Paper short abstract:

In the paper, we will show the changes in post-mining landscapes in Poland, which until recently were dominated by coal monuments, and recently the protection of the fourth nature has become dominant.

Paper long abstract:

In many post-mining places in Europe, you can find wagons with the last ton. They are located in the Ruhr area, Northumberland, and even Pyramiden. The tradition of commemorating a closed coal mine with a last-ton monument dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Miners carried carts of coal to the surface and painted festive inscriptions on them, most often to boast about what is now a cause for dejection and shame, the number of tons of coal brought to the surface. Nowadays, the practice of the last ton can be interpreted completely differently, in the context of changes in the landscapes of deindustrialization. In the paper, we will show rich visual and narrative material collected in 2021-2023 during research conducted in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Based on conversations with former mine workers and members of post-mining associations, we will show how many new monuments of the last ton have been created in recent years, accompanied by the awareness of climate change and the need to protect the environment in places after extractivism. New activities of associations of former mine workers show not only a change in their awareness but also a change in the post-mining landscape itself. Nowadays, the landscape of the last ton in Poland is made up of deserted post-mining forests, overgrown heaps, and overgrown sinkholes. By resigning from placing carts in them, post-mining communities show respect for post-industrial nature, which allows them to preserve their memory in a non-invasive way.