Church of Peace Holy Trinity - a historic religious building in Poland, in Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, in Świdnica district, in Świdnica. Built under the agreements Treaty of Westphalia, concluded in 1648 and ending the Thirty Years' War. It belongs to the Świdnica parish of the Evangelical-Augsburg Church in Poland.
Information
Geographic coordinates: 50 ° 50′46 ″ N 16 ° 29′29 ″ E
Church of wood, clay and straw.
There are only 2 Churches of Peace in the world. One is in Świdnica, the other in Jawor. They would not have arisen if it were not for human inclination to wars and fights involving many countries and many people. In the years 1618-1648 by Europe the Thirty Years' War took place. At first it was a conflict between Protestants and Catholics, but quickly turned into a struggle for domination on the continent. After many years of struggle, the Peace of Westphalia was concluded in 1648.
Protestant by virtue of it Sweden she persuaded the Catholic Habsburgs - the Catholic emperor (Roman and German king) Ferdinand, to make a gesture of tolerance in order to preserve peace, allowing his Catholic country to build 3 Protestant churches for Lutherans living in Silesia. This permit, however, contained burdensome conditions, great difficulties for the Evangelicals: the temples had to be erected during the year, only from perishable materials (the use of bricks, stones and nails was forbidden), they were to be placed outside the city walls (distant from them at a distance from a cannon shot), and they could not resemble churches erected so far - they were to be devoid of towers. It was also not possible to build a parish school next door.
All 3 were built, and the churches in Świdnica and Jawor (church Głogów in the 18th century it was consumed by a fire).
Restrictions that were to prevent the construction or long existence of churches contributed to the creation of temples unique in the world. Their uniqueness lies in the combination of enormous dimensions (they had to accommodate a large number of the faithful) with a structure that has not been used so far in such enormous buildings. All churches were designed by the same architect and ... fortress, master builder Albrecht von Saebisch.
The cornerstone for the construction of the church in Świdnica was laid on August 23, 1656, and 10 months later, on June 24, 1657, the first service was held here. The church could accommodate over 7,000 believers. 3,000 oaks were used for its construction. The church was built by a carpenter from Świdnica, Andreas Kaemper.
It was built in a half-timbered system as a central structure, on a Greek cross plan, 44 m long and 30.5 m wide. On the ground floor and four floors, the gallery could accommodate nearly 7,500 people (including 3,000 seated). The church was built to accommodate as many people as possible, which was important especially in the times of restricting the freedom of religion for Protestants, because it was one of the two Protestant churches in the Duchy of Świdnica and Jawor. Therefore, the temple has a huge internal area (1090 m²) and a huge cubature.
The altar and pulpit are exceptionally valuable elements of the church's furnishings, and the organ is also valuable.
The baroque pulpit, the work of Gotfried August Hoffmann, dates from 1729. The stairs are decorated with biblical scenes: "Pentecost", "Golgotha" and "Paradise". There are carved allegories of Faith, Hope and Love on the balustrade. Above the door to the pulpit there is a sculpture of Jesus the Good Shepherd.
The main altar, also by Hoffmann, was commissioned for the church's centenary in 1752 and completed the following year. Above the altar mensa there is a small bas-relief depicting the Last Supper. In the center is the "Baptism of Christ" and the figure of Moses, the high priest of Aaron and the apostles Peter and Paul. Above, on six Corinthian columns, there is a frieze with the inscription: "Dies ist mein geliebter Sohn, an dem ich Wohlgefallen habe" ("This is my beloved son, whom I am well pleased" - Gospel according to St. Matthew 3:17). In the center, at the height of the frieze, there is an allegory of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Above, under the canopy, a golden triangle surrounded by rays - an allegory of God the Father. At the top of the altar, on a book with 7 seals, there is a lamb with a banner.
Opposite the pulpit, above the main entrance to the church, there is a richly decorated lodge of the Hochberg family, benefactors of the church, built in 1698.
In 1708, during the Third Northern War, when the religious situation of Evangelicals improved, again under the pressure of the Swedish king, a bell tower and an Evangelical school were built next to the church. Both buildings have survived to this day.
The Church of Peace in Świdnica is a symbol of Polish-German reconciliation not only because of its name, but also for a joint visit to the church in Świdnica in 1989 of the Prime Minister of Poland Tadeusz Mazowiecki and the chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohlwhen both politicians prayed here for peace and reconciliation.
In 2001, the Churches of Peace from Świdnica and Jawor were entered into UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
Visiting the Church of Peace in Świdnica from April to October from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and from 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. (on Sundays and holidays, 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.). From November to March, tours are possible by prior arrangement only, tel. 74 852 2814.
Other information about Świdnica
- St. st. Stanisław and Wenceslas, a monumental Gothic building with elements of the Renaissance and Baroque (1330) towers over the city. It has the largest gothic church window in Silesia, considered a priceless Marian altar from 1492, modeled on the altar of Veit Stoss from St.Mary's Church in Krakow and the tower, which is the third tallest in Poland, is 103 m high.
- Astronomer from Świdnica. At the Market Square in The house under the Golden Peasant lived Maria Kunitz (born in 1604), an astronomer who used only handwritten calculations, incl. she corrected several errors in the Kepler tables, accurately calculated and corrected the trajectories of the planets of the solar system, and made the first observations of Venus and Jupiter.
- Family villa Red Devil (Baron) - the most famous airman of World War I, at ul. Sikorski.
- One fathom and two Old Polish fingers ... this is the height of the writer. The stone is 32 pounds and a stroke of luck (for example) is only 13 grams. This kind of curiosity is known to everyone who enters the Museum of Old Merchandise Rynek 37, phone no. 74 852 12 91 www.muzeum-kupiectwa.art.pl
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