St Michael's Church in Grodków

Above the early-Gothic chancel of Grodków's parish church lies a puzzle: when it was raised to the height of the nave in the late Middle Ages, the builders did not take down the old vault but simply built an unfinished upper storey above it. The church has many such traces of change, because its history goes back to the 13th century. From a distance, what you notice first is the crenellated tower, more than 60 metres high and topped by a weathervane dated 1736.

History: seven centuries of rebuilding

The church was built in 1268 or a little later and first mentioned in 1282. At that time it was a single-nave masonry building without chapels. In 1363 the old church became the chancel, and a nave with side aisles and a bell tower were added. Until 1473 it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and only then to St Michael the Archangel.

The church burned several times: in 1449, during the Thirty Years' War (probably in 1633) and in 1833, when the roof caught fire. In the 15th and 16th centuries chapels and porches were added, and the interior was converted from a hall church into a basilica following the Wrocław school. Before 1671 it was restored on the initiative of Bishop Sebastian von Rostock, and in 1893 it was partly re-Gothicised – ribs were added to the nave vault, the portals were rebuilt and the interior was painted. The church has been a listed monument since 1954.

What to see

• The early-Gothic chancel from the last quarter of the 13th century, with a rib vault, the sacristy portal and a sacrament house.
• The high altar of 1729, funded by Fr Henryk Schmidt and made by the sculptor Michael Kössler of Niemodlin and the painter Melchior Franz Ansi.
• A Renaissance triptych from around 1600 in the second chapel from the east in the north aisle, with a carved Adoration in the central panel and scenes of the Passion on the reverse.
• A Baroque marble font, a Baroque organ case, choir stalls and a confessional.
• Late-Renaissance knights' tombstones and epitaphs of nobles and townspeople, including that of Mayor Valentin Hiltprant, who died in 1611.
• Gothic details on the exterior: an arcaded frieze, moulded window tracery and portals.

Interesting facts

The battlemented tower dates from the 16th century and ends in a tall octagonal spire built entirely of plastered brick rather than timber. Above the chancel hangs a bell recast in 1833, after the roof fire. In 2006 a statue of Pope John Paul II was placed in front of the tower.

Tripto tip

The church stands in the western part of the old town on ul. Warszawska, a few minutes from the market square and near the former Ziębice Gate. It is an active parish church, so plan your visit around services; Mass times and the parish office contact are on the parish website. Allow 20–30 minutes for the interior; start with the chancel, then look for the triptych in the chapels of the north aisle. Please keep quiet and do not take photos during services.