Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Żyglin

The parishioners of Żyglin waited almost 40 years for permission to build this church. They applied in 1801, and approval from Berlin only came in 1838. The church, built of local limestone, went up in 1840–1842. It is an example of the round-arch style (Rundbogenstil) that was fashionable in Prussia at the time, with arches over every window and door.

History: a parish older than the town

Żyglin is now a district of Miasteczko Śląskie in Tarnowskie Góry County. The oldest record of the consecration of the first, wooden church on the local cemetery hill dates from 1253, and a document from 1277 mentions the Żyglin parish. For centuries it was a large parish, serving worshippers within a radius of about 15 km, including Kalety, Nakło Śląskie and Świerklaniec. In the second half of the 16th century Lutheran preachers ran it. After a fire, a second wooden church measuring 7 × 14 m was built in 1703–1705. In 1835 the district administrator in Bytom closed it because it was unsafe.

Because the church was under royal patronage, it could only be rebuilt with the consent of the Prussian authorities. The design was drawn up by the royal building inspector Feller of Gliwice, and Count Henckel von Donnersmarck donated the land. The church was consecrated on 24 November 1842. In 1873 a tower designed by August Hannig of Bytom was added on the west side, and in 1883 the grounds were enclosed by a fence with cast-iron panels.

What to see

• The stone façades of the tower and front, limestone walls with a stone plinth and cornice.
• The semicircular apse on the east side, with a row of round-arched windows divided by pilasters.
• The Crucifixion group in front of the church, with statues of the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist. Since 2014 the statues have been listed as movable heritage.
• Inside: a Baroque-Neoclassical high altar, two 19th-century side altars and a Neoclassical organ from 1842.

Interesting facts

The side altar of St Barbara, consecrated in 1853, was funded by miners and a mining official named Seidel. It is a reminder of the mining traditions around Tarnowskie Góry. Unfortunately, modernisation in 1979–1982 erased much of the original interior, including the wooden galleries that ran along the walls. That makes it worth taking a close look at what has survived, namely the altars and the organ.

Tripto tip

The church stands where Śląska and Brynicka streets meet, on the highest ground in Żyglin. The Diocese of Gliwice gives its address as ul. Śląska 40. It is a working parish church, so you can see the interior before or after services; at other times, ask at the parish office. Allow 20–30 minutes for the outside and inside. You can combine your visit with a trip to nearby Tarnowskie Góry.