The evolution of the Lipinka Valley brownfield site as a multi-layered testimony to local identity

This article presents research carried out in the Lipinka Valley area in Świętochłowice, southern Poland, which was used to establish one of the statutory forms of nature protection in this area - the nature and landscape complex. As a result of analyses of historical sources and literature data, anthropogenic changes to the environment were identified, including changes to the local morphology and hydrography of the area, as well as to the physical and chemical characteristics of soils and surface waters. Analyses of the flora and fauna of the area have shown the formation of a unique mosaic of ecosystems here. The post-industrial, wartime and natural landscapes are closely linked here, contributing to the common identity dimension of the site. This article aims to bring out the relationship between these landscapes by showing how they are interdependent, how they complement each other, and how their unique characteristics promote the conservation of life and biodiversity. The aspect of the identity of the landscape also appears here, but not only as a set of its features perceived by man, but also as an evolutionarily evolving structure that is independent of the conscious will of man.