Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Świętochłowice

The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary stands on Armii Krajowej Street in Chropaczów, a district of Świętochłowice. It is a brick, Neo-Romanesque church with a single tower, built in 1911-1913 and entered in the heritage register. Its history is turbulent: the building struggled with mining damage, was closed to worship, and in 1975 burned down almost completely.

Construction and furnishings

The decision to build was taken in 1910 by the church board of Lipiny, to whose parish Chropaczów had previously belonged. The design of the church was made by Max Giemsa of Katowice, the design of the interior furnishings by Johannes Franziskus Klomp, and the furnishings were made by the Bytom workshop of Mathias Beule. The building was handed over in a shell state in August 1912 and blessed on 1 May 1913. An independent parish was established in 1921.

Mining damage and fire

From the beginning the church was exposed to tremors and ground subsidence after coal extraction. It was repaired in 1954-1957 and in 1961, with the foundations strengthened and the walls anchored, and in 1964 it was closed to worship and a replacement church was built. The fire of 15 June 1975 destroyed almost the whole building, yet the reconstruction was blessed as early as November of that year. In 1980-1991 the chancel was rebuilt to a design by Prof. Adam Lisik, and a polychrome to a design by Andrzej Seweryn Kowalski was approved in 1991. The stained-glass windows were made by the Opole workshop of Cepelia. Of the original bells, cast in Bremen in 1912, one has survived to this day, a small one weighing 54 kg.

Nearby

Closest, a few kilometres from the church, is the Museum of the Silesian Uprisings in Świętochłowice, and a little further the Fazaniec Park.

Practical information

• Address: ulica Armii Krajowej 11, Świętochłowice-Chropaczów.
• The church is in use, so visiting the interior depends on the parish's rules; it is worth checking them before a visit.