The New Kościół is a large village in the central part of the Kaczawskie Foothills, situated in the Kaczawa Valley between its two gorge sections: upper Sędziszów – Dynowice and lower below Krzeniów. The settlement was founded at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. Since 1312, it remained in the hands of the von Zedlitz family, who built a castle intended as their ancestral seat. The village was one of the first to adopt Protestantism, and on September 12, 1518, the first Protestant sermon in Silesia was delivered here by Melchior Hoffmann, a disciple of Martin Luther. Between 1951 and 1955, a deep copper ore mine was built, operating until 1968. Today, the locality is primarily known to geologists as a starting point for areas where agates (the Wołek Massif), septaria, and copper minerals occur. The surrounding geological sites have been described in numerous publications aimed at mineral and rock collectors.
The main historical feature is the ruins of the Romanesque church of the Virgin Mary from the 13th century. The high tower topped with a spire and a fragment of one of the nave walls have been preserved. The former Evangelical church from the mid-18th century is built in the shape of a rectangle with cut corners, featuring a free-standing tower. It is surrounded by a wall in which stone sculptures and tombstones are placed. The castle, built in the 14th century and later reconstructed into a splendid neo-Gothic palace in the 19th century, was abandoned after World War II and dismantled.
Description: Piotr Migoń
The church of Our Lady of the Rosary
The former Lutheran church, currently parish church, built in 1749-54. In the 19th century, a free-standing tower was built next to the church, connected by a stone, arcaded bridge to the temple building. An interesting fact is the connection between the main altar and the pulpit (not present in Catholic churches). In the past, the interior was surrounded by two-storey galleries. Next to the church, there is a rectory (in the place of the former Lutheran school) and the former pastor’s house – currently owned by the Evangelical-Augsburg Parish in Jawor.
Remains of the von Zedlitz family estate
From the former Zedlitz castle, only traces remain in the form of remnants of the park, moat, and three gate pillars from the first half of the 19th century. The palace, despite damages during wartime, was suitable for renovation, but after 1945, it gradually fell into ruin. Local peasants and settlers took away the more valuable items. During World War II, one of the hiding places with treasures from the Lower Silesia was located in the palace. Günther Grundmann, a German professor, painter, art historian, and Lower Silesian conservator of monuments, placed the chests (likely delivered by rail) in the Zedlitz estate. One of the most valuable surviving relics from the palace is the painting “Luther’s Sermon” from 1580, currently housed in the Archdiocesan Museum in Wrocław.
Agates
The colorful minerals, signature of the Kaczawskie Foothills. They occur in volcanic rocks from the Permian period (approximately 270 million years ago). They formed through the precipitation of silica compounds from hot solutions circulating in rock voids. They range in size from a few millimeters to several tens of centimeters in diameter. They consist of alternating colorful layers of varying thickness. The interiors of agates can also be entirely or partially filled with crystals of quartz or amethyst. To bring out the beauty of agate, the rock must be cut, ground, and polished.
The vicinity of Nowy Kościół is one of the most well-known locations for the occurrence of agates in the region. The process of searching for them has been ongoing for over 100 years and in many places has led to the transformation of the surface of the terrain. It is important to note that digging in the ground to search for minerals on your own is illegal.
