The temple, situated to the north-east of the market square, is an important element in the spatial layout of the town.

History of the site

The origins of the Evangelical community in Kargowa date back to the 17th century, when the first temple was erected near the palace. In 1738 a wattle-and-daub church was built, to be replaced in the years 1801-1805 by a new Evangelical church made of brick. The construction was based on the design prepared by an architect from Poznan, Dulitz, while the total cost of the undertaking amounted to 20,458 thalers. The former Evangelical church is a Late Classicist building with a tower added in 1832. The presented feature is one of the most interesting examples of the Classicist architecture in the territory of the Lubuskie Voivodeship. Before World War II, the Evangelical temple was a centre of spiritual life not only for residents of Kargowa, but also of nearby villages, such as: Jaromierz, Chwalim, Wojnowo or Drwina. In 1849, the Evangelical church in Kargowa attained the status of a national church. Hostilities of World War II did not lead to major damage to the building. After 1945 the former Evangelical temple in Kargowa was used as a granary. Only in 1979 was the building consecrated as the Roman Catholic filial church of St Maksymilian Maria Kolbe. Adaptation works in the altar section of the temple were carried out at that time.  The church did not undergo radical transformations and has retained its original appearance, façade accentuations and the spatial layout of the interior.

Description of the site

The filial church of St Maksymilian Maria Kolbe in Kargowa is situated at 2 Górna Street, not far from the market square. The area around the church is surrounded by a metal fence with an entrance gate. The plot in front of the church is partially lined with paving stones and partially overgrown with several trees. The temple is a brick, aisleless building erected on a rectangular floor plan and covered with a gable roof clad in ceramic tiles of the beaver tail type, arranged in a lace pattern. A quadrangular, four-storey tower crowned with a pyramidal cupola clad in sheet metal adjoins the church on the east side. The main entrance to the temple is located on the ground floor of the tower. Side entrances are located on central axes of the north, south and west façades. Wooden door joinery dates back to the times of the construction of the temple. The façades are pierced by three levels of windows, differing in size and shape, separated by cornices between the storeys. The church interior, featuring galleries and the chancel, is covered with a beamed ceiling. Wooden, two-storey galleries rest on quadrilateral pillars. The fixtures and fittings of the church include: an eclectic, wooden baptismal font, two bells from 1808 and some benches on the galleries.

Visitor access. The church is property of a religious community. It celebrates regular masses. It is open to the public.

Author of the note: Krzysztof Słowiński, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Zielona Góra, 30-10-2017

Bibliography

• Garbacz K., Szlakiem zabytkowych miast. Przewodnik po południowej części województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2005, p. 44;
• Garbacz K., Przewodnik po zabytkach województwa lubuskiego, vol. I, Zielona Góra 2011, p. 100;
• Kowalski S., Zabytki architektury województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2010, p. 148;
• Kowalski S., Zabytki województwa zielonogórskiego, Zielona Góra 1987, pp. 97- 98.