St. James the Apostle Church in Kłodawa – history and architecture

The parish church of St. James the Apostle in Kłodawa, established in 1283, is one of the oldest in the Gdańsk Pomerania region. The first church was built in the 13th century, but there are no detailed descriptions of its appearance. The current shape of the temple is the result of a reconstruction in 1735 in the Baroque style.

The temple is oriented, hall-like, with a hexagonal chancel in the east and a square tower in the west. The roofs are gabled, and above the chancel – multi-pitched, covered with ceramic tiles. A sacristy adjoins from the north, and a porch from the south, both single-storey, also with gabled roofs. Above the western entrance there is a figure of Christ in a shallow niche, and the entire structure is adorned with Baroque volutes.

The interior of the church is covered with a flat ceiling, and the sacristy with a ribbed vault. The furnishings are Baroque and include the main altar with an image of St. James, two side altars, a pulpit, and a granite holy water stoup. The Stations of the Cross are placed on the side walls. The choir with the organ dates back to the 19th/20th century.

In the churchyard, there is a historic statue of St. John of Nepomuk from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, placed on a column of artificial stone.

In 2016, conservation works began to restore the temple to its original appearance and preserve its historical heritage. The church is today an important example of Baroque sacred architecture in Pomerania.