Church of the Good Shepherd and the Donnersmarck Mausoleum in Świerklaniec

The Neo-Gothic Church of the Good Shepherd and the mausoleum connected to it by a cloister stand in the northern part of the park in Świerklaniec, away from the former palace buildings. The complex was founded by Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck as a palace church for the princely family and the Lutheran residents of the village. Today it is a filial church of a Catholic parish.

The church

The church was built in 1896-1897 to a design by Julius Carl Raschdorff, creator of, among other things, Berlin Cathedral; he was assisted by his son Otto. The model was to be the chapel at Monbijou Palace in Berlin. The building has a single nave, is of brick with sandstone detail, and its form refers to English Geometric Gothic. A tower with a pyramidal spire is incorporated into the body, and tall pointed-arch windows with tracery cut through the walls. The princely family had a separate entrance on the south, preceded by a covered carriageway.

The interior is covered by an open roof truss, and a wooden choir gallery stands by the north wall. The stained glass from 1998 was designed by Werner Lubos, and the compositions include fragments of the Lord's Prayer in various languages.

The Donnersmarck Mausoleum

The mausoleum was built in 1903-1905 to a design by Raschdorff, north of the church, and is connected to it by an open L-shaped cloister. It was built of brick and sandstone on a Greek cross plan, under a tall roof with a copper figure of an angel. The interior is covered by star and cross-ribbed vaults. Buried in it are Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck and his wives: Blanka de Païva and Katharina von Slepzow.

Fate after the war

After 1945 the church and mausoleum were plundered and part of the furnishings was removed. In 1957 the building was handed over to the Catholic parish, but two years later services in it were banned. The parish of Christ the King regained it in 1981, renovated it, and on 28 August 1983 the Bishop of Katowice Herbert Bednorz consecrated the church under the title of the Good Shepherd.

Nearby

The complex lies in the palace park in Świerklaniec, in which the Kavalierhaus also stands.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Parkowa 38a, Świerklaniec.
• The building is listed in the heritage register, and the register covers the church, the mausoleum and the cloister. Check the rules for entering the interiors with the parish of Christ the King in Świerklaniec.