Church of St Barbara in Chorzów

The Church of St Barbara in Chorzów is a neo-Gothic parish church of hewn sandstone, entered in the heritage register. It stands on 3 Maja Street and is distinguished by its tower with a clock under a conical roof.

The first Catholic church in the town

The foundation stone for the new church was laid in August 1851, and the consecration took place on 21 November 1852. That day has historic significance for the town, because from it the town had its own Catholic church dedicated to St Barbara. The design was prepared by the building inspector Gottgetreu. In 1853, at the request of the miners, the church received a painting of St Barbara from the Król coal mine. The tower was built in 1859.

Extension and interior

Originally the church had a single nave. In 1894-1896 it was rebuilt to a design by Paul Jackisch into the form preserved to this day. The building has features typical of the neo-Gothic, and inside there are impressive stained-glass windows, including some designed by Stefan Matejko.

Nearby

Closest, about a kilometre from here, is the Teatr Rozrywki (Entertainment Theatre).

Two kilometres further on lies the Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park.

Practical information

• Address: 3 Maja 18, Chorzów.
• This is an active parish church. The rules for entering the interior are given on the parish website.