On 10 April 2025, in the representative hall of the Silesian Parliament in Katowice, Dr. Piotr Gerber received the medal of the European Heritage Award | Europa Nostra Award from Prof. Jacek Purchla, Vice-President of Europa Nostra, in the category of Heritage Champions. This is the highest European distinction for activities undertaken to preserve and promote cultural heritage.
Dr. Piotr Gerber has dedicated his professional life to the preservation of post-industrial heritage. Both in Poland and abroad, he has played a significant role in raising public awareness and understanding of the importance of technical and technological developments.
In 2007, he established the Foundation for the Preservation of Industrial Heritage, which researches the history of industry in Lower and Upper Silesia, protects tangible industrial heritage and educates about industrial development through heritage. One of Piotr Gerber’s most notable achievements is the purchase of seven industrial buildings in Silesia, the largest coal mining region in Europe. Following the purchase, the buildings have undergone extensive conservation and have been converted into museums, securing their future and enriching the cultural life of the surrounding communities.
Laureate places particular emphasis on authenticity – preserving the original architectural structure and using original machinery to showcase the historic technological process. All of the buildings he has saved have machinery still in operation, which is maintained by former employees of these industrial plants.
Piotr Gerber has also had a significant impact on improving industrial heritage legislation and is co-author of the conservation guidelines for post-industrial heritage assets, which are implemented by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. As the Jury noted: “His efforts include cross-border cooperation with experts and his European impact is important, in that he highlights the significance of this heritage beyond Poland”.
The European Heritage Awards | Europa Nostra Awards were established by the European Commission in 2002 and have since been coordinated by Europa Nostra. They are co-financed by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. For twenty-three years, the Awards have been a key tool for recognising and promoting the multiple values of cultural and natural heritage for European society, economy and environment.
– Museums established and run by the Foundation for the Preservation of Industrial Heritage:
– Railway Museum in Silesia in Jaworzyna Śląska
– Zinc Metallurgy Museum WALCOWNIA in Katowice
– Museum of Agricultural Technology in Piotrowice Świdnickie
– Hilbert’s Mill in Dzierżoniów
– Silesian Porcelain Museum in Tułowice – opened last year