St Hedwig's Chapel in Brzeg Dolny

St Hedwig's Cemetery Chapel in Brzeg Dolny stands where, according to tradition, Saint Hedwig of Silesia rested in the 13th century while travelling from the ducal seat in Legnica to the convent in Trzebnica. A stone linked to this legend is said to have lain on the spot.

Foundation and construction

The chapel was founded in 1665 by Baron Georg Abraham von Dyhern, and the building was consecrated on 29 August 1666. It was built in the Baroque style, of brick, on an octagonal plan, with a dome topped by a lantern. In 1701 a nave was added to it.

Expansion of the complex

By 1740 a second, smaller Chapel of the Mystery of the Passion had been built opposite the entrance to the main chapel, and a Way of the Cross with fourteen small chapels was laid out leading to the town. A hermitage was also built nearby, where a single Carmelite from Wołów lived, caring for the chapel. A cemetery was established by the chapel, which still exists today.

Destruction and further renovations

A lack of funds for upkeep led to a gradual deterioration of the building; part of the chapel collapsed in 1871. It was renovated in 1881, when a new bell was also bought. When a convent of the Sisters of St Charles Borromeo was founded nearby, the sisters took over care of the chapel, and the hermitage standing beside it was demolished. After 1945 the building deteriorated again, until a further renovation was carried out in 2007.

Practical information

• Address: Brzeg Dolny, Wołów County; a cemetery lies by the chapel.
• Close by stands the convent of the Sisters of St Charles Borromeo, which after years took over care of the chapel.
• Not far away is also the synagogue in Brzeg Dolny.
• Sources do not give current opening hours or say whether the interior is permanently open to visitors; this is worth checking on site or with the parish before visiting.