The grand opening of the brand new home of the Silesian Museum is perhaps the biggest of all of Katowice's recent investment unveilings. The museum’s scope, the quality of the permanent exhibitions and the architectural prowess of the newly adapted subterranean chambers are all equally impressive.
Historically, Katowice, and Silesia as a whole, has passed from empire to empire over the centuries since it was first settled. Quartered at the crossroads of Europe with a diverse cultural make-up, perhaps this political tug of war (even resulting in armed conflict at times in the form of 3 uprisings) is hardly surprising, but there s one distinct factor which has always made Silesia a highly coveted territory: the region is rich in coal, known locally as black gold. As a result the area quickly developed into Central Europe s industrial heartland, with the coal and steel industries flourishing from the start.