The development of technology in Silesia started towards the end of the 18th century when the

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

n authorities created a special department for

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...

and metallurgy under the direction of the Count Frederic Wilhelm von Reden. Upper

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 ...

n heavy industry, for two centuries, occupied the leading position in Europe in terms of technology, economy and workers' welfare.

Places to visit to see this progression of technology

Bielsko-Biała Museum Bielsko-Biała (; cs, Bílsko-Bělá, german: Bielitz-Biala, szl, Bjylsko-Bjoło) is a city in southern Poland, with a population of approximately 168,319 as of December 2021, making it the List of cities and towns in Poland#Largest cities and ...

** Technology and Textile Industry Museum ** Dom Tkacza – Museum the Weaver's House * Bobrek Steel Mill * The Elzbieta Mine Shaft * Częstochowa * The Building Complex of the Former "Saturn" Coal Mine * Glivice Steel Mill * Nikiszowiec is an example of a workers colony from the beginning of the 20th century * The Fizinus Shafts *

Zabrze Zabrze (; German: 1915–1945: ''Hindenburg O.S.'', full form: ''Hindenburg in Oberschlesien'', Silesian: ''Zŏbrze'', yi, זאַבזשע, Zabzhe) is an industrial city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The west district of the Si ...

a steam operated lift machine dating from 1915 is an object of interest in the mine
History of Silesia Industrial history of Germany