St. James's Church in Lębork

The Church of St. James is the most precious monument in Lębork. The construction of the parish church, located in the northeast corner of the former market square, began before 1345 and was completed in the early 15th century. During the Reformation period, the Protestants took over Pomerania, also seizing the church. After a hundred years, when Lębork came under Polish rule again, Catholics managed to regain the church in 1638. Unfortunately, in 1657, the Swedes completely burned down the parish church. The reconstruction lasted until the end of the 18th century due to the financial difficulties of the city. During this time, services were held in the surviving chancel from the fire. A costly renovation of the monument was carried out between 1907 and 1910, and the vaults over the naves were restored. Since 1945, the Franciscans have been the custodians of the church.

Despite numerous renovations, the church has retained its Gothic character. It is an oriented, three-nave hall church (where the naves have equal height), with a body consisting of three bays. On the west side of the massive body rises a tower with a gabled roof, with neo-Gothic stepped gables. A similarly styled gable also adorns the strongly projecting chancel. Only the original vaults have been preserved over the chancel (stellar) and in the sacristy (crystal), while the vaults over the naves are "only" a hundred years old. It is also worth noting the rich interior of the church, which includes, among others, five late Baroque altars, a rococo-style pulpit suspended on the northern pillar of the main nave, decorative tabernacles, and 16th-century Renaissance epitaphs embedded in the southern wall of the chancel. Also of interest are two old sundials placed on the tower and on the eastern buttress of the chancel.