Academic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rybnik

The Academic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rybnik, located on Gliwicka Street, is the oldest and smallest church in the city, belonging to the Rybnik deanery of the Katowice Archdiocese. It features a Gothic presbytery dating back to the 15th century, built on the foundations of an earlier wooden temple founded by Mieszko I Plątonogi in the 12th century. The original church suffered significant damage in 1797, when only the presbytery survived, and the rest was dismantled, with some of the bricks used to build the new parish church. From 1975, the church served as a cemetery chapel surrounded by Rybnik's oldest necropolis, which was closed down in the 1970s. The church is oriented and brick-built, with fragments of Gothic rib vaulting preserved inside, while its furnishings are modern. A stone slab on the floor covering the tomb of the Węgierski family from Pilchowic also attracts interest. An important historical figure associated with the church is St. John Sarkander, who preached sermons here in 1619. In 2012, a comprehensive renovation of the church began, including the restoration of the walls and floor. During the work, original Baroque altar steps, which had been embedded in concrete, were discovered, and the concrete-covered entrance to the crypt beneath the church was uncovered. The renovation was completed with reference to Gothic architecture, using traditional building materials and techniques, which restored the temple's historical character and aesthetics. The newly created floor, imitating ancient patterns, reflects the spiritual and material value of this place, which is an important cultural and religious landmark in Rybnik.