GEOTOUR & IRSE 2012.pdf - Fakulta BERG - TUKE

Salgótarján, 04. – 06. 2012
MINING AND GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE PROTECTION AS CHALLENGE FOR LOCAL
COMMUNITIES
Agata Juzyk, Jan Kudełko, Anna Szczerbiak
KGHM CUPRUM Ltd Research & Development Centre, Wrocław
ABSTRACT
This Article attempts to present a problem concerning restoration of areas degraded by post-mining
activity, establishing of new geotourist functions and benefits thereof for the local communities.
Lower Silesia Province offers substantial potential for this type of projects. A restoration project
related to post-mining relicts and consisting in constructing of a tourist route referred to as “Tracing
evidence of old times ore mining” currently in progress in Mirsk Commune located in the southwestern
part of Lower Silesia Province, served as an example for the purposes hereof.
Introduction
Pursuing activities for protection of the former mining facilities is necessary due to their
historic value and to the problem of their proper preservation. Still the efforts for preservation,
monitoring and protection of dormant mine facilities accessible for tourists, require proper
administration of mining elements of cultural heritage, based on relevant legal control.
Making an element of cultural heritage accessible, results from the dialog and cooperation
between several institutions and research centres, whose efforts are oriented for the scientific,
technical, organizational, legal and statutory support.
The main aim of activities pursued on the European level is to bring about the potential
partnership in multi-disciplinary cooperation which would comprise various institutions and
services oriented for forming the best protection, preservation and for emphasizing the
cultural value of the identified and accessible industrial sites.
The latter particularly concerns:
Ministries, e.g. of the Environment, Economy, Culture, Foreign Affairs,
geological, mining and archaeological services,
European, state and regional governments,
research institutions, research and development centres,
the European Council, UN and UNESCO,
local governments,
boards of large industrial plants,
professional and social organizations,
travel agencies,
job organization.
PROTECTION OF GEOLOGICAL AND MINING HERITAGE
One of the issues of European policy is the proper assessment of its influence for cultural
heritage. The mentioned assessment covers profound analysis of the connections and
relationships between various fields of activity or occurring events (e.g. relationship between
agriculture and archaeological discoveries or between the degree of air pollution and
deteriorating state of preservation of technical sites). The next issue is linked to evaluation of
the actual interest of the Europeans in elements of cultural heritage and in consequence, in
gaining financial resources for activities connected with protection and restoration of
monuments, according to the present legislation (Conseil de l‟Europe, 1984).
Among the cultural heritage of a particular country/region one shall mention all traces of
human activity in the natural environment. They compose sources of information on human
life and activity, and on historical development of various crafts, technologies and arts.
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