Bobrka Oil Mine

The Bobrka Oil Mine, now the Ignacy Łukasiewicz Museum of the Oil and Gas Industry, was opened in 1854 and is still operational, boasting the status of the world's first oil mine. Its founders were Ignacy Łukasiewicz, Tytus Trzecieski, and Karol Klobassa-Zrencki. The remarkable history of this place is symbolized by a stone obelisk erected by Łukasiewicz in 1872 to commemorate the mine's establishment. It is also worth mentioning the bust of Łukasiewicz unveiled in 1982, which honors his contributions to the development of the Polish oil industry. The museum was also designated as a historical monument in 2018, highlighting its significance for Polish industrial culture and history. Between 1854 and 1880, over 60 shafts were manually dug in Bobrka, including the famous Franek and Janina shafts. The Franek shaft was about 50 meters deep, while Janina, dug later, reached a depth of 132 meters, which was an impressive technical achievement for its time. Engineer Adam Hoszowski, co-founder of the oil industry open-air museum, and Engineer Górka contributed to transforming the mine into a museum, preserving the memory of pioneering efforts in oil extraction. All of this makes Bobrka, an important point on the historical and technological map, a unique destination for both tourists and oil industry enthusiasts.