Plac Gwarków in Katowice

Plac Gwarków (Miners' Square) in the Katowice district of Koszutka lies at the junction of al. Wojciecha Korfantego and ul. Katowicka. It took its name from an old word for miners, and its surroundings are defined by the building of the Central Mining Institute.

The Central Mining Institute by the square

The first building of the institute was erected in 1938-1948 in the Functionalist style, to a design by W. Sikorski and Kazimierz Sołtykowski. The second was built in the 1960s, designed by Władysław Górski and Zygmunt Fagas. A bank also has its seat in the area, and on the square itself there is a commemorative plaque.

What is on the square

The square serves a recreational function. In its central part there is a fenced children's playground with a sandpit, a slide and swings. There is also a sculpture by Katarzyna Przezwańska titled "Kula" (The Sphere). Before the First World War a small hospital stood in this area, marked on a map of 1903.

Practical information

• Location: Plac Gwarków, Katowice-Koszutka, at the corner of al. Korfantego and ul. Katowicka.
• What to expect: a city green space with a playground, a sculpture and the institute buildings around it; a short stop on the way, not a destination for half a day.