Osijek Co-cathedral

Osijek Co-cathedral
The parish church of St Peter and Paul the Apostle in Osijek
Map
45°33′38″N 18°40′34″E / 45.5606367°N 18.6760604°E / 45.5606367; 18.6760604
LocationOsijek
CountryCroatia
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitewww.svpetaripavao.hr
Architecture
Architect(s)Franz Langenberg [1]
StyleNeo-Gothic
Completed1898
Specifications
Spire height94 m
Materialsbrick and stone

The Church of St Peter and St Paul (Croatian: Crkva svetog Petra i Pavla), the co-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek, is a neo-Gothic sacral structure located in Osijek, Croatia. The multi-tiered 90-metre spire is one of the city's landmarks. The church was built in 1898 on the initiative of the Bishop of Đakovo Josip Juraj Strossmayer.[2]

The church is entered via a small door to the right of the main portal, overlooked by a trio of gargoyles. The interior is a treasure trove of neo-Gothic ornamentation, with a succession of pinnacled altars overlooked by exuberant stained glass windows. The interior was finished off in 1938–1942 when leading Croatian painter Mirko Rački covered the walls and ceilings with brightly coloured frescoes illustrating famous episodes from the Old and New Testaments.

Masses are held daily at 07:00 and 18:30, and on Sundays at 06:30, 07:30, 08:30, 10:00, 11:30 and 18:30.

Trivia

  • This is the tallest building in Slavonia.
  • Capacity of the church during the mass is over 3000 people.
  • The church is built of three and a half million bricks, and has a colored stone altars.
  • The four tower bells weigh 2665 kg, 1552 kg, 740 kg. and 331 kg.[1]
  • In 1991, during Croatian War of Independence the church was heavily damaged.


  • Older baroque church that was demolished in order to construct new neo-gothic co-cathedral
    Older baroque church that was demolished in order to construct new neo-gothic co-cathedral
  • Construction of the co-cathedral in 1897
    Construction of the co-cathedral in 1897
  • Construction of the co-cathedral in 1898
    Construction of the co-cathedral in 1898
  • The top of the co-cathedral before mounting
    The top of the co-cathedral before mounting
  • Consecration of the co-cathedral on May 20, 1900
    Consecration of the co-cathedral on May 20, 1900
  • Co-cathedral today
    Co-cathedral today
  • Easter concert on the cathedral organ, 2023
    Easter concert on the cathedral organ, 2023

References

  1. ^ a b (in German) Franz Langenberg's Biography Archived 2011-06-02 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Povijest župe". Official Web Page (in Croatian). Župna crkva Sv. Petra i Pavla Apostola u Osijeku. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-09.

Media related to Church of SS. Peter and Paul in Osijek at Wikimedia Commons