"Zaranie Śląskie. Second Series" is published by the Institute for Regional Research of the Silesian Library and the Scientific Publishing House "Śląsk." The journal continues the tradition of "Zaranie Śląskie," which was published intermittently between 1907 and 2000. "Zaranie Śląskie. Second Series" operates as an annual journal and has been published since 2015. It features articles in the fields of humanities and social sciences, focusing on topics related to both Upper Silesia and the Silesian Voivodeship
Śląsk Sp. z o.o. Wydawnictwo Naukowe i Biblioteka Śląska
Since transitioning to a digital format, the journal has been operating under open access, meaning all content is freely available to users and institutions. In issue 8 (2022), published articles are licensed under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. The full license text is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. Since issue 9 (2023), published articles are licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. The full license text is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.pl.
A Portrait of a Pre-War Intellectual. A Review of Olga Płaszczewska’s Book History Like a Novel. Alfred Jesionowski, a Pre-War Intellectual.
A review of Olga Płaszczewska’s book History Like a Novel: Alfred Jesionowski, a pre-war intellectual.
Copyright (c) 2025 Zaranie Śląskie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Wstęp jest wprowadzeniem do tekstów zawartych w tej edycji rocznika
Silesian Debate: The Upper Silesian Tragedy of 1945: Victims and Perpetrators
On 6 March 2025, a debate entitled The Upper Silesian Tragedy of 1945: Victims and Perpetrators was held at the Silesian Library, organised by the Institute of Regional Studies of the Silesian Library. The discussion focused on attempts to define who the victims and perpetrators were, as well as on responsibility for the crimes and repressions carried out in 1945. The debate addressed, among other issues, the actions of the Red Army after its entry into Upper Silesia, the operation of labour and internment camps, including those in Świętochłowice-Zgoda and Łambinowice, as well as the deportations of the civilian population to the Soviet Union. Participants emphasised the multidimensional nature of the violence, resulting both from the systemic mechanisms of Soviet authority and the communist security apparatus, and from local social conditions and national tensions.
Jubilee Synthesis… A Review of Jerzy Myszor’s book Kościół na Górnym Śląsku. 100-lecie diecezji katowickiej 1925–2025
Review article concerning the book: Myszor J. (2025). Kościół na Górnym Śląsku. 100-lecie diecezji katowickiej 1925-2025. Księgarnia św. Jacka (ss. 144)
A polemical response to Bogusław Tracz’s Review
The Tragedy of a Region, the Tragedy of an Individual
A Review of Bogusław Tracz and Sebastian Rosenbaum’s Book Punkt zwrotny. Rozmowa o roku 1945 na Górnym Śląsku
This article is a critical analysis of Dariusz Zalega's book entitled Chachary. Ludowa historia Górnego Śląska (Chachary: A Folk History of Upper Silesia). Although the publication is part of the currently popular trend of folk history and enjoys literary recognition, the reviewer accuses it of a lack of scientific rigour and a journalistic character. The author is criticised for basing his narrative on outdated, communist-era studies, avoiding in-depth archival research and using black-and-white ideological simplifications. As a result, the book is presented not as an objective reconstruction of the past, but as a tool for legitimising contemporary left-wing narratives.
This list presents selected descriptions of monographic publications related to Upper Silesia, the Opole region, and Cieszyn Silesia, as well as the Dąbrowa Basin and the Częstochowa region. Further information, including descriptions of articles from academic and popular journals as well as from the press, is available in the Regional Bibliography database of the Silesian Library in Katowice (bibliografia.bs.katowice.pl).
