Śląskie Centrum Wolności i Solidarności im. Dziewięciu Górników z „Wujka”

About the museum

The Wujek Mine Memorial Room Museum (Muzeum – Izba Pamięci Kopalni Wujek) opened on 1 December 2008 in the former clothing store of the “Wujek” mine, on the initiative of the committee commemorating the miners who fell on 16 December 1981. In 2011 the management of the museum was taken over by the Silesian Centre of Freedom and Solidarity (Śląskie Centrum Wolności i Solidarności). It is a cultural institution of the Silesian Voivodeship self-government, co-run by the City of Katowice; the agreement was signed on 16 December 2011.

The building was extended in 2021, and the exhibition area grew from about 140 to over 1,100 m². The new multimedia exhibition was opened on the 40th anniversary of the crackdown at the mine, on 16 December 2021. It occupies three levels of the building, which is over a hundred years old. Level -1 presents the political background of postwar Europe and the origins of Solidarity, level 0 the events of 16 December 1981, and level +1 the history of Poland in the 1980s, the role of the Church, and the Round Table and the first free elections.

The strongest points of the exhibition are the T-55 tank, restored to its appearance at the time of the crackdown, and the preserved ramp inside the building, from which shots were fired at striking miners. The exhibition is multisensory, and visitors may handle some of the exhibits. The centre also runs a library, an archive, a gallery of contemporary art and an educational offer for schools.

Key themes

• Multimedia permanent exhibition on over 1,100 m²
• T-55 tank from the time of the crackdown at the mine
• Ramp from which shots were fired at striking miners
• Diorama of the events at the Wujek mine
• Guided tours by participants of the strike of December 1981

Permanent exhibition

• Wystawa stała Śląskiego Centrum Wolności i Solidarności – Multimedia account of the strike and the crackdown at the Wujek mine on 16 December 1981, and of resistance to the communist system in the 1980s, across three levels of the former clothing store.

Founded

2008

Operated by

Samorząd Województwa Śląskiego (współprowadzony przez Miasto Katowice)

Admission & discounts

Free admission for participants of the strike in December 1981, activists of the anti-communist opposition, persons persecuted for political reasons, and tourist guides.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A gently sloping ramp leads to the building, there are no level changes in the lobby, and the reception desk has a lowered section. The building has a lift, and an accessible toilet for people with disabilities with a call system is available to all. For wheelchair users, touring the exhibition requires returning to the start of the exhibition on each floor in order to use the lift. The exhibition has tactile maps, Braille panels, induction loops and recordings in Polish Sign Language; a PJM interpreter can be booked in advance. Visitors may enter the exhibition with an assistance dog, and multimedia elements can be muted if the reception is notified in advance. People with special needs are advised to visit with a carer or guide.

Kids & families

• Hands-on stations

The exhibition is multisensory and contains interactive screens; some exhibits, for example helmets and police batons, may be handled.

Getting there & parking

The centre is at ul. Wincentego Pola 38, on the grounds of the “Wujek” mine in Brynów. Parking spaces for people with disabilities are located opposite the main entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

The lobby has a waiting area, a cloakroom and public toilets.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit