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Ruins of Józef Foundry in Samsonów


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The ruins of Józef Foundry in Samsonów are one of the greatest monuments of the Old Polish Industrial Region. Legends and oral tradition place Samsonów in the time of Bolesław III Wrymouth, and written sources mention the existence of a furnace in 1584, which is leased for 10 years to Łukasz Samson.

In the early 17th century, Italian steel workers come to this land from Bergamo and they establish the second blast furnace in Poland in 1598. In 1641-1644 another furnace was built, providing liquid pig iron used mainly for the production of cast cannon balls, guns, mortars and grenades. In subsequent years, the owners of the plant were the Gibbons, the Servalli and finally Bishops of Cracow. In 1778, the bishops of Cracow built a new blast furnace. In 1789, the so-called Samsonów key with bishops’ property was taken over by the state. In 1818-1822, through the efforts of St. Staszic, a modern blast furnace is built along with a housing estate. The blast furnace worked until 1866, when a fire destroyed it, providing 800 tons of pig iron per year.
After the fire it was not rebuilt because of the increasingly cheap coal and strong development of the Dabrowski Region. Today, when we look at the ruins we feel as if we viewed the classical palace complex. Its axis is dominated by extraction tower and a round furnace, and lower wings form areas where the final shape of the products was given and preparations were made: building of a blower, enamel shop, water wheel frame, engine room, model shop, drying room, foundry, the underground passage and coal storage.
The driving force behind all the equipment, until the steam engine was installed in 1829, the energy of water brought from the pond and partially drained to Bobrza via underground channel which is now partially buried. At the intersection by the foundry, there is a monument dedicated to the victims and the shrine of red sandstone.

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Droga Wojewódzka street 750
26-050 Bartków
Provinsen: ŚWIĘTOKRZYSKIE
Lengde- og breddegrad: 50.9912316121126,20.6149005889893