Monument to Miners' Toil in Katowice

The Monument to Miners' Toil is a reinforced concrete monument on Pułaskiego Street in the Osiedle Paderewskiego-Muchowiec district of Katowice. It was unveiled in 1986, and for years its surroundings have served as a skatepark.

Form of the monument

The author of the design, chosen in a competition, is the sculptor Tadeusz Łodziana. The monument has a main sculpture showing miners and bas-reliefs depicting work underground: loading the output, transport and modern mining. It is crowned with the miners' emblem, the Polish emblem and the date 1986. The foundation deed was set into the wall on 18 July 1985.

The skatepark

The square beneath the monument served skaters from the start. When the relocation of the monument was planned in 2007, the skaters protested. Instead of removing it, the site was rebuilt to a design by Kamil Czerny: low walls, steps, handrails, banks and waves appeared. The official opening of the skatepark took place on 10 October 2011.

Historical context

Studies describe the monument as an element of the official policy of the 1980s, which was meant to counterbalance the cross commemorating the miners killed in December 1981 at the Wujek mine.

Practical information

• Address: the area of gen. Kazimierza Pułaskiego Street, Katowice.
• The monument and the skatepark are open to everyone; this is a place used by skaters, so take care.