Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Łódź

The domed church with four corner turrets on the corner of Plac Wolności (Liberty Square) and Piotrkowska Street was for more than half a century the church of Łódź's Lutherans — Holy Trinity Church. Since 1945 it has served Catholics as the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, but its walls and its organ loft still reflect the industrial, multicultural Łódź of the 19th century. It was designed by the same people to whom the city owes the Juliusz Heinzl Palace.

History: from Lutherans to Catholics

The first Protestant church on this site was built in 1826–1828 to a design by Bonifacy Witkowski and resembled the town hall opposite. The increasingly wealthy community of German factory owners and craftsmen soon outgrew it. The foundation stone of the new church was laid on 7 August 1889, and the building, designed by Otto Gehlig and Hilary Majewski, was approved in 1891 and consecrated in February the following year. The main bell was cast in Warsaw in 1893.

After the Second World War, Catholics took over the church. It was blessed on 1 January 1945 by Monsignor Jan Zdziowski, and in 1948 the parish of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was created; the church also served the army garrison. In 1989 the parish bought the buildings from the Lutheran Church. In 2016–2019 the dome, drum and façade were restored — conservators found that the church was originally a warm sandy colour rather than the grey that residents knew.

What to see

• A Greek-cross plan with arms of 30 × 29 metres, a dome on a tall drum, four corner towers and two smaller turrets.
• Paired round-arched windows in Romanesque style framed by pilasters.
• The Schlag und Söhne organ — a Romantic instrument with 46 stops and pneumatic action, the oldest organ in Łódź and the largest by this firm in central Poland.
• The high altar designed by Feliks Paszkowski with stucco by Stefan Kiełbasiński from 1946, and plaster Stations of the Cross funded by the Merchants' Guild.

Good to know

In the apse is a painting of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, and in the Sacred Heart Chapel there are reliefs of St Michael and St George. The Lutheran Holy Trinity parish formally ceased to exist only in 1994. Otto Gehlig, one of the church's architects, was the son-in-law of the factory owner Juliusz Heinzel.

Tripto tips

This is a working parish church, so visit the interior outside Mass times — 20–30 minutes is enough. The best view of the dome is from Plac Wolności, by the Kościuszko monument. If you come across an organ concert, take the chance: hearing the Schlag instrument is a rare opportunity. A few steps away are the old town hall and the start of Piotrkowska Street.