Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ostrava-Třebovice

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary stands in Třebovice, a quiet district on the northern edge of Ostrava, on the right bank of the Oder river close to where it meets the Opava. It is the oldest Marian church anywhere in Ostrava — a Baroque building dating from 1738, raised on the site of an earlier wooden chapel first recorded in 1553. The building has been listed as a protected cultural monument since 2011.

Who built the church, and what came before it?

The brick-and-masonry church was built in 1738 by Jiří Rudolf Wiplar of Ušice, a member of the family that held Třebovice at the time. The Wiplar coat of arms still decorates the choir gallery facade. It replaced a wooden chapel on the same spot, first mentioned in mid-16th-century records — making this corner of Třebovice one of the oldest sites of Marian worship in the region. It is also the second Ostrava church dedicated to the Assumption, the other standing in the district of Michálkovice and built more than a century later.

What does the building look like?

The church follows a Latin-cross floor plan on a modest scale, just 13 metres long and 10 metres wide. The nave carries Renaissance-influenced detailing and is separated from the presbytery by a Romanesque arch, while the presbytery itself ends in a three-sided apse. A slightly projecting tower is topped by a pyramidal roof, a metal dome and a cross, with clock faces set into its upper section. Below the tower, a semicircular portal frames the wooden double entrance doors.

How has the interior changed over time?

Between 1901 and 1903 the church received a new altar, ceiling and organ. In 1931 the interior was decorated with paintings by the Viennese artist Josef Kleinert. A further round of renovation came in 1997, when new flooring and a marble altar were installed. The clock faces on the tower were replaced in 2000, and in 2007 the tower's exterior was repaired and fitted with a new copper roof — time capsules were placed beneath the cross during that work.

What happened to the church bells?

The bells' history tracks the upheavals of the 20th century. The original bell was confiscated for the war effort during the First World War. In 1921 a steel bell named "Maria," weighing 567 kg, was cast at the Vítkovice ironworks, and two more bells — 755 kg and 394 kg — joined it in 1938. All three were seized again during the Second World War, in 1942. It was not until 2000–2001 that bell-founder Josef Tkáč of Halenkov cast a new set: "Maria Assumption," "St. John Bosco," "St. Zdislava" (92 kg) and "Václav" (495 kg).

What else is worth seeing nearby?

Beside the church stands a family tomb holding members of the Lutheran Stonawski family and the Scholz family, including the writer Maria Stona. Nearby, in Třebovice Park and the surrounding squares, visitors can find a sandstone memorial to the victims of the First World War from 1925, a monument to the poet Petr Bezruč, a statue of Beethoven, and a monument bearing the bust of painter Josef Šrámek. A marble fountain stands on Sládkovičovo Square, and the area also holds an erratic boulder left behind by glacial activity.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the church located? On V Mešníku street in the Ostrava-Třebovice district, in the northern part of the city, on the right bank of the Oder.

When was the current church built, and who commissioned it? The Baroque masonry church was built in 1738 by Jiří Rudolf Wiplar of Ušice, replacing an earlier wooden chapel recorded as far back as 1553.

Is the church a protected monument? Yes, it has been listed as a cultural monument since 2 March 2011.

What bells hang in the tower today? Four bells cast in 2000–2001 by bell-founder Josef Tkáč: "Maria Assumption," "St. John Bosco," "St. Zdislava" and "Václav" — the previous set was confiscated during the Second World War.

Who is buried in the tomb next to the church? Members of the Stonawski and Scholz families, including the writer Maria Stona.