Description of the attraction
St. Mary's Church - the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Katowice. The idea of creating a parish was born in Katowice in the 19th century, when the population of Upper Silesia began to grow rapidly. In 1858, Catholics from Katowice began negotiations to transfer a nearby wooden church to the city. The request was not granted, so in 1861 the construction of a large church in the neo-Gothic style began on the initiative of Bishop Heinrich Foerster of Wroclaw. The project's architect was the German architect Alexis Langer.
Bishop Foerster, realizing the pace of development of the region, first ordered a monumental project to the architect: a large three-nave church. However, such funding would have been difficult to achieve, so the design began to gradually change. It was decided that the church would have a one-span transept and an altar next to the sacristy. On the front (west) side, a 71 meter high octagonal tower will be built, decorated in a typical neo-Gothic style. The building of the church is not quite typical for an architect - it is the only church by Langer, built not of brick, but of stone. The church gives the impression of being more squat than it really is.
Many outstanding artists worked on the interior decoration of the church. The stained glass windows were designed by Adam Bunsch, a student of Mehoffer. Master Henry Piechaski worked on the sculptures.
