Church of the Resurrection in Katowice

The Church of the Resurrection at ulica Warszawska 18 is a Lutheran (Evangelical Augsburg) parish church and the first brick church in Katowice. It was built in 1856-1858 in the Neo-Romanesque style and has been in the register of immovable monuments since 1982.

How the first brick church in Katowice came about

The Protestant parish in Katowice was founded in 1854, and the first service took place in a hall of the “Martha” ironworks. The hall was unsuitable as a permanent church because of the noise and dust, so in 1855 Hubert von Tiele-Winckler donated a plot for a church and school. The plot lay a few hundred metres from the later Market Square, on the road to Mysłowice, today's Warszawska Street.

The foundation stone was laid on 17 July 1856, and the church was consecrated on 29 September 1858. The design was prepared by the Berlin architect Richard Lucae, with advice from Friedrich August Stüler. The construction was led by the master mason Julius Haase. The church was built of sandstone from the Tiele-Winckler quarries in Orzesze.

How the church grew into its present form

The original building was a small hall church with 304 seats, with a tower over the chancel and a porch with three arcades. It quickly proved too small for the growing number of Protestants in the town. In 1887-1889 the nave was lengthened by 8.25 m and two towers were added on the west side, to a design by Paul Jackisch of Bytom. The number of seats rose to 582.

The second extension, in 1899-1902, brought two side wings, a transept and a sacristy, and galleries inside. The design was by Friedrich Mettegang of Cologne. The church then received its final shape, and inside it could hold 1,250 people. In this rebuilding, besides enlarging the space for worshippers, emphasising the prestige of the parish also mattered.

Architecture and interior

The church is built on a Latin cross plan, with a transept and a chancel closed by an apse. The west facade is flanked by two towers with spiral stone staircases to the galleries, and between them is a porch with three round-arched entrances. Above the entrance is a plaque with the date of consecration, 29 September 1858.

The interior is a single space, with galleries supported on wooden pillars. In the chancel five stained-glass windows with biblical scenes have survived, donated by the Tiele-Wincklers and made by the Cologne firm Reuter and Reichart in the second half of the 19th century. The windows in the transept date from 1901. The wooden altar of 1949 was made by the sculptor Artur Cienciała of Wisła, and the original pulpit has bas-reliefs of Christ and the four Evangelists.

The church after 1945

In April 1945, by decision of the voivode, the church was taken over by Catholics and the school parish of St Andrew Bobola operated in it. The Protestants regained it in 1947, giving up three other churches in Bytom, Siemianowice Śląskie and Hołdunów in exchange. In 1997-2000 a thorough renovation was carried out, which cleaned the facade and restored the original painting of the interior. In 2017, on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, a monument commemorating 14 eminent Protestants connected with Katowice was unveiled at the south entrance.

Nearby

The church stands in the city centre, about 200 m from the Stanisław Wyspiański Silesian Theatre.

Less than a kilometre away is the Silesian Museum, and a kilometre from the church is the Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King.

Practical information

• Address: ulica Warszawska 18, Katowice, city centre district.
• Check the rules for entry outside services and visiting hours with the parish before your visit.
• The church is an active parish church, so it is best to arrange a visit with the parish.