“Wschodni II” Shaft Complex

The “Wschodni II” (East II) shaft is an early 20th-century complex: a steel two-compartment winding tower with a brick shaft building and an engine house. It stands on ulica Bocheńskiego in Katowice, not far from Załęże, and belonged to the “Kleofas” mine.

The shaft and the mine

In the late 19th century the mine needed ventilation shafts located away from the main ones. The first of them, “Wschodni I”, was sunk in 1890-1891. “Wschodni II” was built in 1913-1916, twelve metres to the west of it; the finishing of the western compartment was completed in 1921. The shaft served in turn for ventilation, man-riding, materials, coal winding and stowing. Coal extraction at the mine ended in November 2004.

The tower

The tower is 25 metres high, with a steel structure with a single brace and a shaft clad in sheet metal. Cast-steel rope pulleys were fitted at a height of 22.2 metres, and only the western pair has survived to this day. The shaft building and engine house were built in brick historicism. The tower is the only surviving structure of this type from the “Kleofas” mine. The monument was entered in the register in 2010, and the buildings have been renovated.

Practical information

• Address: ulica Bocheńskiego, Katowice.
• The complex is used by a private owner, so it is mainly viewed from the outside, from the street.