LOCAL INITIATIVES FACTORY ASSOCIATION
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About Nikiszowiec
architecture
Nikiszowiec is an example of a so-called patronage estate. Such estates were usually built by a patron-employer for the workers of his plant, most often a mine or a smelter.
Being an industrial region, Upper Silesia has about 200 such housing estates. Yet Nikiszowiec is an exceptional example – thanks to its remarkable spatial layout and the scale of its architecture, to its almost entirely original preserved shape, and to the ties with its patron, the coal mine, which – at least in part – still survive. Nikiszowiec was designed by the architects Emil and Georg Zillmann from Charlottenburg, the creators of the built environment in Giszowiec and of many other remarkable buildings in Upper Silesia. The estate was built between 1908 and 1919, when Giszowiec ran short of housing for the workers. It was designed in such a way as to fulfil not only housing functions, but also to meet the most important needs of its inhabitants, forming a kind of self-sufficient town. That is why a church, a hospital, a school, a kindergarten, an inn, shops, a laundry with a mangle room and a bath house were built here as well. The complex consists of nine red-brick buildings linked with one another, forming quadrangles with interior yards, where the residents had at their disposal pigsties, sheds and ovens for baking bread. The centre of Nikiszowiec is the market square, dominated by the impressive Neo-Baroque St Anne's Church. The whole estate forms an ordered, geometrical structure that comes together into an extraordinary picture when you look at Nikiszowiec from a bird's eye view.
Events
Nikisz Fair
Jarmark na Nikiszu (Nikisz Fair) is one of the most recognisable and best reviewed Christmas markets in Poland.
It is an opportunity for artists, craftsmen and handicraft makers from all over Poland to present their skills and their work. Always held on the first weekend after Barbórka (St Barbara's Day), the Fair attracts tens of thousands of visitors and over 200 exhibitors presenting painting, sculpture, art ceramics, lace, woodwork, Christmas decorations, artistic tailoring, jewellery and gifts connected with Nikiszowiec and Upper Silesia. The flavour is added by śląskie maszkety – Silesian treats such as home-made kołocz, makówki and gingerbread, and the specialities of Silesian cuisine: ciapkapusta, karminadle, żur... And of course mulled wine that smells of Christmas. The extraordinary atmosphere of the Fair is underlined by the historic Viennese carousel, the Christmas tree and Santa Claus strolling along the streets, as well as by Christmas songs performed by, among others, the miners' brass band. Jarmark na Nikiszu is a symbol of the positive change that Nikiszowiec has undergone in recent years. It is still prepared by people with passion, who together with the surrounding architecture create its unique atmosphere. There is only one such place and one such fair – Jarmark na Nikiszu.
Grandmother Ann’s Fair
Grandmother Ann’s Fair is the second, after Barbórka (St Barbara Day), most important feast for the residents of Janów and Nikiszowiec.
Organized on the day of the patroness of the church in Nikiszowiec, it could be associated with a religious holiday. Yet, in fact, Grandmother Ann’s Fair, held since 2009, is an event for everyone – it is a colourful fair, a feast of the estate, which is visited by both the residents and guests from other parts of the city and the region. On this very day Nikiszowiec marketplace, together with the adjacent streets, are filled with stalls with handicraft and local specialities. The inhabitants and tourists are also drawn by such attractions as “keciok”, that is an old- fashioned chain carousel, open air painting, cultural events and family games. Although Grandmother Ann’s Day is only a one-day event, its unique atmosphere and local vibe result in more and more people visiting it year on year, making it a summer edition of winter Nikisz Fair.
Nikisz Fair
Jarmark na Nikiszu (Nikisz Fair) is one of the most recognisable and best reviewed Christmas markets in Poland.
It is an opportunity for artists, craftsmen and handicraft makers from all over Poland to present their skills and their work. Always held on the first weekend after Barbórka (St Barbara's Day), the Fair attracts tens of thousands of visitors and over 200 exhibitors presenting painting, sculpture, art ceramics, lace, woodwork, Christmas decorations, artistic tailoring, jewellery and gifts connected with Nikiszowiec and Upper Silesia. The flavour is added by śląskie maszkety – Silesian treats such as home-made kołocz, makówki and gingerbread, and the specialities of Silesian cuisine: ciapkapusta, karminadle, żur... And of course mulled wine that smells of Christmas. The extraordinary atmosphere of the Fair is underlined by the historic Viennese carousel, the Christmas tree and Santa Claus strolling along the streets, as well as by Christmas songs performed by, among others, the miners' brass band. Jarmark na Nikiszu is a symbol of the positive change that Nikiszowiec has undergone in recent years. It is still prepared by people with passion, who together with the surrounding architecture create its unique atmosphere. There is only one such place and one such fair – Jarmark na Nikiszu.
Grandmother Ann’s Fair
Grandmother Ann’s Fair is the second, after Barbórka (St Barbara Day), most important feast for the residents of Janów and Nikiszowiec.
Organized on the day of the patroness of the church in Nikiszowiec, it could be associated with a religious holiday. Yet, in fact, Grandmother Ann’s Fair, held since 2009, is an event for everyone – it is a colourful fair, a feast of the estate, which is visited by both the residents and guests from other parts of the city and the region. On this very day Nikiszowiec marketplace, together with the adjacent streets, are filled with stalls with handicraft and local specialities. The inhabitants and tourists are also drawn by such attractions as “keciok”, that is an old- fashioned chain carousel, open air painting, cultural events and family games. Although Grandmother Ann’s Day is only a one-day event, its unique atmosphere and local vibe result in more and more people visiting it year on year, making it a summer edition of winter Nikisz Fair.
