Saint Joseph church in Łódź, Wooden church in Katedralna district, Łódź, Poland
Saint Joseph Church is a single-nave wooden building made from larch, topped with a shingled roof and a modest steeple, located in the Katedralna district of Łódź. The structure sits on a brick foundation and is surrounded by a small cemetery plot on Ogrodowa Street.
The building was constructed between 1765 and 1768, which makes it the oldest surviving structure in the city. In 1888, it was moved from its original site at Kościelny Square to make room for urban development in the city center.
The main altar was funded by Israel Poznański, one of the most powerful factory owners in 19th-century Łódź. His donation to a Catholic church is a visible sign of how different communities in the city sometimes supported each other across religious lines.
The church is primarily used for worship, so access for general visits may be limited outside of service times. It is worth checking opening hours in advance, as the building is not always open to casual visitors.
The entire wooden structure was moved in a single night by a group of factory workers using only manual labor and basic tools. No part of the building was dismantled for the move, meaning the whole church was shifted as one piece across the city.
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