The Black Garden

Malgorzata Szejnert tells the story of the Upper Silesian mining settlements of Gieschewald/Giszowiec and Nikischschacht/Nikiszowiec. They were built starting in 1907 according to the plans of architects Georg and Emil Zillmann from Berlin. They were not spared from the conflicts between Germans and Poles, which escalated in Upper Silesia like hardly anywhere else. The author succeeds in making large contexts vivid and comprehensible through precisely described details and numerous anecdotes. To achieve this, she sifted through historical works, archives, newspapers, letters, memoirs, and private photo albums. She also spoke with the descendants of the first residents, many of whom still live in the settlements. This resulted in an impressive, multifaceted picture of the period from 1907 to the present. For the original edition published at the end of 2007, the journalist received the Cogito Prize.