Church of St John the Baptist in Międzyrzecz

The parish church of St John the Baptist at ul. Spokojna 6 is the only surviving Gothic church building in Międzyrzecz and a hall church that served as a model for the parish churches in Wągrowiec and Wronki. Its biggest surprise lay under the whitewash: in 2009 about 300 m² of Renaissance wall paintings from 1545 were uncovered here, previously hidden under later layers of whitewash.

History: a borderland church

The first mention of a parish priest, Jan of Międzyrzecz, comes from the foundation charter of the Paradyż monastery of 1232. The present church was built after the town was destroyed by the troops of Matthias Corvinus – the diocese gives the years 1474–1479, though the main work probably continued into the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1520 the church was damaged by mercenaries from Brandenburg, and part of the vaulting collapsed.

From 1554 to 1604 the church was in Lutheran hands. It was recovered for the Catholics by the Międzyrzecz starost Jan Zamoyski and reconsecrated in 1660. The church survived several fires, the last in 1824. In 1835 it received a wooden tower, and after 1856 most of the walls were refaced with machine-made brick and new tracery was inserted.

What to see

• The hall interior with three naves and five bays, buttressed walls and east gables with pinnacles, blind arcading and masks.
• The Renaissance paintings in the chancel from 1545, funded by starost Wawrzyniec Myszkowski – hidden for centuries under layers of whitewash.
• The altar of the Five Martyred Brothers of Międzyrzecz – their relics were brought here in 1965, and the altar was made in 1966 by Czesław Woźniak, who also created the high altar (1962) and the font.
• Two bells from 1966 bearing the likenesses and names of the Five Brothers and the inscription 966–1966.
• A 24-stop organ by the Berchsdorf firm of Nysa from 1933.

Tripto tips

• This is an active parish church. The website of the Zielona Góra–Gorzów diocese lists Sunday Masses at 7:00, 9:00, 10:30, 12:00, 16:00 and 18:00 – check the current schedule before visiting, as the parish's old website no longer works.
• The paintings are best seen in daylight, outside service times; allow 30–45 minutes for the church.
• Combine the visit with a walk around the market square, the Museum of the Międzyrzecz Land and the remains of the medieval fortifications.