Churches & monasteries

St. Lawrence Church in Zabrze

On Kościelne Hill in Zabrze-Mikulczyce stands the neo-Gothic church of St Lawrence — a church with an exceptionally well documented Upper Silesian history. The parish paid Peter's pence as early as 1326, and according to the parish priest's account of 1791, the first chapel may have stood here around 1002.

Three churches on one hill

After the wooden church of 1530 came the turn of a masonry one. The foundation stone was laid on 15 August 1892; the design was prepared by Paul Jackisch, a building counsellor from Bytom, and the works were directed by master builder Johanness Langer from Zabrze. The construction was financed jointly by the parishioners, who raised 85 thousand marks, Count Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck and the Wrocław bishop Cardinal Georg Kopp (98 thousand marks), and parish priest Franciszek Cieślik (40 thousand marks). The consecration took place on 7 May 1896.

The tower that fell from the sky

On 4 July 1928 a tornado tore off the side tower — it crashed through the roof and destroyed the organ, which was replaced by a new, larger one that still serves the parish. The older wooden church has a dramatic history too: it burned down on the night of 14 November 1982 after being set on fire, and only a memorial cross survived on Kościelne Hill, in the place of the former altar.

Practical information

The church at Mariacka 1 serves as the parish church and is open mainly during services. Mikulczyce is a northern district of Zabrze — it is worth combining a visit with a walk around the district and Kościelne Hill.