Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Gothic church in Krupka, Czech Republic.
The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is a Gothic structure in Krupka with a presbytery positioned at an angle to the nave, creating a distinctive floor plan. A bell tower stands beside the main building, completing this uncommon architectural arrangement.
The parish church is first documented in 1352, and only its presbytery survives from that building. Around 1484 the church was rebuilt after the 1479 fire that struck Krupka, adding a single nave with a new polygonal presbytery. Saxon troops plundered and burned it in 1633; repairs widened the nave by 3.6 m, roofed in 1634, and a purist restoration ran from 1909 to 1935 under Max Loos von Losimfeldt.
The bell from 1627 in the separate bell tower was cast by Gabriel and Zacharias Hilger of Freiberg; its inscription reads "Mein Klang dich ruft zum Kirchengang". The bell cracked in 1625 and was recast in 1627, and it survived the 1633 fire that destroyed the tower.
The building is easy to locate and provides a good overview of Gothic architecture in the region. Visitors may find the interior open to view, but it is wise to check opening times before arriving.
In 1736–1739 the eastern wall of the nave was pierced to attach the Holy Stairs with a figurative Ecce Homo scene, so the stairway is a structural addition to the Gothic nave rather than a free-standing interior element. The bell in the bell tower, cast in 1627 by Gabriel and Zacharias Hilger of Freiberg, carries an inscription stating it was first cast in 1493, cracked in 1625 and recast in 1627.
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