“Piast” Coal Mine

“Piast” Coal Mine

(at present a branch of Piast-Ziemowit Hard Coal Mine)

The construction of "Piast" Coal Mine began in 1972 at the road from Tychy to Oświęcim, in the area of ​​the now defunct Porąbek commune, Kolonia Porębska and partly Kopciowice. The coal mine was launched on December 3, 1975.

“Piast” coal miners’ strike

The longest underground strike in the post-war history of mining began 650 meters underground on December 14, 1981. Demands of the striking miners included abolition of the martial law, release of trade union activists and respect of the Jastrzębskie Agreement. The communist authorities were considering the coal mine pacification. Due to the underground nature of the strike, a military assault was not possible. On Christmas Eve, Bishop Janusz Zimniak visited the strikers. At that time, "Piast” Coal Mine was already the last striking enterprise in Poland. Further extension of the strike could pose a threat to the life and health of the strikers. On December 28, 1981, the strikers decided to discontinue the strike. About a thousand protesting miners emerged from the mine in the evening. The arrests and internment of the strikers began later that day.

Construction of the St. Barbara church

The need to construct a new parish arose when two housing estates were built in Granitowa Street and Węglowa Street. The church was constructed from 1989 to 1998. The authors of the church design are:  architect Zdzisław Łojewski and design engineer Jerzy Manjura. The church interior was decorated by Stanisław Kluska.