Churches of Peace

The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica, localised in Poland, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, are the largest timber-framed religious buildings in Europe.

Three Evangelical churches were built in Lower Silesia in 17th century, at a time of religious strife following the Peace of Westphalia, and therefore were named the Churches of Peace. The church in Głogów burned in 1758, the other two in Jawor and Świdnica were restored by a Polish-German cooperation.

Constrained by the physical and political conditions, the churches bear testimony to the quest for religious freedom and are a rare expression of Lutheran ideology in an idiom generally associated with the imperial Habsburg Roman Catholic Church. With the Peace of Westphalia the Protestants in Silesia were allowed to build three churches, but they had to be built outside the city walls and made of wood with no nails.



Wooden architecture . WHS Hotspot . Protestantism .

Reviews

Christer Sundberg (Sweden):
It wasn’t easy to get to Swidnica but with some assistance from a few Polish bus companies I eventually found the small town at the foot of the Sudeten Mountains. My guidebook told me that in medieval times, Swidnica was one of the wealthiest towns in Silesia and a commercial centre well known for its beer, sold as far away as Prague. To me it looked like a small copy of neighbouring Wroclaw but with a certain charm of its own.

Just a few minutes walk from the city centre is the unique wooden Church of Peace, erected in 1656-57. Together with its “cousin” in the nearby village Jawor, it’s the largest wooden church in the world, seating over 3500 people if necessary. The 17th-century baroque interior decoration is absolutely brilliant, covering walls and ceilings and given that it’s all built in wood a small prayer that it will last for many years to come, might be in place…
 
Jose Gomes (Portugal):
Roman (Czechia) did a very nice description of these churches. We used our own car to reach these sites and we found it very easy, even despite it is very dangerous to drive in Poland. The paintings on the walls are very nice. For those visiting Krakow it is not "far" since there is a motorway (there are a few in Poland but this picture will change in a few years due to the entrance of Poland in the European Union) connecting Krakow and Wroclaw (another UNESCO site).
Date posted: September 2006
Lawrence Siddall (U.S,A,):
I was an American Peace Corps volunteer teaching English in a high school in Swidnica, Poland, from 1997-99. I visited the Peace Church many times and, with permission from the pastor, I made a new cassette recording in English about the church that is available to visitors; one can also listen to a recording in German or Polish. The church is an architectural gem and one of the most beautiful in Poland.
My last visit there was in September,2005.
Date posted: April 2006
Sazanami (Japan):
Churches of Peace are great artistic achievement with Catholic-like innner decorations,even though Protestants'.
The magnificient atmosphere is covering these wooden architecture and are welcome for the visitors kindly.
When I went there,both churches were closed but,caretakers of each churches unlocked it for me and I could see inside.
I recommend this world heritage site strongly,if someone is about to travel in Poland.
Date posted: February 2006
Roman (Czechia):
I have visited the Church of Peace in Swidnica. There is another one in Jawor and the third one was built in Glogow, but it burned in 18th century. The churches were built after the Peace of Westphalia, when the Lutheran Protestants were allowed by German emperor to built their churches. The building conditions were very restrictive as they must have been built during one year only, at the back of the city walls and only timber, clay and sraw as unstable materials could have been used. They were supported by very rich protestant famillies and they made something, what considering the condition is really breathtaking. The church in Swidnica is in a peacefull park and the timber-framed walls of the church look interesting. The inside is absolutelly excellent. There is a great baroque interior completely carved in wood. There are two galleries, so the church seats about 7,000 people. The wood is painted in gold and the frames of the galleries look like laces. Really exceptional place.
 


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