Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System World Heritage Site

Official name

Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System | UNESCO

Country

Poland | Map

Continent

Europe

Location

50.4426° Lat, 18.8512° Lon | Map

Code

1539

Time Zone

Europe/Warsaw (CET, +0100)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2017. Located in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland, one of the main mining areas of central Europe, the property includes the entire underground mine with adits, shafts, galleries and other features of the water management system. Most of the property is situated underground while the surface mining topography features relics of shafts and waste heaps, as well as the remains of the 19th century steam water pumping station. The elements of the water management system, located underground and on the surface, testify to continuous efforts over three centuries to drain the underground extraction zone and to use undesirable water from the mines to supply towns and industry. Tarnowskie Góry represents a significant contribution to the global production of lead and zinc.