Museum of the Silesian Battle for Fuel "BLECHHAMER 1944"

In January 1943, at the Casablanca Conference, the Allies decided to organize raids on the strategic economic goals of the Third Reich: steel mills, power plants, and synthetic gasoline factories. It was about destroying Germany's power and depriving it of its facilities. It was this decision that soon made Silesia a place of the great battle for gasoline.

The Museum of the Silesian Battle for Fuel is devoted to US air raids on German fuel factories. The museum is located in the Blachownia estate, in the renovated and adapted for public use Salzgitter air shelter - a monumental building made of reinforced concrete, erected thanks to the slave labor of prisoners in nearby camps. The first raid took place on July 7, 1944. Only on that day 451 American aircraft dropped a total of 1,130 tons of bombs on the attacked synthetic gasoline factories in Kędzierzyn, Blachownia and Zdzieszowice. Until December 1944, such intensive activities were carried out several times. Despite the Germans' fierce defense, the Allied actions brought results. First, the production of fuels run here for the German army was significantly reduced, and then completely stopped. What the seekers have found so far for years is largely located here in the recently opened Museum of the Silesian Battle of Fuel.

Museum of the Silesian Battle for Fuel "BLECHHAMER 1944"

Museum interior - a renovated shelter

Text author:

Opracowanie zbiorowe
QR Communication

Voice author:

Jacek
Rudnik

For 26 years journalist of Radio Opole, now presenter of news but started in the 90''s as a host of numerous radio shows including local chart OpolTop 40, R&B show 'BlackJam' and finally programs dedicated to alternative music originating mainly from UK and US. In 1995 he was a member of editorial office responsible for very popular city program 'Radio na Wyspie'. The list of the hosts of his programs include i.a. Pat Metheny, Fish, Bruce Dickinson, Stacey Kent or Mel C.

Voice author:

Tomasz
Bazan

How it working

To listen to the history of monuments as part of the "Discover History" project, you need to follow a few simple steps. Below, we present a short, step-by-step "user manual" to provide a relatively simple way to access the mini-auditions.

STEP 1

You need a smartphone with a camera. The camera lens should be pointed at the information plaque located next to the monument. Below is a view of the plaque itself and its example location next to the Karol Musioł monument in Opole.

STEP 2

After pointing your smartphone's camera at the QR code located on the right side of the plaque, the app's welcome screen will appear, followed by a screen with the name, photo of the monument, and the "START" button.

STEP 3

The "START" button starts the audio recording process.
Your smartphone will prompt you with the next steps after you listen to the story or pause it. Please keep an eye on your smartphone screen!

STEP 4

Other available options: brief information about the monument, author of the text and recording, list of other monuments in the city included in the "Discover History" project, downloadable map of monuments, video, and social media links

Would you like to implement the project in your city as well?

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