Former Protestant Church in Bolków

A pale tower with four slender corner turrets is the second landmark of the Bolków skyline after the castle. It stands at the junction of Kamiennogórska and Niepodległości streets, a few steps from the market square. This is the former Protestant Church of the Holy Trinity, which spent decades as a school gym before being renovated and turned into a cultural venue.

History: two Protestant churches

For a long time the Protestants of Bolków worshipped in a wooden church built in 1742 right on the market square, where a fountain with an angel stands today. It cost 1,330 thalers. For decades the congregation did not even have its own bells and used those of the Catholic church. When the wooden building began to fall apart, it was pulled down in 1855, and the new brick church was consecrated on 7 October 1855 – 113 years after its predecessor. It had 850 seats.

In 1922 an organ by Schlag & Söhne of Świdnica was installed, and plaques listing 160 Bolków men killed in the First World War were hung on both sides of the altar. After 1945 the German Protestant community left the town, the tower lost part of its crown and the bells disappeared in unexplained circumstances. For years the building served as the gym of an agricultural school.

What to see

• The Romanesque Revival exterior – round-arched windows, circular oculi, pilaster strips and arched friezes on the pale façade.
• The tower seen from the crossroads – the best view is from Niepodległości street, with the big BOLKÓW letters in the foreground.
• The interior with galleries on arcades and a timber ceiling – open during exhibitions and events.
• The ARS ET HISTORIA history and art gallery, which now occupies the former church.

Tripto tip

The church fits easily into a walk around Bolków: the castle, the market square with its town hall, St Hedwig's Church and the former Protestant church are all within a few hundred metres. A look at the exterior takes a quarter of an hour; with a visit to the gallery allow about 45 minutes. Check gallery opening times with the town office or on the municipal website before you go, as they depend on current exhibitions.