Evanjelický kostol v Gelnici

The Evangelical Church in Gelnica is one of the most significant Classicist sacral buildings in the Spiš region. It was built in 1784, during the period when Evangelical churches were allowed to construct their own places of worship following the issuance of the Patent of Toleration by Joseph II. The construction cost approximately 30,000 golden coins, raised from contributions of around 200 believers, several mining guilds, and the Roberti mining company, which played an important economic role in the town at the time.

The Roberti mining company also significantly contributed to the church’s interior equipment, financing, for example, the pulpit and the altar. Miners from the local mine donated the mining choir, which still reflects the strong connection between religious life and the mining tradition of Gelnica. Another mining company, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, donated a painting of Emperor Joseph II, whose name is still displayed on commemorative plaques above the main entrance as a sign of gratitude for religious tolerance.

The interior of the church is also artistically valuable. The main altar features an oil painting of Christ and the Samaritan Woman, created by academic painter Karol Jakobey in 1887. The mining choir contains a relief depicting miners at work underground, a unique feature reminding visitors of the town’s mining history.

The church is not only a place of worship but also an important cultural and historical monument, documenting the connection between faith, mining tradition, and the development of Gelnica in the 18th and 19th centuries.