20131108_walbrzychmining_MEB-50.jpg | Matthew Busch

A group of men mine coal in Wałbrzych, Poland. on November 8, 2013. The work is physical, and the men use 17th-century tools and methods. The only tools these men use are a pickax, shovel and a few small buckets. Each bag of coal sells for about 20 zlt, or about $6, and will be used to heat homes by people that prefer the cheaper coal.

Coal mining in Wałbrzych dates back to the 14th century. During the height of Poland’s hard coal industry in 1979, a record 201 million tons were mined in the Lower Silesia Basin region that runs along Poland’s border with the Czech Republic. But after Poland transitioned from a planned economy to a market economy in the early 1990s, the nation’s coal industry experienced a swift upheaval.

By the early 2000s, a practice that had defined the region for decades in Wałbrzych was effectively shut down. And though coal production was still viable in the landscape surrounding the city, an industry in the region came to a halt, citing inefficiencies and dangerous work conditions.

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Contained in galleries: Buy Prints, Down the Black Hole of Coal Mining in Poland

A group of men mine coal in Wałbrzych, Poland. on November 8, 2013. The work is physical, and the men use 17th-century tools and methods. The only tools these men use are a pickax, shovel and a few small buckets. Each bag of coal sells for about 20 zlt, or about $6, and will be used to heat homes by people that prefer the cheaper coal.<br />
<br />
Coal mining in Wałbrzych dates back to the 14th century. During the height of Poland’s hard coal industry in 1979, a record 201 million tons were mined in the Lower Silesia Basin region that runs along Poland’s border with the Czech Republic. But after Poland transitioned from a planned economy to a market economy in the early 1990s, the nation’s coal industry experienced a swift upheaval.<br />
<br />
By the early 2000s, a practice that had defined the region for decades in Wałbrzych was effectively shut down. And though coal production was still viable in the landscape surrounding the city, an industry in the region came to a halt, citing inefficiencies and dangerous work conditions.