Tourist routes in Gdańsk: Churches and cathedrals
St. Catherine's Church/Gdańsk/Shutterstock
St. Catherine's Church - 'Matrona Loci' - Mother of the Church or Mother of the City. It is the oldest parish church in the Old Town, built between 1227-1239. Documentation shows that in 1298 Władysław Łokietek held his court here. The founders were the princes of Gdańsk Pomorze. In the fourteenth century the building was enlarged. The tower of the church, measuring 76m high, is topped with a Baroque cupola by Jacob van den Block. In the years 1555-1945 it belonged to the Protestant church, and in 1575 it was fitted with a beautiful-sounding carillon. The church has experienced many dramatic situations, but has always been rebuilt. In 1905, the church tower burned down after being struck by lightning. By the end of the war the church had been destroyed. In 2006 there was another big fire. The roof collapsed, which was leaning on the ceiling of the church, so it did not affect the church interior. The tower of the church threatened to collapse but was saved. There are still paintings by Anton Möller and Izaac van den Blocke and the grave and the epitaph of the famous astronomer Johannes Hevelius from 1659. The image of Our Lady Bołszowieckiej is particularly valuable. The tower of the church is the headquarters of the Museum of Tower Clocks. The church is the parish church of St. Bridget, and in the years 1970-2004 Henryk Jankowski served the function of prelate.