Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Szałsza

The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Szałsza is a wooden branch church of the parish of St John the Baptist in Gliwice-Żerniki. It belongs to the Wooden Architecture Route of the Silesian Voivodeship.

History

The first church in Szałsza was built around 1460. The present one dates from 1554, and the tower was erected after 1571. In the first half of the 17th century, until 1655, the church was Protestant and belonged to the parish in Ziemięcice, then it became a Catholic branch of the parish in Szobiszowice. In 1784 the church suffered damage (sources give a fire or a gale) and was rebuilt by the Kytzia family. In the second half of the 19th century the sacristy was extended and new ceilings were made, in the early 20th century a mortuary was added by the tower, and since 1930 the church has belonged to the parish in Żerniki. In 1968 a fire destroyed part of the building, and parishioners rebuilt it. Conservation work was carried out in 2008-2010, and in 2009 dendrochronological examination of the wood made it possible to date the structure.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is oriented and built in log construction. The nave has a plan close to a square, the chancel is narrower and square, and a rectangular sacristy adjoins it on the north. On the west stands a tower of post-and-beam construction. The roof over the nave is gabled and is crowned by a six-sided turret for the bell, from 1719, with a small dome. The chancel is covered by a false vault, the nave by a flat ceiling. Most of the furnishings date from the 19th century, the altars are late Baroque, altered in the 19th century, and the pulpit is from the 19th century.

Nearby lies the Gliwice Radio Tower, and in Gliwice, among others, the Municipal Palm House.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Kościelna, Szałsza, Zbrosławice municipality.
• The building is listed in the heritage register.
• Check with the parish whether the interior can be entered.