Gate of the Silesian Zoological Garden in Chorzów

The Gate of the Silesian Zoological Garden in Chorzów is a stone gate with a cast-iron lion on top, standing at the main entrance to the zoo in the Silesian Park. It was not built for the zoological garden: it comes from the palace and park complex in Świerklaniec and is among the few surviving relics of the estate of the von Donnersmarck family.

Why is there a gate from Świerklaniec in Chorzów?

The gate was part of the palace and park estate of Count Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck in Świerklaniec. The palace was destroyed, plundered and burned in 1945, and among the surviving elements was this very gate.

In the 1950s it was moved to the Voivodeship Park of Culture and Recreation in Chorzów, today's Silesian Park. Problems arose during assembly. The foundation prepared for an object weighing about 40 tonnes turned out to be too weak, because after dismantling the gate weighed about 450 tonnes. It was moved without conservation documentation and without marking of the elements, so putting it back together was difficult.

The layout of the fence was also changed. Originally it ran back in an arc from the entrance on both sides, and now it curves forward, towards Giraffe Avenue (aleja Żyrafy).

What is covered by heritage protection?

In 1992 the stone gate was entered in the register of movable monuments of the Katowice Voivodeship. In 2010 the zoo asked the Silesian Voivodeship Heritage Conservator to extend the entry to the metal elements. Research showed that parts of the fence had been made at the end of the 19th century from so-called puddled iron, which confirmed their authenticity. In 2012 the entry also covered the metal gates, wickets and fence sections.

How was it restored?

The conservation work was completed in 2013. A thick layer of dirt and cement joints was removed from the stone elements, then disinfection was carried out, the structure of the sandstone was strengthened, losses were filled and impregnation was applied. The cast-iron lion on top was cleaned, and the missing paw was made from polyester resin. The lion's colouring was recreated on the basis of traces of paint found in its mouth.

The zoo behind the gate

The zoological garden was opened in 1958. The construction of a modern zoo was announced by a resolution in 1953, as part of the Voivodeship Park of Culture and Recreation, built from 1951 on post-mining land between Chorzów, Katowice and Siemianowice. Behind the gate begins the Silesian Zoological Garden.

All around stretches the Silesian Park, and within it also stand the Silesian Planetarium and the Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park.

Practical information

• Location: the main entrance to the zoo in the Silesian Park in Chorzów, at the border with Katowice.
• The zoo has no car park of its own for visitors. The nearest car parks are in the Silesian Park, in the Złota zone, and in the area of Złota Street in Katowice.
• By public transport you can reach the Park Śląski, Śląski Ogród Zoologiczny stop. Check the current lines on the zoo's website.
• The gate itself is a monument visible at the entrance, and entering the garden requires a ticket. Check the hours and rules at slaskiezoo.pl.