Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Gać

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Gać is a Gothic filial church in Oława County, listed in the heritage register. The first mentions of the church date back to the early 14th century, though the building has been rebuilt many times, including after wartime destruction.

Medieval beginnings

The first records of the church in Gać come from 1306. The chancel and sacristy were built in the first half of the 14th century. The building is oriented, single-nave, with a Gothic chancel closed on three sides, built mainly of brick. The roofs are steep and shingled, and the windows have pointed, decorative tracery. Around the mid-15th century the church was adorned with a painted triptych depicting the Crucifixion.

Changes of denomination and extension

In 1534 the church was taken over by Protestants. At the beginning of the 17th century a timber-framed nave with a porch was added, along with a decorated wooden ceiling and a barrel vault in the sacristy. The tower structure was built in 1725-1726 and renovated in 1864. Inside, the Renaissance tomb of Wenzel von Oppersdorff, who died in 1546, and Baroque epitaphs from the 17th century have survived.

Post-war reconstruction

The church was damaged in 1945. Reconstruction began in 1956, and in 1962 a new, brick nave was built to a design by Professor F. Kozakiewicz. Further renovation work was carried out in 1982 and 1987. The church was entered in the heritage register of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship on 26 January 1957 under number A/1283/411.

Parish affiliation

The church is a filial church belonging to the parish of St James the Apostle in Małujowice, in the Brzeg South deanery of the Archdiocese of Wrocław. A few hundred metres from the church stands Gać Palace, and within a few kilometres you can see the Grodzisko Ryczyńskie Nature Reserve and the Church of St Joseph the Betrothed of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Oława.

Practical information

• Location: the village of Gać, Oława County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
• Getting there: local roads in the Gać municipality; the church stands in the centre of the village, next to the palace.
• What to expect: a small, oriented Gothic church with a brick nave rebuilt after the war; as a filial church it has no permanent staff, so it is worth checking service times with the parish in Małujowice before visiting.