Kostel svatého Zikmunda (Stráž pod Ralskem) Church

The Church of Saint Sigismund in Stráž pod Ralskem is a Baroque subsidiary church from the eighteenth century. It stands at the intersection of Mimoňská Street and U Potoka Street. Right next to it is a Baroque rectory, a cemetery, and a small park with a statue of Emperor Joseph II. Both the church and rectory are protected as cultural monuments.

A Gothic parish church dedicated to Saint Nicholas stood on this site as early as the thirteenth century. When the Vartenberg family acquired the estate, they changed its dedication to Saint Sigismund in fourteen thirteen. The old church was later reconstructed in the Renaissance style and in sixteen hundred five a tower was added to it, which stands there to this day. Between seventeen seventy-two and seventeen seventy-nine, Count František Hartig had a new church built in the late Baroque style. The architect J. J. Kunz had the old building demolished and the new church was consecrated on May second, seventeen eighty-one. From seventeen thirty-five to eighteen eighty-four, the Hartig family, the last nobility in Stráž pod Ralskem, were buried in the crypt in front of the main altar.

After nineteen forty-five, the church fell into decay. In nineteen sixty it was closed and served as a storage facility. Repairs began around the year two thousand at the initiative of the Mimoň pastor Václav Horniak, and the city also participated in them. Today, services are held in the church once again.

The building has the ground plan of a Latin cross and the tower rises from the facade of the long arm. The facades are divided by recessed panels, and inside there are coffered vaults. Their paintwork dates from the eighteen eighties. Exceptional is the decoration of the side chapel by academic painter Vojmír Vokolek from nineteen seventy-nine to nineteen eighty-three. Especially his fresco Adoration of the Rocket was unusually open criticism of the conditions of that time. Vokolek also created candelabra and a tabernacle for the church.

The original furnishings from the eighteenth century suffered during the period of decay. Some items were taken elsewhere and several pieces were stolen, including the altar painting of Saint Sigismund by Master Pamních. In two thousand two, the painting was restored according to a photograph. The church also displays paintings by Josef Führich from eighteen forty-one to eighteen forty-four.

The organ has an interesting fate. Today's instrument by Martin Zausse originally comes from Cheb. In nineteen fifty-three it was moved to the Church of Saint Francis in Děčín and in two thousand it was sold in parts to Stráž pod Ralskem. There the organ builder Pavel Truhlář and his son repaired and reassembled it. The bishop of Litoměřice Pavel Posád blessed the organ on November twenty-sixth, two thousand six.