Post-industrial profit

The Upper Silesian Agglomeration, which is centered around regional capital Katowice, has long been associated with heavy industry and environmental pollution. However, recent investment in the revitalization of old industrial sites is helping the region to reform its image.

A rich heritage

Several centuries worth of industrial development have left the greater Silesia region with the highest concentration of historical-industrial objects on the old continent, according to Dariusz Walerjański, the officer in charge of the International Documentation and Research Centre on Industrial Heritage for Tourism.

"The majority of approximately 16,000 objects with industrial heritage in Poland are located in Lower and Upper Silesia. Almost all branches of industry are represented, including mining, steelworks, food production, ceramics, rail transport and chemicals," Walerjański said. 

Benefits of being slow

The fact that so many industrial facilities have survived in Silesia is one of the few advantages of the creeping pace of modernization over the last few decades, Walerjański noted. "There are plenty of machines and devices that still work," he said, adding that the condition of these sites and the objects varies considerably.

These sites are now being listed in a nationwide register of historical industrial sites and objects that the center is preparing. The list may be seen as complementary to the UNESCO World Heritage List, Walerjański said, adding that the more modern sites also deserve the tourism industry's attention and can be adapted.

"Plenty of people are interested in learning how an industrial plant works," Walerjański concluded.

Golden opportunities

According to Adam Hajduga, deputy director of promotion and international cooperation at the Marshal's Office of the Silesian voivodship, the potential to benefit from the region's industrial heritage is "enormous."

Katowice has seen several examples of revitalized areas, including the historical miners' residential districts of Giszowiec and Nikiszowiec, but the number of sites located throughout the rest of the Upper Silesian Agglomeration is much higher. These include a number of breweries, a historic Zawada waterworks in Karchowice and the historical coal mine of Guido in Zabrze.

New sites are being revitalized, such as the Main Key Heritage Adit in the Królowa Luiza Monumental Coal Mine in Zabrze, a part of which will travel through the city's center.  Another site is the Museum of Silesia, which will be built in the former premises of the "Katowice" coal mine in Katowice.

Over 30 industrial objects have been included in the so-called Industrial Monuments Route of the Silesian Voivodship. The route received a Golden Certificate by the Polish Tourist Organisation last month.

The high price of revitalization

The greatest challenge facing industrial tourism in Upper Silesia is the high cost of revitalization. Local authorities lack funds, but are still welcome to get involved in the process. "The cost of renovating industrial sites in the Upper Silesia region amounts to several billion euro," according to Hajduga. "But we are inching our way forward," he said.

There are also opportunities for private investors to enter and turn former factories and mines into offices, restaurants or hotels. One such example is the Almi Cafe & Restaurant in the SilesiaCityCenter shopping mall in Katowice, which is located on the premises of a former mine.

"Renovation is much more expensive than construction of a new building from scratch, yet nowadays the trend among investors is to attract attention with unique concepts," Walerjański said. He added that thanks to such investments, "these sites are being brought back to life."

More than material profit

Commercial profit is not the only reason for entrepreneurs to get involved with industrial-heritage properties, as the Szyb Wilson art gallery in Katowice demonstrates. Located in a former mine shaft of the Wieczorek coal mine, the gallery is an investment by real estate firm Pro-Invest.

Opened in 1998, the gallery soon garnered acclaim among Katowice's cultural crowd, holding concerts, exhibitions, festivals and promoting young artists through its foundation, Eko-ArtSilesia.

"We were inspired by similar initiatives around the world, for example the Tate Gallery, and we decided to renovate the facility," Johann Bros, the president of Pro-Invest explained, stressing that the investment is not based on a desire for monetary profit. "We cannot forget that there are investments which bring a non-material return, and such activities offer plenty of satisfaction," he said.

Szyb Wilson is not the only investment by Johann Bros, as his company purchased and renovated the Mokrski Brothers Brewery in Katowice, which he renovated and now leases out. Bros also serves as patron for a range of other projects in Upper Silesia.

"I started my [revitalization] activities about 20 years ago, at which time a number of companies and industries went bankrupt following the approach of the free market," he said, noting that an increasing number of people have become aware of the potential offered by industrial-heritage sites.

"These industrial shrines can be used in a multitude of ways," he said.

Sustainability and legislation

Investing in the renovation of a historical site requires a great deal of versatility, according to Bros. His firm is involved in a number of historical-industrial projects. "This is an interdisciplinary activity, requiring rudimentary knowledge of law, economy and construction on the part of the investor.

Dariusz Walerjański stressed that investors must retain the right proportion between the historical and the modern component for such an investment to be a success. "The concept of sustainable growth is key here - although the term itself is cliche," he noted.

"You also need to have the ability to inspire others to help you with the project," Bros said.

The ability to inspire is all the more useful given that legislative obstacles are common. "We cannot count on the invisible hand of the market, the government should provide tangible help," Bros said, adding that speeding up the process of saving the region's industrial heritage was important. "We have lost almost 20 years," he noted.

Bros said that many historical facilities cannot be saved, because they are uninteresting for both tourist and business purposes. "I think that in such cases the authorities should give them to the young people to rejuvenate them. A number of cities around Europe have already done that," he said.

Legal maneuvering due to the uncertain ownership status of some properties is a serious challenge too. "If this does not improve, the situation will get worse," Walerjański said.

In need of a makeover

As the redevelopment of industrial-heritage sites continues, the region's image is likely to get a minor makeover, something which is urgently needed. Upper Silesia is commonly associated with pollution and the hardships of mining, rather than modernity and good quality of life.

Hajduga agreed that the region's poor image needs to be overcome. "The image of Silesia is that of dirty smoke from chimneys," he said, adding that the media plays a key role in shaping such images. "Whenever a TV station presents the Upper Silesia region, it is always chimneys, mines and factories," he said.

"The rational aspect of our image is very favorable and based on hard data: high GDP, low unemployment, good quality of life. Still the emotional aspect is very poor," according to Hajduga.

Walerjański stressed that the Silesia region has been perceived through the prism of industry, without any historical or tourist sites. "Very few people know that, apart from coal, Upper Silesia abounds with greenery," he said.

Campaign for change

In order to raise awareness about the region's potential, the Silesia voivodship will be launching a two-pronged promotional campaign next year as part of its "Positive Energy" communication strategy.

In March, a nationwide campaign will begin in the broadcast media. This will be followed by a regional campaign designed to educate residents of the Silesia voivodship.

"This is the first time that the Silesia brand will be defined," Hajduga said. Industrial heritage will be one of several key areas of tourism that the campaign will stress, along with the religious sites, active tourism, castles and urban areas. The first effects of various revitalization projects will be visible in five to six years, according to Bros.

The changing image of Upper Silesia will hopefully demonstrate its unique climate. "We are aware that life in Silesia is very difficult in many respects, but I would not trade living here for any other place in the world," Bros said.