The rectory at 11 Piastowska Street

The rectory at 11 Piastowska Street is a building constructed in 1889 in the Neo-Gothic style, based on a design by Engelbert Seibertz, a Berlin architect. In 1903, the building was modernized and expanded.

Until 1867, Polish-speaking priests would visit Świnoujście twice a year to provide pastoral care to Poles serving in the Prussian army and to the Catholic population living in the vicinity of the city. By 1867, there were already fifteen Catholic families in Świnoujście, and a school was operating there where Catholic services were held. In 1869, the “Mission House” was purchased, and in 1889, a rectory was built next to it; by then, Świnoujście already had its own chaplain, and the Catholic community numbered over 300 people.

The rectory is a building constructed on a rectangular plan, with a compact, cuboid form; it has a basement, two stories, and is covered with a mansard roof. The structure is slightly divided by shallow projections on the front and eastern sides. On the west side, a two-story addition adjoins the main structure, disrupting the regular composition of the building. The front facade, a five-axis structure with a symmetrical composition, is divided by window openings and, on the ground floor, by two door openings as well. The facade is clad in natural-colored brick with decorative motifs in the form of horizontal bands of black ceramic bricks. The architectural detailing is enriched with ornamentation, cornices, and a pseudo-maswerk frieze on the facade made of decoratively arranged ceramic tiles. The steep roof slopes are covered with zinc sheet metal.

Inside, remnants of the original interior design have been preserved, including balustrades, door frames, and stucco elements. The building is accessible from the outside.