(Bio)graphies of Upper Silesia and Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in non-fiction literature

Abstract

Upper Silesia and the Dąbrowa Basin, once dominated by the landscape of chimneys and mining shafts, are currently undergoing a dynamic transformation, where nature is reclaiming areas previously subjected to industrial exploitation. The non-fiction literature analysed in this article reflects these changes, documenting the blurring of boundaries between the "green" and "black" Silesia. Upper Silesia emerges as a space resulting from extensive industrialization and the succession of nature, which annexes areas liberated from industrial exploitation. New ecosystems are forming, where the radical division between nature and culture loses its meaning. Places such as KWK Kazimierz-Juliusz or the areas around the steelworks in Szopienice, once dominated by industry, are now experiencing natural vegetation succession, creating new forms of life on degraded lands.