The Mine Stonava, spring 2002, for Mission Project

In former Czechoslovakia coal was the main source of energy. Its mining, however, devastated the environment and smoke coming from the generation of the power considerably polluted the air. Czechoslovakia, Poland and German Democratic Republic were known as „ a black triangle“ all over Europe.



After the revolution in the early 1990s coal mining in the Czech Republic was massively reduced and a large number of mines were closed. This was owing to the termination of state subsidies, a lower consumption of coal, the imports of cheaper coal and last but not least pressure from environmental organisations.

Besides its positive impact on the environment the closing of mines causes an unfavourable increase in unemployment.
Miners who have been made redundant have very little chance of finding a new job. In Ostrava and Karviná Coal Basin the unemployment rate reaches 18% . Out of this 30% of people have been out of work for more than two years.