Wujek Coal Mine (''Polish'': Kopalnia Wujek, full name in Polish: ''Kopalnia Węgla Kamiennego Wujek;''
) is a
coal mine
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
in
Katowice,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
. It is widely known in Poland as the place of the
massacre of striking miners in 1981 (most often referred to by the euphemism 'Pacification').
Mining operations began in the vicinity as early as the 16th century. The present mine, ''Oheim'', was established in 1899 by a merger of six mining operations existing in
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
(then a part of
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
). The peak Polish production was in 1979 (3.88 million tons that year).
Currently, the Wujek mine produces
sub-bituminous coal with a typical energy content of 30000-35000 kJ/kg, volatile content of 30-31%, ash content of less than 5%, and sulfur content of less than 0.6%.
The name "Wujek" means "Uncle" in Polish.
References
External links
The Wujek Mine home page (in Polish)
Coal mines in Poland
Underground mines in Poland
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