage revitalization and the preservation of the mining culture, particularly strongly strengthen the social dimension and support innovation in the sustainable economy. Through a dialogue, social engagement, and environmental education, we preserve local identity, support local entrepreneurship, and transfer mining knowledge to the Culture and Creative Industries, which also enables a job creation.
Mining Heritage Sound Academy
Discover a project in which culture, music, and people create one living story. This intergenerational, educational and integration initiative draws on the rich tradition of mining brass bands and are translated into the development of contemporary cultural competencies in local communities.
Spamiyntej to! (Remember this!)
We capture what is priceless, but vanishing: the traditions of the last functioning miners’ brass bands. We enter where authentic culture is still alive – into the spaces of rehearsals, performances, and the everyday lives of musicians – to capture their history, passion, and sound.
Diaries of women from mining families
We give a voice to those that have for years remained in the shadow of industrial history. It is a space where women’s experiences resound with full force – daily stories about strength, care and life built around the mining world – now become an important part of the common memory.
The Power of Brass Bands
We bring the power of the region’s musical traditions and give them a modern, inspiring dimension. Through workshops, meetings, and promotional activities, the initiative connects generations and proves that the sound of mining orchestras can still stir emotions, build bonds, and proudly tell the story of Silesia.
Mapping
The mapping spectacle “Water · Barbara · People of the Earth” is a fifteen-minute, three-walled audio-visual performance that guides viewers through the most important themes related to the identity of Upper Silesia: the element of water, the symbolism of St. Barbara, and the lives of the region’s inhabitants.
Participation in Networks and International Cooperation
Through international cooperation, the Museum plays a key role in European networks, working to protect and promote industrial heritage. The Museum collaborates with numerous international partners, including the International Committee for the Protection of Industrial Heritage (TICCIH) and the National Monument Institute in Kroměříž. Another important element of Museum’s established networks, is collaboration with former mines that now serve as museums, including those located in Austria, Luxembourg, France, Germany, and Italy.
EUROPA NOSTRA
The museum is a member of the European federation dedicated to the protection and promotion of cultural and natural heritage, allowing us to exchange experiences with numerous organizations and institutions from across Europe.
International Committee for the Protection of Industrial Heritage (TICCIH)
TICCIH aims to strengthen cooperation for the protection, conservation, research, and documentation of industrial heritage, to provide education, and to foster scientific and technical exchange.
European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH)
The Guido Coal Mine and the Queen Louise Adit are among selected few sites that set standards for presenting industrial history—authentically, engagingly, and at a world-class level. As Anchor Points, those sites of exceptional significance, to be visited of the Europe’s industrial heritage route.
Industrial Monuments Trail
The Industrial Monuments Trail is one of the most recognized brands of industrial tourism in Poland – and its true stars are the Guido Coal Mine and the Queen Louise Adit. In those premises underground, the history becomes alive again – and every step leads through the authentic mining heritage of Silesia.
Let’s collaborate
Contact
We encourage institutions and organizations from Poland and around the world that share our mission and vision – to contact us. Together, we can create innovative and sustainable solutions to preserve our shared heritage!