The Old Worker’s Estates of Upper Silesia

This is the winner of a Prize

The 250 old workers’ estates in Upper Silesia are a characteristic of the cultural landscape, regional identity and European industrial culture. These are presently undervalued and neglected. The aim of this PhD thesis was to define the characteristics of this heritage through analysis of selected estates in the context of their environment, analysis of spatial solutions adopted, the presentation of the typology of urban arrangements and architectural solutions, and to indicate possibilities for the revitalisation.

The research resulted in a typology of the workers’ estates and a strategy for revitalisation and underlines the value of the historical fabric as an important component of the regional identity. The study concludes with some recommendation for its renewal.

“For the detailed analysis of the old workers’ estates of Upper Silesia and for a valuable approach to the revitalisation of an industrial heritage found in related forms throughout Europe.”