Spoil Heaps or Farmlands? The Landscape before the Founding of Silesian Park According to 1950s Sources
This article offers a critical analysis of the dominant narrative concerning the area on which the Voivode­ship Park of Culture and Recreation (WPKiW) – today’s Silesian Park – was established. The author challenges the entrenched image, perpetuated in literature, media, and institutional picture of the future park, as a degraded, post-industrial wasteland. On the basis of archival sources, press and photographs, the study demonstrates that the majority of the land designated for the WPKiW had an agricultural char­acter. Particular attention is given to a 1950 terrain survey, which shows that most of the area intended for the park consisted of medium-quality arable land. Supplementary evidence includes press reports and photographs depicting an organized agricultural landscape. The narrative of total land degradation before the park’s creation finds no confirmation in the sources. On the contrary, the available materials point to a diverse, predominantly agricultural environment, enabling a revision of the founding myth of Silesian Park. The author argues that the vision of a „lunar landscape” was a propagandistic construct that began to dominate media discourse only from 1954 onwards, in connection with the regional program for the reclamation of spoil heaps and wastelands.
She will always be that Małgosia. The unknown egodocuments of Gustaw Morcinek
This article is devoted to the egodocuments found in a private family archive in Karviná more than 60 years after Gustaw Morcinek’s death: postcards, so-called odkrytki, and photographs of the writer. The documents were addressed to Małgorzata Wiejowa, a member of the Karviná family, whom the writer referred to as ‘my dearest’ or ‘beloved’. The materials — made available for editing by Aleksandra Raszka, daughter of Morcinkowa Małgosia — had not been documented before. They give a complete picture of the writer’s relationship with his sister’s granddaughter and—perhaps above all—reveal Morcinek’s almost paternal attitude towards his beloved Małgosia.
Results of research into the contents of sarcophagus no. 1 in the Hochberg crypt, located in St. Nicholas Church inŚwiebodzice
On 30 September 2016, in accordance with the permission of the Lower Silesian Conservator of Monuments in Wrocław (branch office in Wałbrzych) and in cooperation with the parish priest of the local parish, Canon Józef Siemasz, an interdisciplinary research team undertook the exploration of one of the nine sarcophagi placed in the crypt of St. Nicholas Church in Świebodzice. The work was coordinated by the Upper Silesian Branch of the Polish Archaeologists’ Scientific Association. The team consisted of specialists with many years of experience, who had previously researched, among others, the Promnitz crypt in the Church of All Saints in Pszczyna, and who represented various scientific disciplines: Prof. Henryk Głąb (anthropologist, Jagiellonian University, Department of Anthropology), Prof. Małgorzata Grupa (archaeologist, conservator of monuments, specialist in historic fabrics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology), Dr Mirosław Furmanek (archaeologist, University of Wrocław, Institute of Archaeology), Sławomir Kulpa (archaeologist, Museum in Wodzisław Śląski), Dr Arkadiusz Kuzio-Podrucki (historian, Silesian Culture Centre in Nakło Śląskie, currently employed at the Institute of Regional Research of the Silesian Library in Katowice), Agata Sady (archaeobotanist, Silesian Museum in Katowice). The conservation work was supervised by Agnieszka and Tomasz Trzos (art conservators, A.P. Monument Conservation Workshop in Tychy). The crypt in the church in Świebodzice, which is a unique and relatively well-preserved structure, was established in the basement of the southern chapel adjacent to the presbytery, where deceased members of the Hochberg family, including the owners of nearby Książ, were laid to rest. Above the entrance to the chapel there is a cartouche with the Hochberg coat of arms. Preliminary findings show that the structure was actively used for over 200 years between 1662 and 1868.
Churches and denominational education in the Toszek District in the years 1742–1817/1818
The study focuses on the religious situation in the years 1742–1817/1818 in the Toszek district, located on the right bank of the so-called ‘Polish’ Upper Silesia, conditioned by the tolerant religious policy of the Prussian authorities. It discusses the still dominant structure of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Reformed churches, mainly Lutheran, which were restored after more than a century of Counter-Reformation in Habsburg Upper Silesia, and the construction of Jewish religious institutions, which was still in its infancy. During this period, education, which existed only at the primary level in towns and villages, was religious in nature, with little interference from the state authorities.
