Information about the object:
Cemeteries in Český Těšín, Ligotka Kameralna, Karviná Doly and Karviná Mexico. Cemeteries with Polish tombstones.

A large number of magnificent monuments excellently carved by local workshops, which used imported elegant stones, such as black monzonites popularly known as granites or white marbles, but also locally occurring gabbroids known as cieszynites, usually of a characteristic dark colour, but sometimes also containing alvines giving them a beautiful olive-green colour.

Of particular value are the memorials to the victims of mining disasters, including the biggest one that occurred in the Ostrava-Karviná coalfield almost 130 years ago. In June 1894, a gas explosion occurred in the Karviná shafts of Františka, Jan and Karol, followed by others in neighbouring mines. The 235 victims of this tragedy, both the miners working at the time and their rescuers, are commemorated on a symbolic memorial in the Karviná cemetery.

Completed works:

2022
Work was carried out at cemeteries in Český Těšín, Ligotka Kameralna, Karviná Doły and Karviná Mexico. They are planned to continue in the following years.

As part of the activities carried out by a 12-person team of students from the Institute of Art History at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw under the direction of Dr Bartłomiej Gutowski, all monuments forming part of the Polish cultural heritage in the area were photographed, described in detail, and their material was determined. The contractors were assisted by Andrzej Jagielski, as an expert, who is on a daily basis an employee of the Geological Museum in Warsaw.

The inscriptions and signatures on the tombstones were also written down, which made it possible to recognise the former authors of the works. All the cards compiled by the team were made available in a catalogue prepared by the Polonica Institute and available online (baza.polonika.pl). Thanks to this, it is now possible for anyone to find information about the tombstones of their loved ones. This material will also serve researchers to undertake more extensive research and conservation work.

2023
The task was a continuation of the project started in 2022 to document the Polish sepulchral heritage preserved in Cieszyn Silesia (in its part located in the Czech Republic). The project as a whole included documentation (inventory) and popularisation tasks. Documentation of the cemeteries located within the contemporary boundaries of the villages was carried out: Český Těšín (Český Těšín, Czech Republic) and Karviná (Karviná, Czech Republic) together with the publication of the results through the Institute's database DZIEDZICTWO ZA GRANICĄ POLONIKĄ. POLONICA BASE and in accordance with accepted standards. A preparatory field search for the next task was also carried out.

Funding: Polonics Institute programme "Polish cultural heritage abroad - volunteering".

More about the project: https://polonika.pl

https://polonika.pl

• Fundacja Akcja Kultura, realizacja w roku 2022 i 2023.