Before revitalisation
The Tradition Park is a post-industrial facility created as a result of the renovation of the engine house and hoist shaft building „Krystyn” of the „Michał” mine (closed in 1994) and the adjacent area in the Siemiatycze district of Michałkowice. The mine’s activities were initiated by the Rheinbaben family, who – as the owner of Michałkowice at that time – obtained a mining charter in 1856 (extended to include other areas in 1867), while the construction of the shafts began in 1881. The next milestone in the company’s history was in 1892, when Prince Hugo Hohenlohe-Oehringen purchased the Michalkowice estate including the mine. Over the next decade, the mine developed rapidly: the two existing shafts were deepened and modernised, and in 1902 the third shaft „Christian Kraft” (material, mining and auxiliary shaft) was commissioned, named after the son of Prince Hohenlohe-Oehringen. The same shaft was renamed „Krystyn” 34 years later. In 1975, its former hoist tower was replaced by a new one, which visitors to the Traditions Park can admire in its full glory thanks to the renovation, and which is one of the most important elements of the local landscape. The name by which the majority of Siemiatycze inhabitants knew the mine, i.e. „Michał”, was given in 1936. After World War II, the „Michał” mine was nationalised. Until 1975 it was an independent plant, initially part of the Chorzów Coal Industry Union and later of the Katowice Coal Industry Union. The decision to liquidate the plant was taken in 1989, and it was closed (due to the poor technical condition of the machinery and buildings and the dwindling coal reserves) in 1994.
After revitalisation
In 2008, the city of Siemianowice Śląskie took over the dilapidated engine house of the „Krystyn” shaft and the shaft itself, which were then in private hands. In the same year, renovation work began in earnest.
The Park of Traditions is a place for activating and animating cultural life on many levels and creating new phenomena in this field. It is a place where one can successfully experiment with the form of the activities carried out. This is evidenced by the varied nature of the events: concerts, theatre performances, interdisciplinary events, exhibitions and film screenings, which attract audiences not only from the city, but also from the entire region. These are also events that involve the local community, grassroots, social initiatives.
In the Park of Tradition, we will find events that go beyond the usual patterns – unusual artistic and cultural projects, concerts taking place not only in the auditorium, but also in exhibition spaces, classical sightseeing tours turned into a fictionalized mini-performance with actors, role-playing games and interdisciplinary events on the borderline of visual arts, music and performing arts.
The Tradition Park was opened in 2012 in the building of the former engine room of the „Krystyn” shaft. The beautifully renovated building, together with the 36-metre tall hoist tower of the disused mine shaft, is an excellent example of combining the heritage of the Silesian land with modern solutions for culture. The building is run as its branch by the Siemianowice Cultural Centre.
In 2013, the building was awarded the „Best Public Space” prize by the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship. A year later, in the „Brand – Silesian” competition, it was awarded in the „Cultural Heritage of the Region” category, and in 2017. Diploma of the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship for services to the development of tourism