Holy Trinity Church in Kochłowice (Ruda Śląska)

Around 1900 the number of parishioners in Kochłowice grew tenfold, as coal mines drew thousands of workers to Upper Silesia. The small Baroque church from 1806 was no longer big enough, so a twin-towered Holy Trinity Church rose right next to it in just two years. Today it stands on ul. ks. Ludwika Tunkla in Kochłowice, a district of the city of Ruda Śląska.

History: two years of building

The church board gave permission to build in November 1899, and the parish received the land on 4 January 1900. Work began on 18 April 1900, and the foundation stone was laid on 15 July. The design was by Ludwig Schneider of Wrocław, and construction was led by master builder Fedor Wieczorek from Królewska Huta, today's Chorzów. The church was consecrated on 17 October 1902 by Cardinal Georg Kopp.

The parish itself is much older. The first church in Kochłowice was built by Protestants around 1590; it was handed over to Catholics in 1629 and became the Holy Trinity parish church in 1648.

What to see

• The facade with two tall towers and a rose window above the entrance – the building combines Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Gothic features.
• The three-aisled interior on a Latin-cross plan.
• The painting of Our Lady of Częstochowa by Franciszek Jędrzejczyk, ceremonially brought into the church on 22 August 1901, before the building was even finished.
• The foundation stone and a plaque dedicated to Fr Ludwik Tunkel, after whom the street is named.

Interesting facts

A few steps away stands the previous parish church – a Baroque building from 1806, funded by Count Lazarus Henckel von Donnersmarck. Since 2008 it has been the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, with a high altar shaped like a rocky grotto, made in 1904. Its tower leans as much as 60 cm out of true.

Tripto tip

You can see both churches within an hour – start with the twin-towered facade and then walk over to the older shrine. Allow 20–30 minutes for the Holy Trinity Church itself. It is a working parish church, so the interior is easiest to see just before or after Mass.