Churches & monasteries

Remains of the Collegiate Church in Wieluń

Between the market square and the town hall in Wieluń, opposite the church of St Joseph, lie the exposed foundations of the town's oldest parish church — the collegiate church of St Michael the Archangel. The church was built at the turn of the 14th century, and the first mention of it dates to 1308.

From collegiate church to demolition

After the great fire of 1335 the church was extended, and in 1419 it was raised to the rank of a collegiate church with a second dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary. On 1 September 1939 an air raid damaged part of the southern nave. The damage was not extensive, yet the occupying authorities decided on demolition — the church was blown up in 1940, wooden barracks were built on its site, and in the 1960s school rooms followed.

What can be seen today

In 1988–1991 archaeological and architectural research was carried out on the site. Finds included 186 coins from the 14th to 19th centuries, fragments of clay and glass vessels, pieces of textiles and elements of chapel and tomb furnishings. After the work was completed, the foundations were raised and secured, the remains of the Radoszewski chapel were preserved, and a memorial stone with a plaque was placed on the site. Next to it stands a palace built on the foundations of the former castle, so a walk through central Wieluń naturally links both traces of history.