Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit

The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit stands at Piotrkowska Street 2/2a, just by Plac Wolności (Freedom Square). The building was erected in 1828 as an evangelical-Augsburg church, and from 1945 has served as a Catholic parish and garrison church.

Who designed the church

The original building was designed in 1828 by Warsaw architect Bonifacy Witkowski, who specialised in public utility buildings in the classical style. The church was built with the Łódź evangelical-Augsburg community in mind and was dedicated to the Holy Trinity.

Rebuilding at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries

Between 1889 and 1892 the church was rebuilt by Otto Gehlig and Hilary Majewski, with the involvement of architect Piotr Brukalski. Gehlig, a German architect and building contractor working in Łódź, and Brukalski, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg, gave the building the form that has largely survived to the present day.

In 1897, Evangelicals made up 18% of Łódź's population - over 56,000 people - grouped around two pastoral centres: this church and the Church of St John on today's Sienkiewicza street. The parish was then served by pastor Rudolf Gustaw Gundlach (1850-1922), parish priest from 1898 to 1922, a well-known Łódź social worker and carer for the poor.

Change of denomination after the war

On 1 January 1945 the church was taken over by the Catholic Church, which consecrated it as the Chapel of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Since then it has served as a parish church and garrison church for the military.

Dome renovation

Between 2016 and 2019 the church dome underwent renovation, restoring its original orange colour from years past. The distinctive dome is today one of the recognisable features of this part of Piotrkowska Street, alongside the nearby Teodora Steigert building and Pasaż Róży.

Practical information

• Address: Piotrkowska Street 2/2a, Łódź, by Plac Wolności
• Getting there: city centre, beginning of Piotrkowska Street, well served by public transport
• What to expect: classical building with an orange dome, interior open as a parish and garrison church
• Opening times for services are worth checking before your visit
• Also worth seeing nearby is the Museum of the Łódź Archdiocese