On October 6, 2023, during a solemn ceremony at the Witkacy Theatre in Zakopane, the Miner Brass Bands from Upper Silesia received a certificate for the inclusion of their tradition on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The honor of receiving this recognition went to the conductor of the KWK Mysłowice-Wesoła Brass Band, Mirosław Kaszuba.
“The Cultural Traditions of Miner Brass Bands from Upper Silesia” were inscribed on the National list of intangible cultural heritage on March 3, 2023, by the decision of the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Professor Piotr Gliński.
This achievement was the result of months of efforts by 27 miner brass bands from Upper Silesia, with significant support from the Coal Mining Museum in Zabrze.
– I hope that the inclusion will contribute to the promotion of intangible cultural heritage and increase public awareness of the importance of traditions and intergenerational transmission – wrote Professor Gliński to the applicants.
– Inscribing the traditions of miner brass bands on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage is a tremendous success. Thanks to this, we can expect support from the state even decades after the closure of mines. This inclusion also opens up the possibility of applying for various grants, including those from European funds – explained Mirosław Kaszuba.
The applicants do not intend to rest on their laurels and are already making efforts to have the Cultural Traditions of Miner Brass Bands from Upper Silesia included on the UNESCO list.
The National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage is a record of manifestations of the country’s living intangible heritage. It is managed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage in cooperation with the National Heritage Institute. Currently, it includes events such as “Barbórka” celebrations (included in the list in 2018 through the efforts of the Mining Museum), as well as other traditions such as Krakow’s Nativity scenes, Koniaków lace, bagpipe traditions in Wielkopolska, and the skill of playing the Żywiec bagpipes.