Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Smolnica

The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Smolnica, in Myślibórz County, was built in the second half of the 13th century. The first mention dates from 1337. The walls of regularly laid granite ashlar are 1.55 m thick, and the nave, measuring 20 by 9.3 m, has on the west side a massive tower as wide as the nave.

From the Middle Ages to Lutheranism

In the 14th century the tower was raised and a porch was added on the south side. The owner of the estate brought a pastor here as early as 1529, and from 1538 Lutheranism became the official religion in the Neumark, so for centuries the church was Protestant. In 1716 (according to another version in 1726) the tower received a Baroque crown, and next to the chancel stood a burial chapel of the Marwitz family.

A 19th-century interior and rebuilding

In 1886, under the supervision of the Berlin architect Prufer, the interior was remodelled in the neo-Gothic spirit. The altar, font and pulpit of Silesian sandstone were donated by the owner of the estate, who had earlier, in 1858, given the church an organ. In 1945 the church was bombed by the Red Army. The residents rebuilt it in 1983 and 1984, keeping the early Gothic form but without the Baroque crown of the tower; the consecration took place on 8 December 1984. The medieval bells have been lost, and today a bell from 1991 hangs by the church.

Nearby

Next door stands the palace in Smolnica, and in neighbouring Dębno the Church of St Anthony.

Practical information

• Address: Smolnica 36.
• The churchyard is no longer in use. Service times are given by the parish.