The blast furnace at the local Huta Pokój iron works is to be turned into a major tourist attraction.
The furnace was erected in 1968, 19 metres from its present location. The operation of moving the 1,780-tonne object was considered a major technical achievement. The furnace remained operational until 2005, when it was extinguished due to environmental reasons.
Last year, the city of Ruda Śląska, in cooperation with the Association of Polish Architects, organised an international competition for the revitalisation of the Huta Pokój works and its adaptation to serve tourist and educational purposes.
The latest additions to the list of sites on the European Route of Industrial Heritage include the Steam Tram Museum in the Netherlands and the National Coal Mining Museum in the UK.
At present, the European Route of Industrial Heritage includes 1,850 sites highlighting the continent’s industrial history. Seventeen of them are in Poland.
(mk/pk)