Liberation Mound in Piekary Śląskie

The Liberation Mound is the highest point of Piekary Śląskie and one of the key monuments of interwar Upper Silesia. It was raised over five years, in 1932–1937, to mark the 250th anniversary of King John III Sobieski's march to Vienna and the 15th anniversary of eastern Upper Silesia joining Poland. On a clear day the summit shows you half the conurbation – from the Katowice Steelworks to the Gliwice radio station.

History: from Hajda's idea to the 1937 consecration

The idea of a mound was first put forward in 1883 by the blind folk poet Wawrzyniec Hajda, known as the "Silesian Wernyhora", on the 200th anniversary of the Vienna campaign. The German authorities blocked it, and Hajda was put on trial for inciting displays of Polishness. The idea returned in 1930 during the anniversary of the Second Silesian Uprising, and the foundation act was laid on 17 September 1932. The mound was designed by engineer E. Zaczyński, and for five years residents of Piekary, Szarlej and nearby towns heaped up the earth.

Work began on an area called Kocie Górki – where insurgents from Piekary and Bytom had sworn their oath before the Third Silesian Uprising. Delegations from Poland and abroad brought soil in urns, among others from St. Anne's Mountain, Gniezno, Gdynia, Głogów and Cierlicko, and according to the Silesian regional guide also from Grunwald. Visitors to the site included Wojciech Korfanty, Gustaw Morcinek and Pola Gojawiczyńska. The mound was consecrated on 20 June 1937 in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski and Voivode Michał Grażyński.

What to see

The mound rises to 356 m above sea level and stands 20 metres above its base, with a volume of about 25,000 m³. At its foot are plaques honouring Wojciech Korfanty and the Silesian insurgents. From the top you can see the towers of the Piekary basilica and the Calvary church, the headframe of the "Julian" mine, Kozłowa Góra and Lake Świerklaniec. In perfectly clear air, with binoculars, the peaks of the Tatras and the Sudetes are said to be visible.

Did you know?

• A Golden Book with entries and seals of the builders was started during construction; a Piekary resident, Karol Mutz, hid it at home throughout the occupation, and today it is kept in the Regional Chamber at the town library.
• In 2019 the National Bank of Poland issued a PLN 5 coin in its "Discover Poland" series featuring the Liberation Mound.

Tripto tips

The mound lies in the west of the town, between Obwodowa, Jana Pawła II and Wyzwolenia streets, close to regional road 911 from Bytom to Świerklaniec. You can get here by car or bike – there is a large car park next to it. Allow 30–60 minutes for the climb and the view; come when the air is clear, for example after rain or on a frosty day. Combine the visit with the Basilica of St Mary and St Bartholomew and the Piekary Calvary.