A Neo-Gothic branch church from the 19th century in Pyskowice, standing on the site of a medieval hospital chapel, beside a historic cemetery.
St Stanislaus' Church in Pyskowice is a small Neo-Gothic branch church of the parish of St Nicholas, built in 1865-1868. It stands on Armii Krajowej Street, right next to a historic cemetery, on the site of an older building known to have existed as early as the mid-15th century.
A local legend says that on the hill where the church stands Bishop Stanislaus of Szczepanów of Kraków, later a saint, rested while fleeing to Silesia after his conflict with King Bolesław the Bold. The first reliable mention of a church at this place comes from 1447 and speaks of founding an almshouse outside the town walls next to a small church that "has stood since time immemorial".
From a visitation record of 1679 we know that the church was wooden, stood just beyond the town's west gate and served as a hospital church and cemetery chapel. Next to it was a cemetery shared by Catholics and Lutherans, which exists to this day. The building survived the great fire of 23 June 1822, which destroyed almost the whole town. A few decades later it was demolished, and in 1865-1868 the present masonry church was built. According to the sources it was consecrated on 28 April 1879, and in 1899 its bare walls were plastered.
The church is in the Gothic style, with a single nave and no tower, with a chancel closed on several sides, to which a small sacristy adjoins on the south. The nave and chancel are covered with gable roofs and braced by prominent buttresses, and on the ridge of the nave stands a polygonal turret for the sanctus bell with a slender spire. The heritage register describes it as brick, Neo-Gothic and dates it to 1869.
About 200 metres away stands the main church of the parish, St Nicholas' Church.
A kilometre from the church lies the Jewish cemetery in Pyskowice.
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