Parish church of the Rise of the Holy Cross n Karvina Frystat

Although historic sources speak about the beginning of the parish church, dedicated to the Rise of the Holy Cross unclearly, we can surely say that the church is the oldest brick structure in the town.

It was built in the Gothic style and its history goes back to the year 1298, when the Cieszyn Duchy was established. It happened when Mieshko I from the Cieszyn Piast dynasty was the ruler, and the town Frystad was the second seat of the duchy together with Cieszyn.

Karvina was at that time only a tiny mediaeval village near Frystat. The village Karvina was promoted to a town only in 1923.

At the beginning of 1949, the surrounding villages around Karvina were united with the town and the historic core of the town Frystat has become the middle of the new organism called Karvina I Town, whereas the former Karvina was named Karvina II Doly.

The church was built as a one nave structure on a plan of a Latin cross. At first, the church had no tower. In the 14 the century it was the only brick building in the town.

The big fires in 1511, 1617 and 1782 that broke out in Frystat destroyed the majority of buildings and the church itself. Therefore, it had to be reconstructed and gradually the interior decorations have been changed...

In the first half of the XVI th century a high square tower was added to the northern wall.

It was crowned with a wooden gallery and an onion shaped roof. Another renovation took place

in 1611 when a Moravska chapel extended the interior of the church .That additional structure has changed the Gothic architecture of the temple.

The chapel was devoted, in the first half of XVIII th century,to St. John of Nepomuk.Because of the nationality arguments with the German part of the population, the chapel was to serve the Czech people.

Today it serves mainly as a confession chapel.

The last big fire which took place 1781 damaged the Gothic vaulting of the main nave and it had to be removed in 1798.Part of the tower and the bells fell down on the vaulting . In the years 1800 to 1801 the church was covered with a new roof. Nowadays, the rest of the Gothic vault can be found in St. Nicholas` chapel.

Another part of the Gothic construction has been discovered recently during the archeological research below the present sacristy where it forms part of the wall.