There used to be a Tarmilo advert on this wall, but now it’s adorned with a drawing of Silesia’s first steam engine! Another mural created to mark the city’s 500th anniversary has been painted at the Ranoszka roundabout – the perfect spot for it. Take a look at how it looks!

This latest mural in the city makes a huge impression – it covers an area of around 154 m², as it is 14 metres high and 11 metres wide. It has been attracting attention right from the start, as practically everyone who walks past it looks up. “You can see it perfectly from practically every angle,” say the residents of Tarnowskie Góry, who are flocking to read the description at the bottom of the mural.

Why a steam engine, of all things?

It is a tribute to the history of Tarnowskie Góry and the region. The original engine stood by Kunszt Park in Bobrowniki Śląskie-Piekary Rudne, and it was thanks to this machine that the great industrial history of Upper Silesia began. The Fryderyk Mine, at the heart of which the engine stood, was established in 1784 following the discovery of silver-bearing deposits at this site. This mining heritage, together with the groundwater management system that the steam engine in question was used to pump, forms the basis of Tarnowskie Góry’s inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. “The inscription took place on 9 July 2017,” says Piotr Korab, Head of Culture, Tourism and City Promotion.

Discover the history of this remarkable machine:

• Grand opening: The first steam engine in Upper Silesia was commissioned on 19 January 1788 at the ‘Fryderyk’ mine, by the Abraham shaft in Tarnowskie Góry.

• Technology: It was a Newcomen-type atmospheric engine, manufactured in 1787 at the Penydarren ironworks (South Wales).

• Impressive dimensions and purpose: Weighing over 30 tonnes, this colossus was used to dewater the mine workings. This made it possible to extract silver and lead ores from ever-greater depths. A special engine room was even built for the machine!

• A difficult journey: The machine travelled all the way to us from Wales! It travelled by sea and river via Świnoujście, Szczecin, Wrocław, Opole and Kędzierzyn-Koźle, whilst the final leg of the journey was undertaken overland, using horse-drawn carts.

• What happened next: The machine operated in Tarnowskie Góry for 46 years. In 1834, it was moved to the Königsgrube (Król) mine in Chorzów.

Take a look at how this marvellous piece of history looks today on the streets of our town.

The concept for the mural was an initiative of the Town Council, based on a diagram of the steam engine provided by the Tarnogórska Region Enthusiasts’ Association. The company Helt, owner of the Murale-art.pl brand, was responsible for the entire graphic design and its execution.  

Read more about the engine, the mine and UNESCO here: https://unesco.tarnowskiegory.pl/