Prussian district of Toszek from 1742 to 1817/1818
Racibórz, as a so-called “trophy city”, located within the borders of the Third Reich, was treated by the Soviets with exceptional brutality. First came the organized looting of property, both industrial and private, followed by deliberate arson of the city’s central buildings. The ruined Silesian city was handed over to the Polish authorities only after more than two months under the rule of a Soviet commandant. Deprived of its pre-war fabric of society, Racibórz faced the necessity of rebuilding its demographic potential. Thousands of residents, who had fled westward from December 1944 ahead of the front lines, decided to remain in Germany, settling mostly in the regions of Roth and Leverkusen. Those who returned, realizing the new political realities, either chose to emigrate again or were forcibly expelled. The repopulation of the city took place under entirely new circumstances. The social landscape, previously dominated by the German population, was replaced by a new fabric woven from post-war destinies and traumas. Alongside the native Silesian population, many of whom were widows and orphans and often spoke Polish, the city became home to Poles resettled from the Eastern Borderlands. They came mainly from Sambor, Stanisławów, Chodorów, and Łuck, as well as from other regions of pre-war Poland. Among them there were soldiers of the Home Army, including participants of the Warsaw Uprising, and members of other underground resistance formations. The so-called “Recovered Territories” were seen as a safe haven. Reconstruction began paradoxically with destruction — by demolishing German tenement houses. The building materials were shipped to Warsaw. The authorities noticed with concern the growing closeness between Silesians and settlers from the East, so they built the foundations of the militia and secret political police on battle-tested soldiers of the Polish Army who had fought alongside the Red Army or on members of the communist resistance movement. Adding to the tension was the Polish–Czechoslovak border dispute over Racibórz, Kłodzko, and Głubczyce. The fate of Racibórz, once the Upper Silesian capital, unfolded quite differently from that of Upper Silesian cities incorporated into the reborn Second Polish Republic after 1921 — and the consequences of this are still visible today.
Functionalist architecture of schools in the Silesian Voivodeship in the interwar period
The starting point for writing an article on modernist school buildings erected in the Silesian Province during the interwar period was information taken from the biographical note on Leon Dietz d’Army, an architect working in Katowice, who was credited with developing modular solutions for the construction of standardised buildings of this type. In the course of the research, it turned out that relatively late, in October 1937, the Silesian Provincial Office sent an identical letter to seven local architects inviting them to a meeting on this matter. Apart from the aforementioned d’Arma, the group included Tadeusz Miche­jda, Wojciech Soboń, Zbigniew Rzepecki, Kazimierz Sołtykowski, Odon Litawski and Tadeusz Łobos. Archival research has allowed for detailed findings to be made regarding the construction of a public school in Katowice-Zawodzie, designed by Leon Dietz d’Arma under the supervision of Lucjan Sikorski, which around 1930 was considered the most prestigious school construction project during a period of severe economic crisis. The history of this construction served as the basis for the conclusion that functionalism became the style of newly built schools not only because of the low cost of solutions that did not strive for dec­orativeness and were based on the use of cheap reinforced concrete technology, but also because of the involvement of local artists in the modern architectural movement. It should also be emphasised that the use of cost-effective technological solutions did not diminish the attention paid to teaching comfort. At that time, educational buildings with central heating, running hot and cold water, electric lighting, and even a swimming pool and a spacious gym for modern gymnastics were considered standard.
The role of the Woźniak family in the socio-economic life of Sosnowiec. A case study.
