Katarzyna Jarosz

Katarzyna Jarosz is a linguist and archaeologist. She holds a PhD in Archaeology and a master’s degree in Romance languages. Her research area covers the history of science and museum studies, with a focus on cultural heritage protection and cultural tourism, notably in post-communist countries in Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia. 

Currently she is working on a project, whose aim is to analyse whether, and to what degree, historical and archaeological museums can serve as a tool in a process of shaping and building national identity. During her stay she will give a talk on transforming former mines into tourist attractions. According to projections, two thirds of all European coal power will be closed between 2020 and 2030. In many regions coal has been a life blood for many years, centuries. Mines closing and stopping production often mean unemployment for the whole region, but it also means collapse of the existing ties and social structure. Over the past few years, industrial tourism has been growing and several former mines have been converted into popular tourist attractions. The talk will focus on two case studies comparing the Golden Mine “Rosia Montana” in Romania, and the coal mine “Nowa Ruda” in Poland.