The building at ul. Obroki 68 has a history much longer than NL Clinic itself. Before we began seeing patients here, it was tied to the "Kleofas" coal mine and to mine rescue. Later it housed a publishing house, a design studio and a printworks. Since 2019 it has served as a medical centre.
This place changed together with Katowice. Every stage left a mark, and the former mine still comes up in conversations with patients. Some of them worked here, others know the site from the stories of their parents and grandparents.
17th century
Obroki, a name older than the mine
Obroki began as a small settlement belonging to Załęże. The first records of it date back to the 17th century. In the following century a grange linked to the Załęże manor was established here. The area was agricultural, and the farm kept, among others, sheep. The landscape of this place changed only with the growth of industry in the 19th century.
In Polish, "obrok" means fodder for horses and other working animals. Horses did indeed later become part of the mine's history. In 1900 there were 94 draught horses working underground, and the last ones were withdrawn from underground transport in 1923.
1840
The "Kleofas" mine, around which life revolved
The "Cleophas" mine, later known as "Kleofas", was founded in 1840. Towards the end of the 19th century the main part of its operations moved to the Obroki area, where further shafts and industrial buildings were built. The mine was more than a workplace. It shaped the development of housing, transport, schooling and social life. In 1902 it employed 2,710 people, and in 1962 as many as 4,480.
The works were part of the everyday life of many generations of residents of Załęże, Obroki and the later Witosa district.
Turn of the 19th and 20th century
The building of the former mine rescue station
The building that now houses NL Clinic was connected with the Mine Rescue Station of the "Kleofas" colliery. Rescuers remained on standby for operations carried out underground. This called for well-prepared people, maintained equipment and regular drills.
The history of the former station has a special meaning for us. A building that once served those responsible for rescuing miners became, years later, a place connected once again with health and with care for another person. Its function changed, but the sense of responsibility for people remained.
After the mining years
A time of publishing, design and print
Once its original function ended, the building began another stage of its history. It housed a publishing house, a design studio and a printworks. Creative work met here the technical process of preparing publications. Some elements of the building's old layout reminded of its earlier functions for many years.
Late 1990s
From Natural Look to NL Clinic
The roots of the medical practice run by Małgorzata Rybak-Pierzyńska reach back to the late 1990s. For years she saw patients in the Tysiąclecia district, running there an aesthetic medicine practice under the name Natural Look. It is from that name that the abbreviation NL comes, later expanded as Natural Look Clinic.
Many patients from the Tysiąclecia district continued their treatment after the practice moved to Obroki. The team grew and the scope of activity expanded. A larger place became necessary, one where dentistry could operate alongside aesthetic medicine, cosmetology and laser therapy.
2018
Renovation and revival of the surroundings
In 2018 a thorough renovation of the building at ul. Obroki 68 began. The works covered adapting the interiors to medical activity, rebuilding rooms and preparing suitable facilities for patients and staff. The grounds were tidied, work was carried out on the façade and the revival of the garden began. The adaptation required an enormous amount of energy and perseverance.
Before renovation
Renovation, 2018
After the adaptation
2019
The first patients at Obroki 68
In 2019 we began seeing patients at ul. Obroki 68. It was the start of a new stage and, at the same time, a continuation of what we had built over the earlier years. One of the first serious tests for the new place was the COVID-19 pandemic. The centre did not stop seeing patients, and we adjusted the way we worked to the changing situation and the applicable requirements.
2022–2024
Growth of dentistry and laser therapy
In 2022 we decided to expand the dental department. New rooms were gradually added, diagnostics were developed and the capacity to see patients increased. Today the ground floor has five dental surgeries and a CBCT and X-ray imaging laboratory.
The second area of activity covers aesthetic medicine, cosmetology and laser therapy. In 2024 we developed the laser facilities especially intensively, broadening the range of available technologies and options for planning therapy.
The future
Plans for growth
The history of this place is still being written. We plan to keep developing the clinic: expanding our equipment base and working with new doctors, so that we can provide the best possible quality of care to patients from Katowice and the whole of Silesia.
A history that is still present
For some of our patients, Obroki is not an ordinary address
Some of them worked at the "Kleofas" mine. Others remember the works from childhood or from the stories of their parents and grandparents. During visits it happens that the building's history becomes the start of a conversation about old Katowice, work in the mine and the changes across the whole area.
The building at ul. Obroki 68 was tied to mining and to rescuing people, then to design and print, and today to medical care. For us this is not merely a piece of trivia. It is part of the identity of the place where we see patients every day.
