Clay rocks occurring in the area of the former Bielsko-Biała Voidvodship can be divided into two groups: plastic varieties - clays and loams, and indurated varieties - shales. The first are reperesented by Quaternary alluvial, residual and loess loams as well as Miocene clays, the other by clay-shales belonging to various lithostratigraphical units of the Carpathians. The vicinity of Bielsko-Biała is not particularly rich in these rock types, which can be considered as: - poorly diversified from the point of view of their lithology and genesis; - of inferior quality. The deposits of raw materials of building ceramics in this area should be classified as multifunctional, providing two, three and even four useable rock types. The clay rocks of the former Bielsko-Biała Voivodship can be further divided considering their industrial properties into groups applicable in the following technologies: - building ceramics. Into this category we can include Quaternary residual and loess loams, part of alluvial loams, Miocene clays and Cieszyn shales; - production of keramsite (artificial ilght aggregate). the appropriate properties are displayed, among others, by shales of the Hieroglyphic and Istebna Beds. Resources of raw materials of building ceramics in the area, both proved and recorded, are not big. The deposits there contain about 14 mln m3 of proved raw materials, documented in various categories. Open pit mining proceeds in ten deposits with total reserves of 9,5 mln m3. In five brickyards mining of clays and firing of bricks is a periodic activity. In 1998 some 25,000 m3 of rock was mined; the material was used in production of various types of building ceramic materials. Most of the deposits have the layered form. They belong to the IInd (Wyrwicka, Wyrwicki 1994) category of deposits considering their geological and mining conditions of occurence. Their areas are rather small, not exceeding 1 ha. The character and properties of raw materials mined decide about the waste-free system of exploitation and production. The chances for enlargement of resources and intensification of production can be seen in: - proving new reserves in existing deposits; - opening of mining and production in deposits documented but currently not mined. A substantial number of deposits of raw materials of building ceramics in the former Bielsko-Biała Voivodship can be included into the group no. 3A (Wyrwicka, Wyrwicki 1994) in the environmental classification. Not used and abandoned opencast workings after mining of building clay raw materials may cecome suitable places for disposing of various waste materials. Considering the landscape amenities of the region, special care should be taken during recultivation of such pits.