A re-positioning of post-industrial heritage in upper Silesia, Poland, into an integrated thematic tourist route

Post-industrial heritage tourism, exemplified by the Industrial Monuments Route (IMR) in Poland, offers a sustainable strategy to revitalize declining heavy industrial regions like Upper Silesia. This study demonstrates that integrating movable and fixed industrial monuments—such as 19th- and 20th-century machinery, underground mineshafts, historic workers' housing, and a wooden radio station—into thematic tourist routes can both preserve regional identity and justify conservation investments. The research refocuses the IMR to emphasize its role in safeguarding Silesian cultural heritage for future generations, blending economic revitalization with historical preservation.

Szromek, A. R., & Butler, R. W. (2023). A re-positioning of post-industrial heritage in upper Silesia, Poland, into an integrated thematic tourist route. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 19(2), 310–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873x.2023.2281440