The Woźniak family from Sosnowiec, although they played an important role in the socio-economic life of the city, is somewhat forgotten today, even by native residents. In 2024, the Schoen Palace Museum in Sosnowiec will enrich its collections with the very valuable and interesting "Woźniak Archive" - ​​a collection of over 400 photos and over 70 documents and private letters, which provide new information about the history of the family, especially its private life. The history of the Woźniaks begins in 1885, when Jan and Małgorzata came to Sosnowiec. Jan started working in the steelworks, and Małgorzata ran a beer bar. Their three sons - Franciszek, Teodor and Andrzej - received technical education, which, after their father's death, allowed the family to establish a metal plant on the border of Stary Sosnowiec and Pogoń, the Woźniak Steel Foundry Małgorzata and Sons. The intensive development was halted by World War I, when the Germans occupied the factory for military purposes. After regaining independence, the Woźniaks rebuilt the foundry, which became one of the pillars of the local industry. During the Silesian Uprisings, the plant became famous as the place where two armored combat vehicles were assembled, which took part in the fighting. In the interwar period, "Stalownia Woźniak" developed, transforming into a joint-stock company. The time of prosperity was interrupted by the Great Depression and family conflicts, which ended in court. During the Nazi occupation, the factory was taken over by the Germans and used for war production. After the war, the plant was nationalized. Research into the history of the Woźniak family was based not only on newly acquired collections, but also on documents stored in state archives and the press.
Górny Śląsk przechodzi kolejną metamorfozę; widzą to na co dzień mieszkańcy, zauważają zdumieni przyjezdni i coraz częściej analizują dociekliwi. W tegorocznym numerze „Zarania Śląskiego” my również próbujemy poddać te obserwacje pogłębionej refleksji. Wystarczy zestawić ze sobą chociażby obraz działającej prawie dwa wieki Ferdinandgrube/Kopalni „Katowice” (1823–1999) z pejzażem powstałej w tym miejscu Katowickiej Strefy Kultury, by zobaczyć, jak miasto zrzuca z siebie industrialną skórę. Pejzażu regionu nie sposób opisywać tylko z jednego punktu widzenia; ponieważ jego wielowarstwowej strukturze musi odpowiadać odpowiednio złożony opis. Czy coraz bardziej postindustrialny Górny Śląsk stanie się jedynie wielkim skansenem Europy? Czy wielkim magazynem energii (taką hipotezę stawia Iwona Jelonek). A może przestrzenią nowoczesnej kultury? Czas pokaże. Patrząc na dawny szyb kopalni „Katowice”, obecnie obiekt Muzeum Śląskiego, można zastanawiać się wraz z autorkami (Bio)grafii Górnego Śląska i Zagłębia Dąbrowskiego, które konstatując, iż Matka Ziemia na razie zwyciężyła z Matką Kopalnią, pytają, czy na pewno ostatnie słowo będzie należało do człowieka?
Copyright (c) 2024 Zaranie Śląskie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Nasza Pani. Recenzja książki Krystyny Heskiej-Kwaśniewicz i Zdzisławy Mokranowskiej "Ja i moje książki – to jedno. Rozważania o pisarstwie Zofii Kossak"
Recenzja książki: Heska-Kwaśniewicz K., Mokranowska Z. (2024). Ja i moje książki – to jedno. Rozważania o pisarstwie Zofii Kossak. Instytut Pamięci Narodowej (ss. 730).
Has the Green Transformation already begun?
The protagonist of the interview is a geologist, Professor Iwona Jelonek, working at the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Silesia and coordinator of the Project "Transformers in Schools - Education for Green Transformation and Preservation of Mining Culture in the Region". The interview is about socio-economic transformations in the Upper Silesian region. The interview is divided into three parts, dealing with the past, present and future of the whole area. The first part is about the great industrial exploitation of Upper Silesia, primarily about coal mining. The second part is a description of a project carried out by employees of several faculties at the University of Silesia in selected secondary schools in the Silesian Voivodeship. The third part of the talk concerns visions for the region in the future, in particular the use of post-industrial infrastructure planning for new energy storage facilities.
