Until recently, the church had been in a state of ruin due to war destruction. Fortunately, it was renovated thanks to the efforts of the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre, which has restored its former glory. The church was built in the fourteenth century as the parish church of the new district of Gdańsk called ‘New Town’, which stretched from Szeroka Street to the Podwale Old Town. Over time, the district began to be called ‘St John’s District’ after the patron of the church. The life of the district took place mainly on the Fish Market and in the parish church, which integrated the residents socially and culturally. It was at St John’s Church where the famous Library of Zachariasz Zappio, one of the most important founders of the church, was built in the 17th century. The library became a place where many valuable manuscripts and incunables were stored. That historic collection, despite the turmoil of the last war, has fortunately managed to survive to a considerable extent to our times and is now stored in the Gdańsk Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences. On the other hand, the name of the founder of the library, Zachariasz Zappio, was given to a picturesque alley running between the tenement houses at Straganiarska and Warzywnicza Streets, and the walls of St John’s Church.

St John’s Church is one of the most interesting historical temples and a very atmospheric place. It is certainly worth visiting while in Gdansk and maybe even attending one of the concerts held there.