Tarnowskie Góry Land Lovers' Association

The Tarnowskie Góry Land Lovers' Association (Polish: Stowarzyszenie Miłośników Ziemi Tarnogórskiej, SMZT) is a Polish non-profit heritage and tourism organization founded in 1953 in Tarnowskie Góry, Upper Silesia. It brings together enthusiasts of the history and material culture of the Tarnowskie Góry land and pursues education, cultural and civic goals. Its best-known role is as the administrator of two major post-mining tourist attractions: the Historic Silver Mine (Zabytkowa Kopalnia Srebra) and the Black Trout Adit (Sztolnia Czarnego Pstrąga), both part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing of the Tarnowskie Góry lead-silver-zinc mine and its underground water management system. The association also runs the Młotek i Perlik hostel in its own headquarters building, the Dom Gwarka, in the city center. The organization began in 1953 as a committee for the history and monuments of the Tarnowskie Góry land, chaired by mining foreman Alfons Kopia. It was renamed the Tarnowskie Góry Land Lovers' Association in 1959. Over the decades it has been instrumental in preserving and opening to the public the region's mining heritage, including the Historic Silver Mine (opened to visitors in 1976 after two decades of work) and the Black Trout Adit (opened in 1957). It also founded the weekly newspaper Gwarek in 1957 and organizes the annual Gwarki Tarnogórskie (Tarnowskie Góry Miners' Days) and popular-science conferences. The association is a membership organization with 13 sections and a board led by a chairman. It publishes books and conference proceedings on local history and heritage. Its headquarters are at ul. Gliwicka 2 in Tarnowskie Góry. It is a private, non-profit entity, not a listed company, and its operations are focused on heritage tourism, education, and publishing in the Tarnowskie Góry area.

The Tarnowskie Góry Land Lovers' Association (SMZT) was founded in 1953 in Tarnowskie Góry, Poland, as the Committee for the History and Monuments of the Tarnowskie Góry Land (Komitet dla Spraw Historii i Zabytków Ziemi Tarnogórskiej). Its first chairman was mining foreman Alfons Kopia. The committee's early work focused on documenting and protecting the region's mining heritage. In February 1955, the Presidium of the Voivodeship National Council in Stalinogród (now Katowice) adopted a resolution to create a Historic Mine and Mining-Geological Museum in Tarnowskie Góry. That same month, the historic bell tower was moved from the mining area in Bobrowniki Śląskie and erected at Gwarków Square. In 1957, the association founded the weekly newspaper Gwarek and organized the first Tarnowskie Góry Miners' Days (Dni Tarnogórskich Gwarków). In September 1957, the Black Trout Adit (Sztolnia Czarnego Pstrąga) was opened to visitors in the historic park in Reptach. On 6 September 1958, a museum opened in the historic Dom Sedlaczka, and a sculpture of a miner by Edmund Halek was unveiled on the façade of the Tarnowskie Góry town hall. On 5 April 1959, the organization changed its name to the Tarnowskie Góry Land Lovers' Association. In September 1970, the association prepared a design for the construction of an Open-Air Museum of Steam Machines at the Historic Mine. On 3 September 1976, after 20 years of construction, the Historic Silver Ore Mine (Zabytkowa Kopalnia Rud Srebronośnych) was opened to visitors. In 1997, the association received the Wojciech Korfanty Award. On 23 May 2000, President Aleksander Kwaśniewski visited the Black Trout Adit. In 2002 and 2003, the association took ownership of the land and buildings of the Historic Mine and the Black Trout Adit. On 9 July 2017, the post-mining monuments administered by SMZT were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name "Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System." On 26 May 2021, a newly built roundabout at the intersection of Opolska and Powstańców Śląskich streets in central Tarnowskie Góry was named after the association. Throughout its history, the association has been led by seven chairmen: Alfons Kopia (1953–1955), Norbert Kot (1955–1982), Paweł Spałek (1982–1986), Norbert Kot again (1986–1993), Stanisław Wyciszczak (1993–1994), Alfred Bluszcz (1994–1998), Marek Kandzia (1998–2018), and Zbigniew Pawlak (from 2018). The association operates 13 sections and publishes books and annual conference proceedings on local history and heritage.

• Establishment of the Committee for the History and Monuments of the Tarnowskie Góry Land, with Alfons Kopia as first chairman.

• Resolution by the Presidium of the Voivodeship National Council in Stalinogród to create a Historic Mine and Mining-Geological Museum in Tarnowskie Góry.

• Historic bell tower moved from Bobrowniki Śląskie and erected at Gwarków Square.

• Association founds the weekly newspaper Gwarek.

• First Tarnowskie Góry Miners' Days organized; Black Trout Adit opened to visitors.

• Museum opens in Dom Sedlaczka; miner sculpture by Edmund Halek unveiled on town hall façade.

• Organization renamed to Stowarzyszenie Miłośników Ziemi Tarnogórskiej (Tarnowskie Góry Land Lovers' Association).

• Design prepared for the Open-Air Museum of Steam Machines at the Historic Mine.

• Historic Silver Ore Mine opened to visitors after 20 years of construction.

• Association receives the Wojciech Korfanty Award.

• President Aleksander Kwaśniewski visits the Black Trout Adit.

• Association takes ownership of land and buildings of the Historic Mine and Black Trout Adit.

• Post-mining monuments administered by SMZT inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

• Roundabout in central Tarnowskie Góry named after the association.

Non-profit heritage association and operator of UNESCO-listed mining heritage attractions in Tarnowskie Góry.

• Zabytkowa Kopalnia Srebra (Historic Silver Mine)

  Underground tourist route in a historic silver ore mine, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

• Sztolnia Czarnego Pstrąga (Black Trout Adit)

  Historic drainage tunnel toured by boat, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

• Hostel Młotek i Perlik

  Hostel located in the association's headquarters, the historic Dom Gwarka building.

1. 1Strona główna - Stowarzyszenie Miłośników Ziemi Tarnogórskiejsmzt.pl
2. 2Rabaty na noclegi w Hostelu Młotek i Perlik - Stowarzyszenie Miłośników Ziemi Tarnogórskiejsmzt.pl
3. 3Stowarzyszenie Miłośników Ziemi Tarnogórskiej - Wikipediapl.wikipedia.org
4. 4Tarnowskie Góry Land Lovers' Association - Wikidatawikidata.org