Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Łódź

The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Łódź is a Catholic parish church located at 2/2a Piotrkowska Street, near Freedom Square. Originally built between 1889 and 1891 as an Evangelical-Augsburg church dedicated to the Holy Trinity, its architecture combines eclectic and neo-Renaissance styles with Romanesque elements. The designers were Otto Gehlig and Hilary Majewski, and the building takes the form of a Greek cross, measuring 30 m by 29 m. The exterior of the church is adorned with turrets, including four larger ones with spires, and a central dome that dominates the structure. The interior, which was expanded in the last quarter of the 19th century, features rich details such as stucco Corinthian columns and romantic pneumatic organs by Schlag und Söhne, one of the largest in Łódź. In 1945, with the approval of the communist authorities, the building was handed over to the Catholic Church and transformed into a Roman Catholic parish. The church was consecrated on January 1, 1945, by Father Jan Zdziowski. The parish purchased the temple and adjacent buildings from the Evangelical-Augsburg Church in Poland in 1989. Between 2018 and 2019, the building's facade was renovated, restoring its original orange color. The interior features polychrome works by Mieczysław Saar and numerous commemorations, including plaques in memory of the victims of World War II. The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit not only serves religious functions but also constitutes a significant element of Łódź's cultural heritage.