Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Świnoujście

The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Świnoujście stands in the Karsibór district, on the eastern edge of the village, by the historic crossing of the Świna. It is a late Gothic church from the first half of the 15th century, listed in the heritage register. It is a branch church of the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Świnoujście-Przytór, in the Szczecin-Kamień archdiocese.

History: the crossing, the Reformation and a Swedish king

The church was built in the early 15th century, most probably on the site of an earlier church. After the Reformation was introduced in 1535, the Cistercian estate became part of the ducal domain and the church was taken over by Protestants. It is a former Protestant church that became Catholic after the war.

In 1630, during the Thirty Years' War, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden stopped in Karsibór while waiting for his troops to cross the Świna. He stayed here from 14 to 19 July and chose the parsonage by the church as his quarters. Seven years later the Swedish fleet of Admiral Lars Mathsson Strusshjelm anchored on the Świna, and he gave the church a bell, altar cloths, and a silver chalice and paten.

In 1825-1826 the church was rebuilt with money from the bequest of a village resident: the nave was lengthened, and a tower was added on the west according to plans by Karl Schinkel. After the Second World War, on 8 December 1946, the church was consecrated and given its present dedication.

The building and furnishings

The church is a hall-type, oriented building on a rectangular plan, with a straight-ended chancel. The walls were built of brick on a stone foundation, and the gable roof is covered with copper sheet. The square tower narrows in steps towards the top and ends in a pyramidal spire with a ball and a weathercock, and wooden clock faces are placed on its walls. The square in front of the church was formerly a cemetery.

In the chancel stands a wooden altar from the 16th century, partly reconstructed after a theft. In the centre is a sculpture of Our Lady of Sorrows, and on the wings are scenes from the life of Mary. There are also a Baroque pulpit from the 18th century, a wall cupboard from the first half of the 18th century, a music gallery with a 19th-century organ, and a 16th-century bell. A votive offering in the form of a ship hangs above the chancel. In 1994 five Gothic sculptures were stolen from the altar, among them a Pietà and a figure of St Nicholas.

Practical information

• Location: Świnoujście, Karsibór district, eastern edge of the village.
• Monument listed in the register, entry numbers KL-V-0-226/57 and A-1398.
• Opening hours and Mass times are given by the parish in Przytór, because the church is a branch church; it is worth checking them before your visit.
• Nearby: the port in Świnoujście (approx. 7 km) and Gerhard Fort (approx. 7.5 km).