Hoist Tower in Poręba

Between factory halls on ul. Fabryczna stands a stone tower with the date 1798 clearly visible below the eaves. It is a remnant of the furnace that started Poręba's industrial history: the tower was used to lift the charge into a blast furnace where ore was smelted. Today it is one of the oldest industrial monuments in the Silesian Voivodeship and one of only two listed monuments in the town.

History: the furnace that made Poręba an industrial town

In the late 18th century the surrounding forests, where charcoal was burned, and local ore deposits favoured ironmaking. After the Third Partition of Poland the first ore-smelting furnace was built at the Poręba works, and the hoist tower went up in 1798. The foundry turned the settlement into an industrial centre: it cast pipes, parts for mills, brickworks and other factories, farm equipment and later enamelware and sanitary fittings. Before the First World War the factory began making machine tools, and after the Second – heavy machine tools.

The tower was entered in the heritage register on 25 May 1975.

What to see

• The tower – a near-square block of dressed limestone set in lime mortar. The irregular masonry is best appreciated up close.
• The date 1798 – high on the façade, below the brick top.
• The ground-floor gateway – with a semicircular vault; it once gave access to the interior.
• Recessed windows – two windows set in surrounds, one holding an information plaque.
• The setting – a casting ladle and cast-iron pieces stand next to the tower as reminders of the town's metalworking past.

Did you know?

Poręba's ironmaking tradition is tied to prażonki, a local dish of potatoes, sausage, bacon and onion. It is cooked in a three-legged cast-iron pot with a screw-down lid, made in Poręba for more than 200 years. Every year the town holds the World Prażonki Festival, where 160 kg of potatoes are cooked in a giant pot.

Tripto tip

The tower stands on ul. Fabryczna, on the former factory grounds near the centre of Poręba. You see it from outside; 15–20 minutes is enough for photos and a walk around. Combine it with the Gothic Revival church on ul. Dworcowa and a trip to Siewierz, about 7 km to the west.