Kościoły i klasztory: Piekary Śląskie

Churches and monasteries in Piekary Śląskie: a basilica with a Calvary, neo-Gothic churches in the districts and two chapels. Start here.

In Piekary Śląskie you can see nine sacred buildings, from a famous basilica to small chapels standing apart. Ludwig Schneider designed the most of them, so neo-Gothic is clearly present. Some places are working shrines and parish churches, so it is best to plan a visit around services.

What is there to see in the shrine at Piekary Śląskie?

The shrine consists of the basilica on Bytomska Street and the Calvary on Cerekwica hill. Pilgrimages have come to Piekary for centuries, and both places serve as a centre of worship.

The Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Bartholomew was raised in 1849 in the neo-Romanesque style and now holds the rank of minor basilica. The whole shrine of the Mother of Justice and Social Love gathers around it, and the parish was founded as early as 1303. A wider background is given in an article on the men's pilgrimage and the image of Our Lady.

The Piekary Calvary rises on the hill as a place of prayer for pilgrims. Its parts are the church of the Resurrection, the station chapels and a wall with rosary chapels. Altogether there are thirty-four chapels, protected as monuments since 1995. Parish priest Bernard Purkop assembled the hill's land in 1866-1871.

Which red-brick churches can you find in the outer districts?

Three large parish churches in Dąbrówka Wielka, Kamień and Brzeziny Śląskie rose in brick around the year 1900. The first two are neo-Romanesque and neo-Gothic, and the third combines both styles.

The Church of Our Lady Help of Christians at Jagiellońska 100 began in 1882-1883 as a chapel designed by Paul Jackisch. It was enlarged in 1902-1903 to a plan by Ludwig Schneider. Since 1998 it has been a listed monument. The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Kamień, from 1898-1899, has three aisles of equal height, a tall tower and clock faces on two sides.

The Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus at Górnicza 30 in Brzeziny Śląskie was built in 1913-1915. It is a single-nave church with one tower, in a style that combines neo-Romanesque and neo-Gothic elements.

Where can you see newer churches and chapels in Piekary?

Beyond the neo-Gothic districts there are two modernist and functionalist churches and two chapels from the early 20th century. Each chapel has its own story.

The Church of the Most Holy Trinity at Żwirki 17 in Szarlej was built in 1929-1933 in the modernist style. The design was chosen in a competition, and Zygmunt Gawlik was the author. The church has no tower. Kozłowa Góra has the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a functionalist building by Jan Affa, constructed between 1936 and 1937.

The Maria Hilf Chapel of 1905 stands alone on a small rise in Szarlej, among a clump of trees. It has been a listed monument since 2019 and was renovated in 2020-2021. St Anthony's Chapel on Główna Street in Dołki dates from 1929-1930. Local residents built it as thanks for the day part of Upper Silesia became Polish.

For more in the town see Piekary Śląskie, and for the whole region churches and monasteries of Silesia.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Piekary Calvary?

It is a pilgrimage complex on Cerekwica hill, with the church of the Resurrection and thirty-four chapels. It forms part of the shrine.

How old is the basilica in Piekary Śląskie?

The present neo-Romanesque church dates from 1849. A parish has existed in Piekary since 1303.

Which church in Piekary has no tower?

The Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Szarlej, a modernist building of 1929-1933. In place of a tower it has an enlarged southern mass.

Where does the Maria Hilf Chapel stand?

In Szarlej, in the west of Piekary, right by the border with Bytom. It stands alone on a small rise, away from buildings.