Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Bystřice is a historic wooden church standing in the Zaolzie region of the Moravian-Silesian district, close to the Polish border. It functions as a filial church of the parish of St. Catherine in Vendryně, and its roots go back to the 16th century, even though the building visitors see today is actually the second church to stand on this spot.

How did the first church in Bystřice come to be?

The earliest trace of a church presence in Bystřice is a bell cast in 1584. Local Protestants set up a wooden bell tower in the village cemetery to hang it in, and three years later, in 1587, they built the church itself. For decades it served the local Protestant community.

How did the church change hands between denominations?

In 1654, Protestants lost the church to Catholics as part of the Counter-Reformation policies of the time. For a while, though, the building's status remained oddly unresolved - a church visitation in 1679 found that although it had been functioning as a Catholic church, it had never actually been formally consecrated.

What changes did the building go through in the 19th century?

A major renovation was carried out in 1801, paid for by the Teschen Chamber, the institution that administered the ducal estates of Cieszyn Silesia. Four decades later, in 1841, the wooden gallery surrounding the church - known locally as the "sobota" - was torn down after it became a site of desecration. Despite repairs, the building's condition kept deteriorating over the following decades.

Why was the original church demolished?

By the end of the 19th century, the original 1587 church was in such poor structural condition that it was torn down in 1897. The timber wasn't wasted, though - it was bought by a local farmer, Jan Zawada, who used it to build house no. 213 in Bystřice.

When was the current church built, and why is it made of wood?

The new church, still standing today, was built in 1897 in a style drawing on Neo-Renaissance forms. Wood was chosen mainly for financial reasons - the village had relatively few Catholic residents, so the funds raised weren't enough to cover the cost of a brick or stone building.

What happened to the valuable altars from the first church?

The old church held two valuable altars dating from 1588. One later came into the possession of Archduke Friedrich of Austria-Teschen and can now be seen in the archduke's former hunting lodge in Wisła. The other - a Renaissance triptych, also from 1588 - was moved into the newly built church, where it still serves as the left side altar today.

Where exactly is the church located?

The church stands in Bystřice, a village in the Frýdek-Místek District of the Moravian-Silesian region, at geographic coordinates 49.637 N, 18.7231 E, close to the Polish border.

Frequently asked questions

What is the church dedicated to? It is dedicated to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Is this the first church built on this site? No - the current building from 1897 replaced an older wooden church from 1587 that was demolished due to its poor condition.

Which parish does the church belong to? It is a filial church of the parish of St. Catherine in Vendryně.

Did any furnishings from the old church survive? Yes - a Renaissance triptych altar from 1588 was moved to the new church, where it now serves as the left side altar.

Where is the other historic altar today? It is kept in the former hunting lodge of Archduke Friedrich of Austria-Teschen in Wisła, on the Polish side of the border.