Church of Christ the Saviour in Kluczbork

From the outside it is a severe Gothic church of brick and stone; inside it surprises with a bright white-and-gold interior in the Rococo spirit. The Church of Christ the Saviour on Gdacjusz Square is the oldest church in Kluczbork and has served Lutherans for almost five centuries.

History: from crusader knights to Lutherans

The town was founded by the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, hence its German name Kreuzburg, "castle of the cross". The first church on this site was built in 1298. Today's building combines an early Gothic 13th-century chancel with a 14th-century tower. It has been Protestant since 1527.

Fires repeatedly changed its appearance. The worst, in 1737, destroyed the church together with the town hall and houses. The tower and side aisle were rebuilt and the wooden ceiling replaced with a vault. In 1743–1745 the interior was thoroughly remodelled; in 1795–1797 a top storey was added to the tower, which received a clock in 1806. From 1708 to 1769 the square around the church served as a cemetery. Around 1821 the roof was covered with tiles and the tower dome with sheet metal, and a sacristy was added on the south side.

What to see

• The white-and-gold interior – sculptures and reliefs from 1750–1760, with the altar, pulpit and font from the same years.
• The organ in Régence-Rococo style, designed by Leopold Jaschke of Wrocław and rebuilt in 1899 by Schlag & Söhne of Świdnica. Organ concert series have been held here since 1985.
• The monument to merchant Daniel Mietel beside the church – the oldest monument in town.
• The tower with its metal-clad dome; at the end of 2021 a cross with a time capsule was placed on top.

Did you know?

The square is named after Adam Gdacjusz (c. 1609–1688), a Kluczbork-born pastor of this parish known as the "Silesian Rej" after the Polish Renaissance writer. He published a popular Polish book of sermons and was the first to bring Silesian dialect into literature. The bells were recast several times after fires; one earlier bell carried its founder's wish that it should ring every 22 June at the hour of his death.

Tripto tip

The easiest way to see the interior is during a service or an organ concert, which is also the best way to hear Jaschke's instrument. Conservation of the doors, stained-glass windows and parts of the façade was completed in 2021, so the church looks fresh today. Half an hour is enough for the church and square; from here it is a few steps to the market square with the town hall and to the Jan Dzierżon Museum.