People, Landscapes, and Heritage in the Face of Energy Transition
26 September – 29 November 2026
Fot. NMWr press materials
Curators of the exhibition: Katarzyna Majbroda (UWr), Julia Szot (ME)
Life around the coalmines and the Turów power plant in the commune of Bogatynia in Lower Silesia would not be the same without the neighbouring lignite deposits. For many years, brown coal fuelled the socio-economic development of the region and created a social, cultural and emotional relationship with the energy industry. Today all this is changing in the face of climate change and the growing ecological awareness of the local community. The exhibition shows the people, landscapes and heritage of the region in the context of the ongoing changes.
Living on coal, as mentioned in the title of the exhibition, is shown from the perspective of mixed coexistence of people, raw material, mining and energy-producing facilities, technology, as well as living and inanimate matter. This narrative combines recollections and stories told by local people, their experiences, fears and hopes. The exhibition showcases, among others, images of the old Bogatynia, decaying remnants of the spa Opolno-Zdrój located on the verges of the open-pit mine, and the phantom village of Wigancice Żytawskie, destroyed at the start of the 21st century.
The exhibition draws on the anthropological research conducted by Dr hab. Katarzyna Majbroda, Professor UWr at the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of the University of Wrocław.