“Wojciech” Tipping Bridge (Self-Discharging Bridge)

The “Wojciech” tipping bridge in Zabrze is a steel-and-concrete structure from which sand backfill was tipped into a mine shaft. It is one of the few surviving structures of this type in Poland.

What it was used for

The bridge was built in 1910-1913 next to the Euling shaft, later the Wojciech shaft, which was adapted for feeding in backfill in 1913. It was part of the infrastructure of the Hedwigswunsch mine, from 1945 called Jadwiga and from 1948 Pstrowski. Wagons drove onto guide rails, their bottoms opened and the sand fell by gravity. The unloading equipment was developed by the firm Van der Zypen & Charlier. The steel structure came from the Laura steelworks.

Rebuilding and later fate

In 1977-1978 the original riveted lattice girder was replaced with a larger structure, adapted for standard-gauge wagons. The Wojciech shaft was closed down in the early 1970s, and on its site a sand sales point was set up, supplied from the Kotlarnia sand pit. The bridge is single-track and single-span and rests on two concrete abutments. It has not been in use since December 2020, and the track on this section has been taken up. The entry in the heritage register from 2022 was revoked, and the structure was entered again in February 2025.

Practical information

• Location: ul. Wojciecha Drzymały in Zabrze.
• It is a technical structure viewed from the outside and is not prepared for visitors.
• Other industrial monuments in Zabrze are the Guido Mine and Coal Mining Museum and the water tower in Zabrze.