Guido Mine and Coal Mining Museum

Historic mine and museum in Zabrze, Poland

Guido Mine

Guido Mine shaft

Location

Guido Mine

Location| Zabrze
Country| Poland
Coordinates| 50°17′23″N 18°47′14″E﻿ / ﻿50.2896°N 18.7871°E﻿ / 50.2896; 18.7871
Production
Products| bituminous coal
History
Opened| 1855
Closed| 1996

Historic Monument of Poland

Designated| 2020-07-14
Part of| Zabrze – historic coal mine complex
Reference no.| Dz. U. z 2020 r. poz. 1288[1]

The Guido mine (Polish: Kopalnia Guido, formerly Zabytkowa Kopalnia Węgla Kamiennego) is a historic deep coal mine and museum in Zabrze, Silesia, Poland. The museum is an Anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage. [2] This is an object of cultural heritage inscribed in the registry of the Silesian Voivodeship (A/1342/87 z 1987-02-26) and a cultural monument in Poland (ID 641754).

## History

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The Guido mine was set up in 1855 by Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck (1830-1916) to provide coal for the Donnersmarck mills. Maximum production was in 1885 when 312,976 tonnes of coal were cut. When the coal was worked out it continued to draw water from adjacent mines. This function declined in the 1930s and the mine closed in 1960. In 1967 the colliery it reopen as a test mine for colliery machines. It 1987 the site was given listed status. Shortly before, in 1982, an open-air museum had been set up on the surface site: that closed in 1996. The current visitor mine museum opened to 170m in 2007 and to the full 320m in 2008. [2]

Technically the early mine had to contend with sand and the Saara tectonic fault. The first shaft, the 1856 Barbara shaft was abandoned at 30m. The second shaft, the Concordia shaft was renamed the Guido shaft. Exploratory mining at 80m was abandoned due to faulting. At 117m water was struck. Financial assistance was received from the Upper Silesian Railway Association (German: Oberschlesische Eisenbahn Gesellschaft). Guido was drained, and a new shaft, the Railway shaft was dug- the 170m level was exploited using shortwall excavation. The workings were bought in 1887 by the Prussian Finanzamt- and merge with the Queen Louisa Mine. Guido and Railway were deeped to 320m, the 170m had been worked out. In 1912 the Guido mine was merged with the newly built Delbrück mine (Makoszowy Coal Mine-post 1945) and coking plant. Silesia was partitioned in 1922, and the Delbrück mine (with “Guido” mine) was made over to Prussian Preussag mining company. In 1928, the Guido shaft was closed down and the Railway shaft became transporting shaft for the crew and materials.[3]

## Museum

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The underground museum is 320m beneath the surface, with a second level representing a 19th-century mine at 170m. 320m makes it the deepest visitor mine in Europe. It exploits the black coal vein of No.620 coal seam[4] It has on display an Alpina tunnelling machine, AM 50 longwall cutter-loader. the 250 tonnes coal containers, the conveyor belts and the suspended railway. It has simulations of mining disasters, and a concert hall. [2] There is also an exhibition dedicated to the Politically Repressed Soldier-Miners of the 1950s, youngsters forced to work underground instead of doing military service.[a][4]

## References

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Notes

1. ^ Konstantin Rokossovsky ordered conscripted soldiers to work in the minesas there were to few available. In practice the order was directed at politically awkward youth of military age. This decision affected up to 200,000 young people, of whom over 1,000 lost their lives.

Footnotes

1. ^ Rozporządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 14 lipca 2020 r. w sprawie uznania za pomnik historii "Zabrze - zespół zabytkowych kopalni węgla kamiennego", Dz. U., 2020, No. 1288
2. ^ a b c "ERIH : Guido mine". European Route of Industrial Heritage. 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
3. ^ Guido mine history Archived 2014-10-26 at the Wayback Machine ret.22.01.2015]
4. ^ a b Guido mine-tourist routes Archived 2015-01-22 at the Wayback Machine.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Subterranean Skansen Guido.

* Official website

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European Route of Industrial Heritage

Anchor sites|

* Augsburg textile and industry museum
* August Horch Museum Zwickau
* Beringen coal preparation plant
* Big Pit National Coal Museum
* Blaenavon Ironworks
* Bocholt textile museum
* Bois du Cazier
* Calais lace museum
* Chatham Historic Dockyard
* Brick Works De Panoven
* Continium
* Derwent Valley Mills
* Espace Métal, Grossouvre
* Gasometer Oberhausen
* Geevor Tin Mine
* Guido mine
* Heartlands, Redruth
* Heineken Experience
* Hendrich's Drop Forge, Solingen
* Historical Technical Museum, Peenemünde
* Jewellery Quarter
* Kelham Island Museum
* Lion Salt Works
* London Museum of Water & Steam
* Manufaktura, Museum of the Factory
* Medemblik steam museum
* Merkers Adventure Mines
* Důl Michal, Ostrava
* mNACTEC Terrassa
* Museum over industrie, arbeid en textiel
* National Coal Mining Museum for England
* Nordwolle
* Museum Nord, Narvik
* Norks Teknisk Museum
* Parys Mountain
* Carreau Wendel musée de mineurs
* Prato textile museum
* Quarry Bank Mill
* Rammelsberg
* Rhondda Heritage Park
* Saltaire
* Historic Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry
* Tyskie brewing museum
* Tyssedal Hydroelectric Power Station
* TwentseWelle
* Verdant Works
* Völklingen Ironworks
* Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills
* Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex

Former Anchor sites|

* Beringen coal preparation plant
* Science and Industry Museum

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz place

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