Church of Saint Bartholomew, Gothic Revival church in Koprivnice, Czech Republic
The Church of Saint Bartholomew is a Gothic Revival three-nave building with a tall front tower, standing on Masaryk Square in the centre of Kopřivnice. It was built from 1893 to designs by the Vienna architect Ludwig Schöne, and a park surrounds it.
The first written mention of the wooden church on the old cemetery, about 500 m from today's building, dates from 1567. When Ignác Šustala founded his carriage works in 1850, Kopřivnice grew and the wooden church became too small. The new church was begun on 15 April 1893 to designs by the Vienna architect Ludwig Schöne, consecrated on 7 July 1895 by Archbishop Theodor Kohn, and the old wooden church was demolished a year later.
The church holds a Nativity scene (betlém) roughly as old as the building itself, and four bells cast by the Hilzer firm were donated in 1894 by members of the Šustala family, including Ignác Šustala, founder of the carriage works that became Tatra. The two heaviest bells were requisitioned in 1916 and a third in 1917 for war use.
The church stands on Masarykovo náměstí in the town centre, with a park around it and the Kristiánův kříž cross in front. It is lit at night, so the façade and tower can also be seen after dark.
The church's four bells were cast by the Hilzer firm, which took over the bells of the old wooden church. The heaviest, 765 kg and inscribed "Pax vobiscum", was donated by Adolf Šustala in 1894; the two heaviest were requisitioned in 1916 and a third in 1917 for war purposes.
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