St Peter's and St Paul's Church in Bydgoszcz

Saint Peter's and Saint Paul's Church
Polish: Kościół św. Piotra i Pawła w Bydgoszczy
Location in Poland
General information
Type	Catholic Church
Architectural style	Eclecticism, Neo-Gothic, Neo-Romanesque elements
Classification	N°601237-Reg.A/751, 5 October 1971.
Location	Bydgoszcz, Poland
Address	Plac Wolnosci
Town or city	Bydgoszcz
Completed	1872-1878
Inaugurated	1878 and 2 February 1945
Design and construction
Architect	Friedrich Wilhelm Adler
Website
http://www.piotraipawla.pl/

The Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Bydgoszcz is located in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on Wolności Square. Patron saints are Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The church, richly decorated with polychrome has been realized in 1957 by Wladyslaw Drapiewski from Pelplin and Leon Drapniewski of Poznań; it has been registered on the Pomeranian Heritage List on 5 October 1971.

The church was built between 1872 and 1878, even though reference is made in the porch as 1876 as date of completion of the construction. It was designed by Friedrich Wilhelm Adler for the purpose of the Lutheran rite and initially dedicated to Saint Paul. Adler was the son of an influential couple of Bromberg who owned the house at Jezuicka Street N°4 at the beginning of the 19th century. Construction work was led by German engineer .

Material for decoration of the façade (moulded bricks and floor tiles) was brought from Charlottenburg near Berlin. Stained glasses adorning the choir and sacristy were produced by the Imperial Institute of stained glass in the Berlin, founded by Emperor William I.

The building was equipped with underfloor gas heating, a central boiler room set under the chancel, two heaters with hot air ducts, and approximately 200 gas lamps. Its organ was built by a well-known company of Wilhelm Sauer from Frankfurt (Oder). Lutheran rite liturgy was performed until 1945.

On September 3, 1939, during Bydgoszcz "Bloody Sunday" episode, German irregulars shot at retreating troops of the Polish Army from the temple spire. During World War II, the building was severely damaged, both in 1939 following the Bydgoszcz "Bloody Sunday" and in 1945 during the firing of the city.