Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Branice

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Branica is a Roman Catholic parish church, built in 1792 on the site of an earlier structure. Fires repeatedly damaged the roof and tower of the church, necessitating their reconstruction. In 1888, due to the growing number of worshippers, an expansion project began, which included extending the chancel and adding a transept. The work was completed with the consecration of the church in 1889. At the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the initiative of parish priest Josef Martin Nathan, the church underwent another modernization, including the addition of side aisles designed by the Wrocław architect Hans Schlicht. The work was completed in 1915, and a year later the church was consecrated after the installation of a cross on the tower and the hanging of bells. Architecturally, the church is an oriented, three-nave masonry structure, built of stone and brick in the Neo-Gothic style. It features a three-sided enclosed chancel, a rectangular tower, two side annexes serving as a sacristy and a Lourdes grotto. The roof of the church is varied, with gabled slopes on the main nave and transept, and a triple-pitched roof on the chancel. Interestingly, throughout its history, the church has not only served liturgical functions but has also been a center of social and cultural life in the region, uniting the local community during difficult times.