Lidia Wakuluk - Salt mining in Inowrocław in nineteenth and twentieth century - source value
of retained materials


Salt mining in Inowrocław has now over hundred-year tradition. For, thriving at the turn of nineteenth and twentieth century, town this economic filed was of not trifling significance. Hence, until today retained archival materials regarding this issue have been potentially great importance for investigators interested in this Kujavian town history.

Majority of files lying in the field of present study interest is being kept in the holdings of Inowrocław Branch of State Archive in Bydgoszcz. It is a documentation developed by Salt Office in Inowrocław (Königliche Salzamt Hohensalza) from years 1874-1919 [1938], State Salt Mine in Inowrocław (1919-1964), Inowrocław Saline (Preussische Bergwerks und Hütten A.G., Saline Hohensalza) (1939-1945) and Salt-Mine "Solno" in Inowrocław active between 1945 and 1966. Interesting sources is likely to bring in also inquiry in fonds of Inowrocław district office from years 1815-1919, of town Inowrocław and kept in Bydgoszcz archive archival materials of Regierung Bromberg (1815-1919).

Discussed materials related to the history of salt mining in Inowrocław do not basically reveal major chronological gaps in years 1871-1964. They provide a wide range of information on growth of mines and salt-works, geological conditions, extractions of saline and its circumstances. There are reports saying about buying out the grounds where drilling was carried out as well as railway siding was built. Retained archival materials, results of saline analyses and tests conducted in Department of Physical Chemistry of University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Toruń, allow recognizing technology of saline extraction and brewing salt. There are numerous situational plans of salt-works; there are drafts and hand-made drawings of drilling shafts. Archival materials, kept in Inowrocław Branch of The State Archive in Bydgoszcz, regarding salt mining, from abundant source basis for studying railways from Poznań to Bydgoszcz and Toruń, made up one of factors contributing to notable economic growth of the town.