The Influence of State Policy on the Development of Zinc-, and Lead Metallurgy in the Szopienice settlement (With a Particular Emphasis on the Environmental Impact of the Industry)

Abstract

The article deals with the interrelationship between state policy and the development of metallurgy in the Szopienice settlement and the impact of industry on the environment. The Szopienice settlement was part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526. In 1742 it was annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia, and in 1922 to the Second Polish Republic. Back in the Habsburg times, the state granted Georg von Giesche a monopoly to exploit calamine deposits in Upper Silesia (1702). Calamine was initially used to produce brass, but in the late 18th century, zinc production using calamine began in Upper Silesia. Expanding its road and rail infrastructure, the Prussian state contributed to establishing new smelters by private capital in the 19th century. The “Wilhelmine” zinc smelter was established in 1834 by the Giesche concern in Szopienice. In the 1860s, a lead smelter was also established next to the zinc smelter. Both smelters had a disastrous impact on the environment and residents’ health, which went hand in hand with the dramatic housing-, and hygiene standards. At the beginning of the 20th century, a metallurgical hospital was established at the initiative of the Giesche concern. However, the recording of lead poisoning cases did not begin until the 1920s. After World War II, the problem of environmental impact was attempted to be publicized in the 1970s through studies of children who had contracted the disease. The population was resettled from the most endangered zone, and children were treated during months -long stays in sanatoriums.