The next stage of the SCWiS expansion project is planned for 2026–2029 and will involve the adaptation of the chain bathhouse building for permanent and temporary exhibitions. We plan to secure funding for this purpose from European Funds.

The chain bathhouse of the “Wujek" coal mine is a silent witness to history. This was the place where miners changed clothes and bathed before going underground and after returning to the surface. Their clothing was hung on chains high under the ceiling, where it could dry after a full day of work in dust and moisture.

Dramatic scenes of the December 1981 strike, following the imposition of martial law, unfolded within the bathhouse walls. Successive shifts of miners met here to make key decisions regarding participation in the protest on 14 December 1981. During the strike, Father Henryk Bolczyk celebrated Masses for the miners inside the bathhouse, and shortly before the bloody pacification, he granted collective absolution to those gathered outside the building, offering them forgiveness in case of death.

Building adaptation
In December 2022, this historic building was transferred by Polska Grupa Górnicza S.A. to the city of Katowice, which in turn entrusted it to the Silesian Centre for Freedom and Solidarity.

The project will involve the comprehensive modernization and adaptation of the facility to serve as a modern, accessible, and engaging educational and cultural space for the Silesian Centre for Freedom and Solidarity named after the Nine Miners of “Wujek."

The main hall of the chain bathhouse will host the multimedia show “Silesian Identity." In addition, the project will include a gallery of martial law-era painting, a temporary exhibition gallery, a viewing terrace, a café, and administrative and office spaces.

Visitors will be able to see display cases with mining artifacts around the buildings, as well as, for example, a mining cart.

The Centre’s staff will also be able to carry out their educational and administrative activities in the new office spaces.