Hidden within the post-industrial landscape of Ruda Śląska, the blast furnace of the former Huta Pokój is one of the most striking surviving examples of heavy industry architecture in southern Poland. Rising above its surroundings with an almost cathedral-like presence, the structure reflects the immense scale and ambition of 19th- and 20th-century metallurgy in Upper Silesia. Huta Pokój was founded in the mid-19th century and quickly became a key component of the region’s rapidly expanding iro...