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

• Lack of legal protection at the national level of all the structures above ground within the boundaries of the property 
• Change of ownership of the pumping station at Adolph Shaft whihc may alter in the medium- to long-term the quality and regularity of the extraction of the water necessary to conserve the underground chambers

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On 9 December 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1539/documents/. Progress on a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in this report, as follows:

• Inventories of the underground areas which are managed by the Tarnowskie Góry Land Lovers’ Association (TGLLA), the Coal Mining Museum in Zabrze and the Veolia Water Supply and Sewerage Company in Tarnowskie Góry, have been undertaken. The areas owned by the State Treasury extend across an area of approximately 100km and it is difficult to determine a timeframe for completion of an inventory for these areas;
• The finalisation of legal protection at national level for all aboveground structures within the boundaries of the property and its buffer zone, which support the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), is ongoing. Structures at outlets of major shafts have been entered onto the national register. Other areas have been granted local protection, but this process is hampered by private ownership and a process to purchase these areas is ongoing;
• The Staszic Water Supply Station (Adolph Shaft) remains under the control of the Upper Silesian Water Supply Company. Since 2005, the company has been legally obligated to maintain the water discharge from well No. 3 of the Staszic intake to Fryderyk Adit, and to monitor the quantity and quality of the outflow during periods of water extraction. No negative impact on the environment or the state of the underground was observed and none is expected should extraction recommence;
• Above- and below-ground archaeological investigations have been carried out in phase one and will be extended to phase two depending on resources, accessibility, and ownership. These investigations, undertaken with the Institute of Earth Sciences of the University of Silesia, include the identification of archaeological remains and laboratory analysis studies. Onsite research of the ruins at Adit Shaft No. 22 will be carried out to allow for its future restoration;
• The modification of the property boundaries is under discussion with stakeholders. A proposal will be forwarded to the World Heritage Centre after consensus has been reached locally;
• The organizational framework of the property is being improved. A local tourism organization was established in 2022. Collaboration with selected universities will lead to the establishment of a scientific committee.

The State Party continues to make progress on the implementation of the Committee’s requests, and its continuous engagement with stakeholders is welcomed.

The completion of the inventories for the areas under the control of the TGLLA, the Coal Mining Museum in Zabrze and the Veolia Water Supply and Sewerage Company in Tarnowskie Góry, is also welcomed. It remains important to finish the investigations to complete an inventory of the underground elements of the property. The extensive on-site and laboratory research and analysis undertaken by the TGLLA in collaboration with the Institute of Earth Sciences of the University of Silesia, is commendable. The development of a multi-layer map system based on GIS technologies is especially important for the future management of the property. This should be further developed to also include layers indicating archaeological attributes for the entire property and to date the various phases of development of the mining and water system.

However, limited progress is reported on several other issues, including the request to submit a proposal to modify the boundaries of the property to connect the aboveground areas A4 and A5, and include the historic water tower adjacent to Kaehler Shaft. The State Party has not provided timeframes for any of these activities.

The process of establishing legal protection for aboveground structures, which contribute to the OUV of the property, is ongoing. It would be useful if, in its next state of conservation report, the State Party could provide an updated inventory of aboveground structures subject to protection, specifying their level of protection, as well as an assessment of their state of conservation at that time.

The State Party reports that past monitoring of water extraction from the Adolph Shaft showed that this did not reduce the overflow from the Staszic intake to Fryderyk Adit. The Committee may wish to request the State Party to continue its current monitoring and commit to increased monitoring and reporting should water extraction commence in the future.

The establishment of a tourism organization is welcomed, but it does not address the identified need to strengthen the coordination required to maintain the OUV of the property. The current scientific research, which is spearheaded by the TGLLA, remains dependent on resource availability, facilities and obtaining the necessary permits. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the organizational framework of the property includes the establishment of the multidisciplinary scientific committee. The extensive length of the underground system requires the development of a plan and timeline to ensure the completion of this inventory and to establish a collaboration between the multidisciplinary scientific committee and the State Treasury. A research programme, with goals and timelines, should be developed, and a formal support system put in place, including administrative support, to ensure the sustainability of longer-term research in support of protection and management.

In summary, several requests made by the Committee remain outstanding. The establishment of timeframes for activities remains important to ensure progress in enhancing the understanding of the OUV of the property to improve its protection and management. It is thus recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to focus on their completion and implementation as soon as possible, and to keep the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies informed of the progress made in its next state of conservation report.