St Paul the Apostle Church in Ruda Śląska

It was meant to be dedicated to St Anthony, like its "older brother" in Rheine in Westphalia – but the director of the local steelworks, Paul Gasz, persuaded the parish to choose another patron. The Church of St Paul the Apostle in Ruda Śląska-Nowy Bytom is a monumental neo-Romanesque basilica built at remarkable speed: the foundation stone was blessed in 1911, and the church was consecrated on 15 September 1912. It closes the west side of John Paul II Square, regarded as Nowy Bytom's market square, and its domed tower can be seen from far away.

History: a church for a working-class district

The Nowy Bytom parish dates back to the 15th century, but around 1900 Nowy Bytom (in Silesian dialect "Fryncita") grew into a major industrial centre around the Pokój steelworks and coal mine – formerly Friedenshütte and Gottessegen. The earlier small St Joseph's church from 1885 was no longer big enough; it was later demolished because of mining damage. Father Emil Korus proposed a new, monumental church, and Father Edward Adamczyk oversaw the works. In 1909 the Dortmund architect Johannes Franziskus Klomp, of Dutch origin, presented designs for the church, its interior and the neighbouring presbytery. The foundation stone bears a Latin inscription about building "on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets".

Architecture where East meets West

The church is a three-aisled basilica with a transept and a chancel ending in a semicircular apse. Because of the layout of the square it is not oriented: the tower block stands on the east side, preceded by a narthex with three arches. The main tower turns from a square into an octagon with corner turrets and ends in a domed cupola with a lantern; two cylindrical domed towers flank the facade. Klomp combined neo-Romanesque with Early Christian, Byzantine and Ottonian motifs, and even with forms known from Islamic art. He quoted Rhineland and Westphalian churches such as Maria Laach Abbey and Paderborn Cathedral.

What to look for

• Statues of St Florian and St Barbara in front of the entrance – patron saints of steelworkers and miners, the two trades on which Nowy Bytom was built.
• Carved lions supporting the columns of the porch arches, and grotesque masks at the springing of the arches.
• Reliefs of Saints Paul, Luke and Barnabas above the central arch and Christ in Majesty with the symbols of the four Evangelists in the gable.
• Massive rose windows in the facade and transept, and many inscriptions quoting the Bible and the Church Fathers.
• The interior with barrel vaults with lunettes and a sail vault over the crossing; the chancel was rearranged in 1982.

Tripto tip

The church (pl. Jana Pawła II 5) is an active parish church – the interior is best seen between Masses. Allow 30–45 minutes to walk round the outside and look inside; the carved details show up best in the raking light of late morning or late afternoon. The tower was renovated in 2009–2010. Combine your visit with a walk through Nowy Bytom's historic workers' housing, and the historic Nikiszowiec district of Katowice is not far away.