The inaccessible Church of St. Hedwig in Opava opens to the public

Opava - During the summer vacation, people have the opportunity to visit the normally inaccessible church of Saint Hedwig in Opava. One of the last works of architect Leopold Bauer will be conducted by the staff of the Regional Archive in Opava this Thursday at 4:30 PM, or on August 13 and 27. The church has an interesting history; although it was meant to serve as a memorial for the victims of World War I, its tower was eventually used as an observation point by the German air force Luftwaffe, said Pavel Siuda, spokesman for the diocese, to ČTK.
    "The idea to open the normally inaccessible church to the public came from the Opava Cultural Organization, which organizes guided tours at various interesting places in the city," stated Siuda.
    The tour is limited to a maximum of 20 people. Visitors can view the nave of the church, its decorations, and climb to the tower, which offers a good view of the city. The admission fee for the eighty-minute tour is 50 crowns, while the discounted admission for seniors is twenty crowns cheaper. Children up to six years old can enter for free.
    Construction of the church began in 1933 and was intended to be a memorial to the victims of World War I. However, it could not be completed before the next war, leading to it being used as a storage facility for military supplies and also as a Luftwaffe observation point. In 1944, during an Allied air raid, the church miraculously escaped destruction.
    "The bombs avoided the modern sacred building miraculously and hit the Franziskaneum monastery, the regional hospital complex, and Rybova and Dostoevsky streets. During the fighting for Opava with the Red Army, German observers watched the advance of Soviet troops from the church tower and sent reports on their positions via radio to a unit stationed in Březová near Fulnek. The Red Army succeeded in shooting down a cross from the church tower during the liberation battles, which only reappeared in 1999," added Siuda.
    He recalled that even after World War II, the church served as a storage facility for medical supplies. In 1990, it was declared a cultural monument and transferred for use to the Roman Catholic parish of the Virgin Mary in Opava. After approximately sixty years since the laying of the foundation stone, the church of Saint Hedwig was consecrated in 1993.