Wspomnienia Izabeli Oćwiei z domu Marek z okresu radzieckiej okupacji Tarnopola oraz przymusowego pobytu w Kazachskiej SRR
Wspomnienia Izabeli Oćwiei z domu Marek, Kresowiaczki wywiezionej wraz z matką i braćmi do obwodu pawłodarskiego Kazachskiej SRR, jako najbliższa rodzina aresztowanego przod. w st. sp. Józefa Marka, spisane przez nią wiele lat po wojnie, stanowią kolejne źródło w badaniach nad sytuacją Polaków deportowanych w głąb Związku Radzieckiego. Jako, iż współtworzyło ją dwóch młodych, zdolnych do pracy mężczyzn, Markowie trafili do osady przy kopalni złota „Majkain-Zołoto”. W raz z przystąpieniem ZSRR do grona aliantów, bracia Autorki, Mieczysław i Aleksander, zostali polskimi żołnierzami. Izabela Marek i jej matka Maria przebywały w Kazachstanie do wiosny 1946 r., gdy wraz z innymi Polakami mogły wrócić do kraju. Na krótki czas zatrzymały się w Bytomiu, aby finalnie zapuścić korzenie w Brzegu. Dokument był już w całości opublikowany w zbiorze wspomnień, niemniej jednak nigdy nie został poddany edycji z aparatem przypisów. Poniższy tekst został przekazany przez rodzinę do publikacji już po jego pierwszym wydaniu.
Forgotten sources of social history of the region. Around the book by Władysław Sala Młodzież robotnicza na Górnym Śląsku. Rok 1937.
Władysław Sala's research on the attitudes of Silesian youth in the 1930s indicates the social changes taking place at that time and the developing conflicts. These were the only surveys conducted in the autonomous Silesian Voivodeship. The author of the review emphasizes that there are many more similar sources for the social history of Silesia, although they are not used in the historiography of the region.
Pomnik to nie tylko kamień, ale i świadectwo czasu. Recenzja książki Piotra Fuglewicza Cokoły przechodnie. Życiorysy z pogranicza
Autor recenzuje książkę pióra Piotra Fuglewicza pt. Cokoły przechodnie. Życiorysy z pogranicza. Fuglewicz w krótkiej i przystępnej formie opisuje 24 postacie, na przykładzie których stara się przybliżyć czytelnikom skomplikowane losy Górnego Śląska, zaczynając od XIX wieku, na czasach niemal współczesnych kończąc. Autor książki przypomina szereg ważnych, chociaż nieco bagatelizowanych i zapomnianych postaci, takich jak Alfons Matter, Paul Rochus Sallmann czy Harald Webb. Recenzent zwraca uwagę na kilka nieścisłości merytorycznych i mankamentów technicznych.
Dr. Józef Gawor – witness to two totalitarianisms
Fr. Dr. Józef Gawor, one of the most important Silesian priests of the 20th century, was born in 1907 in Dąbrówka Mała near Katowice, into a large mining family. He was ordained as a priest in June 1931 by Bishop Stanisław Adamski of Katowice. Before World War II, he worked as a catechist at a girls' high school in Królewska Huta. He was also active in the scouting movement, serving as a chaplain for the girls' troop in Świętochłowice. On May 24, 1940, he was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the Dachau concentration camp, where he was assigned prisoner number 12,926. After three months, he was transferred to KL Gusen, where he stayed until December 8, 1940, before being returned to Dachau. He was released on April 24, 1942. In 1948, he began working at the editorial office of “Gość Niedzielny”, but in November 1952, the state authorities removed him from his position. From 1953 to 1956, he organized support for the exiled Silesian bishops and advocated for their release. He returned to the editorial office alongside the bishops in November 1956. For 16 years, he led the diocesan Commission for Sacred Art, influencing the decoration of churches in the Katowice diocese. He was a well-known preacher, invited to parishes and church centers across the country. He retired in March 1974. Fr. Gawor passed away on Holy Thursday, April 16, 1981. His funeral, held on Easter Monday at the Katowice Cathedral, was a significant event for the community, attended by thousands of the faithful and hundreds of priests from across the country, who remembered him not only as an editor but also as a steadfast witness to faith during two eras of totalitarianism.
