A Gothic church in Gryfino from the 13th century, rebuilt in the 15th century as a hall church, with a stone Renaissance pulpit of 1605 and stalls from the 16th century.
The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Kościelna Street is the oldest church in Gryfino. The heritage register dates it to the third quarter of the 13th century. From the outside it is distinguished by its west tower, of stone in the lower part, and inside by a Renaissance pulpit from 1605.
According to the Szczecin art historian Wojciech Łopuch, construction began in 1278, when Duke Barnim I handed the patronage of this church to St Mary's Church in Szczecin. The chancel and transept were built of stone ashlar with brick added in the details. The second stage, probably completed around 1325, covered the brick basilica body with three aisles and the west tower. Traces of the basilica layout can still be seen today in the windows in the upper part of the nave, accessible in the attic.
In the 15th century the side aisles were raised to the height of the nave, which produced a hall layout, and star vaults were installed. In the 16th century the church was taken over by Protestants, and since 1945 it has been Catholic again. In 1861-1863 the church was thoroughly renovated by the architect Buchterkirch, known for restoring Pomeranian churches in the Gothic Revival style. In 1938 the medieval cone on the tower was replaced with a neo-Baroque helmet roof.
The most valuable element of the furnishings is the limestone pulpit, made in 1605 in the Renaissance style. It consists of a stone gateway with two cupids and a sculpture of Christ the Good Shepherd, and a wooden inlaid door. The balustrade of the stairs is decorated with Old Testament reliefs, and the basket with four New Testament scenes. The authorship is not certain; it is attributed to artists from the circle of Claus Midow. The pulpit was restored in 2003 and 2004.
The former Renaissance main altar of 1580, the work of the ducal court painter David Redtel, was removed in the middle of the 19th century, and its paintings are kept today by the National Museum in Szczecin. The present altar is neo-Gothic, from the time of the renovation in 1861-1863, and its central painting by Stanisław Batowski came to Gryfino from the church in Kałusz in the Eastern Borderlands. In the chancel oak stalls from the 16th century have survived, with carving depicting bearded male heads. The organ was built in 1861 by the Szczecin firm of Barnim Grüneberg; it has 30 stops, two manuals and a pedalboard.
A few hundred metres from the church is the Jewish cemetery in Gryfino, and a little further on the drawbridge.
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