Church of St Catherine in Szczecin

The Church of St Catherine in Szczecin's Świerczewo district is currently an unused building whose walls date back to the first half of the 15th century. The building has no furnishings and was for a long time in very poor condition, and renovation work began only in 2024.

From Peter and Paul to Catherine

The church of granite stones and brick was built in the first half of the 15th century on a rectangular plan measuring 11.3 by 6.3 metres, as a hall building with no separate chancel or tower. It was originally dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, and after 1534 it was taken over by Protestants. It was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War and during the siege of the city in 1677. Rebuilt in 1696, it was given the dedication to St Catherine.

Warehouse and ruin

During the Napoleonic wars the church was devastated, and later served as a warehouse and tool store. Its religious function was restored after renovation in 1918, and it was thoroughly restored at the turn of 1933 and 1934. Before 1945 it contained a Baroque altar funded by the Rosenfeldt brothers, with a painting of the Entombment. After the Second World War, partly destroyed, it lost its religious function and until 1990 it was a leather warehouse.

Today

The medieval perimeter walls have survived, with remains of a pointed-arch portal and small windows closed with a segmental arch from the Baroque rebuilding. The ceiling and roof are post-war, the interior has no decoration, and the furnishings have disappeared. In 2019 an inspection forced the owner to carry out securing work, the decision on renovation was taken in 2021, and work on the roof truss, ceilings and gable walls began in May 2024.

Practical information

• Location: Świerczewo district in Szczecin.
• The church is unused, and the scope of work and access to the site may change. Do not plan to go inside.
• Not far away lies Szczecin Central Cemetery, about 1.6 km in a straight line.