The church was built between 1872 and 1878 in the Neo-Gothic style, with eclectic and Romanesque elements. A distinctive architectural feature is the dome with an octagonal base and a tall tower topped with a spire.

Located on Wolności Square, the Church of St. Peter and Paul was built between 1872 and 1876 for German Lutheransduring the height of the Prussian government’s campaign against Polish identity in Greater Poland and Pomerania. After Germany’s defeat in 1918 and Poland’s resurrection following nearly a century and a half of captivity, this church—not being adequately utilized for religious worship due to its meager congregation— and in light of the growing religious needs of Catholics—even before the war—it was to be made available to the faithful of the Roman Catholic Church, a fact that was widely reported in the local press. Thus, in the very first days following the liberation of Bydgoszcz from the Nazi occupiers, in January 1945, the local authorities—represented by the County Administrator and the Mayor—handed over this church to the Roman Catholic Church. The handover and consecration of the church took place on the Feast of Our Lady of Candlemas, February 2, 1945, and was performed by Fr. Jan Konopczyński, then Dean of Bydgoszcz. From then on, it became, as it were, the representative church of the city of Bydgoszcz, and at the same time a school church. By a decree dated August 24, 1946, establishing new parishes within the city, the parish dedicated to St. Apostles Peter and Paul was established as of October 1, 1946, by the Ecclesiastical Authority, carved out of the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the parish of St. Vincent de Paul. The first pastor of the parish was Fr. Stanisław Wiśniewski, pastor of the Parish of St. Michael in Gniezno. The church suffered severe damage as a result of wartime hostilities in 1945. Artillery shells, having pierced the ceiling near the church’s facade, destroyed the organ and caused extensive damage to its tower. A complete restoration of the organ, repairs to the windows and damaged stained-glass panels, and repairs to the damaged interior walls of the church took place in October 1947, thanks to the help of parishioners who organized fundraisers and charity events. The church was built in a historicist style incorporating Neo-Romanesque and, to some extent, Neo-Gothic elements, and can accommodate 2,500 people. The church houses a three-manual organ with a mechanical action and electric drive. The organ has 42 stops. The high altar was built in 1957 by local sculptor Sylwester Fryska, who also artistically redesigned the pulpit and constructed a balustrade that harmonizes with the overall design. The altar features a Madonna from 1854, a masterpiece painted by Maksymilian Piotrowski, a native of Bydgoszcz. This painting was originally housed in the former Jesuit church that stood in the Old Market Square and was demolished by the Nazis. In 1957, the church received a beautiful polychrome decoration created by the painters Władysław Drapiewski of Pelplin and Leon Drapniewski of Poznań. To commemorate the millennium celebrations of Poland’s baptism in 1966, a baptismal font was constructed by the sculptors Mikulski and Mrowiński. They also created the balustrades on the choir loft and balconies, as well as the statues of Sts. Peter and Paul the Apostles.

Church of Sts. Peter and Paul the Apostles

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