Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene, Wrocław

This article is about the cathedral in Wrocław. For the cathedral in Warsaw, see Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene, Warsaw.

Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene (Polish: Katedra św. Marii Magdaleny we Wrocławiu) in Wrocław, Poland, is a gothic church located between Szewska and Laciarska street close to the central market square, established in the 13th century. It serves as a cathedral of the Polish Catholic Church led by Piotr Mikołajczak. Along with the Old Town of Wrocław, it is listed as a Historic Monument of Poland.^[2]

Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene
Katedra św. Marii Magdaleny
View from Szewska street
Religion
Affiliation	Old Catholic
District	Old Town
Location
Location	Wrocław, Poland
Architecture
Style	Romanesque, Brick Gothic
Completed	before 15th century
Materials	Brick
Historic Monument of Poland
Designated	1994-09-08
Part of	Wrocław – historic city center
Reference no.	M.P. 1994 nr 50 poz. 425[1]

On 21 October 1523, the city's first Lutheran services were held in the church.^[3] The church is named after Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene.

Description

During the Second World War the church was seriously damaged. In 1945 the legendary Sinner's Bell, which was the biggest Silesian bell, was also damaged. St Mary Magdalene was rebuilt during the period 1947–1953.

The most precious relic of the church is a Romanesque portal dating from the 12th century, coming from a Benedictine monastery in Ołbin that had been torn down in the 16th century.

The bridge connecting the two towers is called the "Mostek Czarownic" (Witches’ Bridge). A legend says that the shadows visible on the bridge are the souls of the girls who used to seduce men without wanting to be married, being scared of housekeeping.

Romanesque portal

Cathedral interior

Bibliography

• Malgorzata Urlich-Kornacka A guide to Wrocław
• Beata Maciejewska Spacerownik Wrocławski