Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Racibórz

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the parish church of Racibórz, the oldest church in the town. It stands on Adama Mickiewicza street and is a parish church in the Racibórz deanery. The single-nave brick building in the Gothic style has one tower and stellar vaults.

History of the parish church

According to tradition construction began in 1205 under Duke Mieszko I Tanglefoot, and the end of the work is taken to be the 15th century. It was built by settlers from the Netherlands, Flemings and Walloons. The church largely burned down in 1300 and was quickly rebuilt; the nave with stellar vaults and the chancel with features of early Silesian Gothic date from this period. In 1416 Duke John II the Iron moved the collegiate chapter from the castle to the church, and at that time a chapter house and treasury were added on the south. In 1810 the Prussian authorities abolished the collegiate church, and the church became the largest parish in Racibórz. Wars and fires damaged it in 1426, 1546, 1643 and 1774, and the greatest destruction came in 1945.

Interior

In the chancel stand canons' choir stalls from 1654, modelled on the stalls of St Mary's Church in Kraków. The Baroque high altar of 1656-1660 was made by the master Salomon Steinhoff and funded by Prelate Andrzej Scodonius and the Literary Brotherhood. The altar contains paintings of the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the mid-17th century and of the Assumption from 1890 by Jan Bochenek, as well as sculptures of saints, among them John the Baptist, Hedwig of Silesia and Wenceslas. At the top stands a figure of St Marcellus, the patron of Racibórz. In the left aisle are the epitaph of Andrzej Florian Scodonius (d. 1660) and the tomb of Prelate Marcin Jerzy Korriger from 1715. The Polish Chapel dates from the 15th century, added on the west, commemorating the disputes between residents of Racibórz of Polish and German origin; in it hangs also a sandstone plaque about the town fire of 1574.

Nearby

Close to the parish church stand Racibórz Castle and the Church of St John the Baptist, and in the park next to it the Roth Town Park.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Adama Mickiewicza 1, Racibórz.
• The building is listed in the heritage register.
• The rules and dates for visiting the interior are given by the parish.