Church of St Mary Magdalene in Chorzów

The Church of St Mary Magdalene stands on a hill in the Chorzów Stary district, on Bożogrobców Street. It is a Neo-Gothic brick church with a 75-metre tower, built in 1889-1892 on the site of five earlier churches.

The sixth church on this hill

Parish priest Franciszek Kania decided to pull down the old church after a hundred years of its existence. The design was prepared by Josef Ebers, architect of the Wrocław diocese, and the work was led by Grundmann, a master mason from Bytom. The foundation stone was laid in August 1889, the church was blessed on 19 December 1892 and consecrated in 1895. During construction, services were held in a temporary church.

Structure and interior

The body is a three-nave pseudo-basilica hall with an extended chancel and a transept closed on five sides. The naves are covered with cross-rib vaults on massive pillars. The high altar holds a copy of the painting of Our Lady of Piekary and a painting of St Mary Magdalene by Juliusz Makarewicz. Makarewicz also painted the original polychromy, which did not survive the repainting of 1972. The organ was blessed in 1927, and Feliks Nowowiejski played at its opening. Stained-glass windows survive in the transept, one of them dated 1892.

Next to Silesian Park

Silesian Park is about two kilometres from here, and the Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park lies a little over a kilometre further on.

Practical information

• Address: ulica Bożogrobców 31, Chorzów.
• This is a working parish church; the interior can be visited outside services, by arrangement with the parish.