At Szczecin’s Victory Square, a building has stood proudly for more than a century, which for the city’s residents is more than just a church. The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church is known here simply as ‘The Heart’. The modernist reinforced concrete building has made its mark on Szczecin’s history for several reasons.
The Sacred Heart Church as the post-war heart of Szczecin
It was this church that was the first to open its doors to the faithful in the ruined city after the end of the Second World War. As a result, it quickly became a point of reference and source of encouragement for the mass of people displaced from the East. Before Szczecin became the capital of the diocese and the cathedral, lying in ruins, regained its splendour (we wrote about it HERE), the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus served as the city’s main centre of religious life. Since 1945, the priests of the Society of Christ for Foreign Polonia have been carrying out their pastoral work here. The temple gained even greater spiritual significance in 1959, when one of the first chapels for perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Poland was established there. It was here that the lives of many of the faithful found their new beginning. The uniqueness of the place was confirmed when, in 1998, the building was declared the first Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Poland.
The pioneering construction and beginnings of the church
The history of the origins of the church dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The decision to build a new garrison church was made at a time when the existing church serving this function was in urgent need of renovation. At the time, a site of great importance was chosen as the location for the planned investment. It was a plot of land on the edge of the former military cemetery. The foundation stone for the church was laid in autumn 1913. The architect Bernat Stahl was behind the project, and the driving force behind the undertaking was the financial resources of Gustav Toepfer, a promoter of Portland cement. The developer decided to cover the construction costs in order to convince the Prussians of the revolutionary new method of building construction. The Sacred Heart Church was built in reinforced concrete construction, a pioneering solution at the time. It is speculated that it may have been the first religious building of its kind in the then Prussian state and one of the earliest in the whole of Europe.
Lump like a defensive citadel
Architecturally, the church represents early modernism, although echoes of earlier styles can also be found. It was built predominantly of reinforced concrete and is rectangular in plan, with a semicircular chancel and a massive, wide tower to the south. The building gives the impression of a kind of citadel or building with defensive features. This power and compactness, emphasised by the rough grey plasterwork and relatively small windows, is reminiscent of medieval German Westwerk (a massive western section of the church, characteristic of pre-Romanesque architecture, placed transversely to the nave). The impression of the defensive nature of the building is enhanced by two oval staircases flanking the squat tower to the east and west. The architectural detailing of the façade deliberately imitates the binding of massive stone beams, which adds to the austere character of the overall composition. In addition, a bas-relief depicting the battle between St George and the dragon is placed above the main entrance. The gabled roof of the church, originally tiled, was covered with copper sheeting in 1980. On top of the belfry proudly rises a large cross, also clad in copper. Inside the tower, four bells have been ringing since 1986: “Heart of Jesus”, “Queen of Poland”, “St Maximilian” and “John Paul II”.
Interior like a huge tent
Stepping inside the church, the contrast with the external austerity is clearly perceptible. The three-nave interior, divided by rows of columns, is spacious and bright, and the vaulted ceiling, supported by reinforced concrete walls, stretches over the worshippers like a light tent. The softly curved lines are repeated in the shape of the inter-nave arcades and the contours of the windows. The originally modest decoration (in keeping with the purist aesthetics of the garrison church) was significantly altered and enriched after the war. The chancel contains a neo-Gothic altarpiece depicting the Last Supper, moved here in the 1940s from the destroyed church of St John the Baptist. The eye is also drawn to the contemporary frescoes depicting Christ surrounded by angels and saints above the rainbow arch. The striking coffered vault is decorated with a delicate floral painting. The interior of the building is illuminated by post-war stained glass windows, and the large music choir is dominated by an organ. Work on the current décor was carried out by successive pastors from the Society of Christ. After 2000, a new section was added to the north side. The ground floor was used as a Catholic bookshop and the ground floor as a meeting room. The project was prepared by the architect Maciej Płotkowiak.
Sacred Heart Church: a meeting place
Today, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is vibrant with the life of the faithful. In addition to its daily service as a parish church and sanctuary, it also plays a key role as a centre for academic ministry, bringing together students from all over Szczecin. The temple is also famous for its annual spectacular Christmas cribs, featuring live animals and actors, which draw crowds.
Source: nspj.szczecin.pl, zabytek.pl
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View of the Sacred Heart Church in 1919 and 2024. Source: Digitale Bibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Google Maps
Victory Square and the tower of the garrison church, 1920s and today. Source: Bundesarchiv and Google Maps
View of the altar in the late 1950s and today. Source: Mariusz Brzezinski/photopolska.eu and David Castor, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