sacred architecture in the Katowice diocese
The participation of the Tiele-Wincklers in the industrialand ecclesiastical history of Katowice
The von Tiele-Winckler family played a part in transforming the former village of Katowice into a city. They invested in the steel mills and mines operating in what is now Katowice, and they also supported evangelicals and catholics, supporting the construction of new churches in various forms. Their most important industrial investment, the Katowice Joint Stock Company for Mining and Metallurgy, is also associated with Katowice. Today, buildings connected with the Tiele-Wincklers‘ activities still exist, but little is known about the family's involvement in the history of, for example, the former Ferdinand ("Ka­towice") mine – where the Silesian Museum now has its headquarters – or the Evangelical Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord.
Not just an editor. Priest inflate Stanislaw Tkocz, editorand opinion maker, advisor to bishops, mentor to political elites
At the turn of the last century, the Revd. Stanislaw Tkocz was one of the most important public opinion makers not only in Upper Silesia, but also in Poland. He headed the "Gość Niedzielny" for nearly 30 years (1974-2003). During that time, he was also a close associate of two successive bishops of Katowice – Herbert Bednorz and Damian Zimoń. His voice was greatly valued by both of them, especially with regard to social issues and Church-state relations. He created a new model for a Catholic weekly, which after 1989 was also widely copied by other Catholic media in Poland. In the Third Republic of Poland, he built up independent distribution and proposed an original formula for the magazine, whose main edition was supplemented by diocesan supplements. He created the basis for the further development of the paper, which took place after his death, when Fr Marek Gancarczyk became the head of the weekly. "Gość Niedzielny" is now not only the largest opinion weekly in Poland, but through its regional supplements it is present in twenty dioceses throughout the country
Fair transformation of the Silesian Voivodeship.History and challenges
The just transition of the Silesian Voivodeship is one of the key challenges of contemporary Poland. The region, historically a centre of heavy industry, is facing the need for profound economic and social changes resulting from the phasing out of the mining sector. This transition must combine the goals of sustaina­ble development with the protection of social rights, ensuring justice for local residents, especially those affected by restructuring. The article analyses the transition processes since the fall of communism, highlighting historical restruc­turings and contemporary challenges such as environmental degradation and climate change. Strategies to mitigate social impacts are presented, including government programmes and European funds. The creation of new economic sectors such as innovation, services and tourism to replace traditional industries is key.
How much nature do we have left in the Silesian Voivodeship?
Nature is our greatest treasure, our life support system, our great ally in the era of climate change. The Silesian Voivodeship has experienced exceptional pressure from man; human economic activity has resulted in the degradation of the natural environment. Despite the above, the region remains diverse in terms of nature and landscape, rich in natural values ​​that are unique on a national and European scale. 9 out of 10 forms of nature protection are represented in the Silesian Voivodeship. Nature, especially wild nature, is essential to us to preserve the world as we know it and to survive. On a planetary scale, only 14.7% of the land surface and 7.5% of the ocean surface are protected. The world and the European Union intend to protect 30% of land and sea areas by 2030. A good indicator of nature protection in a given country is the percentage of national parks in its area. National Parks in Poland cover only 1.05% of the country's area, while the average for European Union countries is 3.4%. The list of national parks waiting to be created in our country is long. Among the proposals to create 25 new national parks, only one proposal (Jurassic National Park) concerns the Silesian Voivodeship. In the Silesian Voivodeship, 33% of the area is protected, but nature reserves (which reflect the natural diversity of the Silesian Voivodeship and usually apply strict protection) comprise only 66 objects. This is only 0.3% of the voivodeship's area. Meanwhile, the area of ​​reserves in Poland is 0.54%. The lack of national parks in the region and the small area of ​​reserves show how much this region has lost and how much it has paid for the ruthless industrialization of the past.
(Bio)graphies of Upper Silesia and Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in non-fiction literature
<a title="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." href="https://zaranieslaskie.bs.katowice.pl/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.">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.
Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0