Holy Cross Cemetery Church in Głogówek

In 1934 the painter Hans Breinlinger spent 30 days covering the walls of this church with four paintings, and the people of Głogówek paid him 3,000 marks in cash plus free lodging and board. The Holy Cross Church is a half-timbered building from 1705, standing at the edge of a former ravine above a cemetery laid out on the slope – quite different in character from the brick parish church in the town centre.

A widow's gift and a rare half-timbered church

The church was funded by a widow from Głogówek, Anna Pietruszka of Oracze. It was built as a half-timbered (Fachwerk) structure – in the early 18th century this technique, probably inspired by the Protestant Churches of Peace and Grace, was common in Silesia and Lusatia, but in Upper Silesia it remains a rarity. The spaces between the timber beams were probably filled with clay at first; today they are mostly plastered brick.

The building's outline owes much of its charm to a pent roof running around the walls at half height. The main roof is covered with shingles, and on the ridge sits a turret with an octagonal lantern and an onion-shaped cupola. It holds the bell St Francis, cast in March 1951.

What to see

• four wall paintings by Hans Breinlinger from 1934, in casein paint: the Ascension, the Last Judgement, St George and St Sebastian,
• a mid-17th-century Crucifixion group in the high altar – the Sorrowful Virgin and St John (the crucifix itself dates from the 1920s),
• two life-size angels standing as if on guard at the chancel,
• a Pietà, probably 17th-century and of unknown origin – it was found in the church attic and restored in the 1970s,
• fragments of a sandstone figure of Christ from Gliniana Górka, damaged in 1999,
• Stations of the Cross by Heinz Schiestl under the eaves outside.

The view and surroundings

The church stands at the top of a former ravine that once marked the town's natural boundary. From here there is a view of the parish church of St Bartholomew and the village of Mochów. Today the church is used for funerals and memorial services, so the interior is mainly open on such occasions.

Tripto tip

Allow 20–30 minutes to walk around the church and cemetery; you can see the Stations of the Cross under the eaves without going inside. If you want to see the interior, contact St Bartholomew's parish in advance. This is a working cemetery, so please be quiet, especially during funerals. Combine your visit with the parish church, the Church and Friary of St Francis, and the small church on Gliniana Górka, about 2 km outside town on the road to Prudnik.