Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Szombierki

The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Neo-Romanesque parish church in Szombierki, a district of Bytom. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century, funded by the Schaffgotsch family. Karl Godula, a 19th-century Silesian entrepreneur, is buried in the crypt.

How Szombierki got its church

The parish in Szombierki was established only in 1904, although the village has been known from records since 1369. Earlier the residents belonged to the parish in the centre of Bytom, and in 1859-1862 the local community received a modest chapel. The growing settlement needed a larger church, so the decision to build one was taken in 1896.

Construction took place in 1903-1904. The main donors were Hans and Joanna Schaffgotsch, and the design was made by the family's architect, Wilhelm Wieczorek. The church was consecrated in 1905 by Cardinal Georg Kopp.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is in the Neo-Romanesque style. The organ, made in 1904 by the Gebrüder Rieger company of Krnov, has 32 stops, two manuals and a pedal, and pneumatic action. The stained glass was ordered from two firms: Mayer'sche Königliche Hof und Kunstanstalt of Munich and Juliusz Hoppek of Bytom. The church was later renovated and rebuilt because of mining damage.

Behind the church, on the Modrzewskiego Street side, stands a statue of the Virgin Mary from 1862, carved by Johann Janda. The parish states that the same artist made an identical statue in Rudy near the former Cistercian abbey.

The crypt of Karl Godula

Karl Godula is buried in the crypt of the church. His estate was inherited by Joanna Schaffgotsch, one of the donors of the church, and for that reason in 1909 his remains were brought from Wrocław and placed in the church in Szombierki.

Szombierki around the church

The district has a distinctly industrial character. About one and a half kilometres from the church stands the Szombierki Power Station, so the church combines well with a short walk through the post-industrial part of Bytom.

Practical information

• Address: Andrzeja Frycza-Modrzewskiego 2, Bytom-Szombierki.
• The church is an active parish church, so a visit to the interior is best planned outside service times. Mass times and information on whether you can go in are given on the parish website.
• You need to ask the parish whether the crypt and the organ can be viewed.