Cathedral of St. John of Nepomuk, Zrenjanin

Church in Zrenjanin, Serbia

45°22′51″N 20°23′26″E / 45.38083°N 20.39056°E / 45.38083; 20.39056LocationZrenjaninCountrySerbiaDenominationRoman Catholic (Latin)HistoryStatusCathedralFounded1867 (1867)DedicationJohn of NepomukArchitectureFunctional statusActiveHeritage designationMonument of Culture of Great ImportanceArchitect(s)Franz Xaver BrandeiszStyleNeoclassicalAdministrationDioceseDiocese of ZrenjaninClergyBishop(s)László Német

The Cathedral of Saint John of Nepomuk (Serbian Cyrillic: Катедрала светог Ивана Непомука, romanized: Кatedrala svetog Ivana Nepomuka; Hungarian: Nepomuki Szent Jánosszékesegyház) is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Zrenjanin, Serbia. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Zrenjanin that covers the territory of Serbian Banat. The Cathedral is located in the Zrenjanin's main square, Trg slobode (Freedom Square). It is dedicated to Saint John of Nepomuk.

History

For the duration of the Ottoman rule (1552–1718) there stood a mosque, but was razed down by the Austrians following Turkish withdrawal from the city and Banat. However, this is not the first cathedral built following the removal of the mosque. Prior to the cathedral seen today, a Baroque-style church, built in 1768, stood in its place. Over the next century, the building deteriorated badly and the authorities decided to build a new one. The construction of the present-day cathedral commenced in 1864 by the project of Franz Xaver Brandeisz, who also built several churches in Banat, and lasted four years.

Features

The Zrenjanin Cathedral was built in the Neoclassical style. The interior was decorated by Josef Goigner from Tyrol and the cathedral features a pipe organ made in Timișoara, in 1907. Windows are decorated with stained glass.

Due to the cathedral's size, the steeple can be seen from most parts of the city.