Czeladź is the oldest city in the Dąbrowa Basin, although it was founded as a Silesian city. At the moment, it is neither the largest nor the richest city in this part of the Silesian province. Mischievous people ask the residents of Czeladz what time they take the train home, since a train station never existed in their town. Infantile jokes are irrelevant, however, as the residents have no reason to be ashamed. Their city is extremely interesting, full of history and has an entire post-mining complex that is becoming one of the best examples of saving post-industrial heritage in the world.
A view of the site of the Saturn Coal Mine, after the reconstruction of the Guild House
© Gallery of Contemporary Art Elektrownia
Brynica River is not a border
Although the river itself functioned for years as a border between Prussia and the Congress Kingdom, it was not a border in Czeladź. The city developed on both sides of the river. And it was on its western bank, around 1872, that Ludwik Kozlowski, a Warsaw lawyer, began to explore for coal. He managed to find the first deposits at a depth of 122 meters. Less than two years later, he sold his property to Prince Christian Hohenlohe, who successively continued mining under the name "Saturn-Jupiter." Its genesis derives from the titer of the mining fields granted. The prince had planned to establish a Mining and Industrial Joint-Stock Society, but for unknown reasons he failed to carry out this plan. Investors from Lodz bought back the mine and formed the Saturn Consortium in 1899.
The shaft of the Saturn mine
photo: Adam Rostecki | Wojciech Korfanty Regional Institute of Culture
The mine developed over the years and at one point met 12 percent of the coal demand in the Kingdom of Poland. After the end of World War I, the management of the mine was taken over by its co-owner, Alfred Biedermann - a Lodz factory owner, meritorious for the development of Lodz's tramway network, who for unknown reasons abandoned his business in the city. After World War II, the name of the mine changed, and so the KWK "Red Guard" was established. In the 1970s, the "Czeladź" and "Milowice" mines were merged with it. On January 1, 1990, the original name was returned. It was put into liquidation twice: the first time in 1992, to return as a State Treasury Company in 1997, and the second time, in late 1998, to become part of the Mine Restructuring Company in 2000. From that point on, the struggle against time began.
The interior of the shaft tower
photo: Adam Rostecki | Wojciech Korfanty Regional Institute of Culture
authorities with sensitivity
As early as 1996, when mining at the mine was halted, the city decided to buy back all of the mine's land in order to save a rare example of industrial architecture by Jozef Pius Dziekoński, a distinguished Polish architect and conservationist. All this with the idea of preserving the memory of Czeladz's industrial history for future generations of residents. With its own efforts, the city renovated the building of the former mine director's villa, which now houses the city museum. It was not until the prospect of acquiring external funds that the revitalization work developed and individual buildings were gradually saved. Thanks to EU funds, in 2013 the building of the mine's power plant was put into use, along with the machinery park, with KONIOR Design and Construction Company responsible for the project. In April 2014, the Power Plant Gallery won the title of Super Unit 2013, in a poll organized by the Our City Association for the best architectural project.
The power plant after revitalization
© Gallery of Contemporary Art Elektrownia
In 2019, the electrical workshop and transformer buildings were renovated to become the headquarters of the "Saturn" Center for Community Services and Local Activities. The buildings were awarded the title "Modernization of the Year 2019", in a competition with the same title held in Warsaw.
Center for Community Services and Local Activity "Saturn"
© Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej Elektrownia
Particularly noteworthy is the complex of buildings of the guildhall, bathhouse with locker room, clock tower and administration, completed in 2024. The impressive complex, which stands just off Dehnel Street, has regained its splendor according to archival documentation to its 1911 state. The main idea was to create a modern educational and recreational space, respecting the original state. Each part of the building, functional zones and the surrounding area have references to the industrial character in the form of shapes, colors or materials. A completely new wing has been added to the guildhall building to resemble a lump of coal. The guildhall building will house the Post-Industrial Center for Coal Mining Heritage in the Basin, along with a mediatheque. The museum is scheduled to open on December 4 of this year, along with a state-of-the-art multimedia exhibition. Responsible for the project is AiM Architekci of Katowice.
The guildhall after revitalization
© UM Czeladz
infinite treasure
Czeladz wants to make full use of the potential of the building, which for several years has been one of the most interesting points on the map of Industriada - a celebration of the Industrial Monuments Route. Work began in early 2025 on the building of the former mechanical workshops, where an indoor pool will be built by March 2026. The swimming pool will be unique, as it will give a second life to the post-mining buildings while preserving their historical elements. The pool will be 25 meters long and less than 10 meters wide. It will be divided into 4 lanes, and will be adapted to the needs of the disabled. There will also be a recreation area, which will include a small pool with water whips, a jacuzzi, as well as saunas.
Project of the swimming pool
© UM Czeladz / AiM Architekci
This is not the only work currently underway at the former Saturn KWK site. Another building being renovated is the headquarters of the former fire station. Work on the revitalization of this building is being carried out in a comprehensive manner, which means, among other things, preserving the facade, windows, repairing the roof and making new installations. The cost of the investment is just over 4 million zlotys, and the construction work is scheduled to be completed in November 2025. Once completed, the building will house a museum gift store and a small cafe.
The boiler house building and chimneys have been earmarked for lease to the Skarpa Bytom Sports Club, for sports and recreational purposes. As a result, Czeladz will have the highest climbing wall in Poland and one of the highest in Europe, as well as a unique viewing platform, which will be located on the former mine chimneys. The AiM studio is responsible for these projects as well.
Project for the adaptation of mine facilities for a climbing center
© UM Czeladz / AiM Architekci
over 760 years of road to happiness
Czeladz may be small, and it may not have a train station (although this may change due to the Metropolitan Railway grid project), but it has great potential. Its proximity to Katowice and the plethora of vacant land means that more and more people are settling here, and property prices are going up. Added to this is the prestige associated with the unique site of the "Saturn" KWK. This is a place that is visited by many visitors from Poland and abroad, but in a while it will become a huge tourist attraction, due to the many leisure options. So if anyone is still depreciating this piece of the world, they should change their thinking and visit Czeladź to see what a good place to live it is just becoming.
