History

The town was founded by Baltazar II von Stosch in 1583 (1584), on the land between Upper Czernina and Lower Czernina stretching to the north-west under a charter granted to the former owner of the lands in Czernina, Heinrich von Dohna, by King Wladyslaw of Poland in 1515. In 1538 Heinrich von Dohna sold the lands in Czernina to the brothers Alexander and Baltazar I von Stosch. The privilege of granting rights under the charter was confirmed in 1540. When the town was founded, a market square with a network of streets was marked out and a town pond was established on the northern side of the market square. A city senate and a judicial tribunal were established. According to the inscription on the epitaph plaque of Balthasar II, located above the entrance to the church, it was upon his initiative that the town hall was built and municipal buildings were constructed. The town was fortified. The town was fortified with earthen ramparts and a moat, and with a wall from the eastern side. Czernina had three town gates built in 1596, 1597 and 1598, bearing the names: Rydzyńska (or Polish), Dolnoczernińska and Górowska. In 1st quarter ofthe town fortifications together with the gates were dismantled, and their final liquidation took place in 1830. The existing town hall was built in 1799-1800 on the site of the 16th century town hall, which burned down in 1769. 

Description

The centre of Czernina’s urban layout is a trapezoidal market square with a regular network of streets. The shape of the town square and the layout of the main traffic routes have been preserved till the present day. The location of the town pond, established at the time of the town’s incorporation and situated to the north of the town square, is also clear. In the central part of the market square there is a Classicist town hall, built between 1799-1800, with accompanying outbuildings and garages. Originally the one-storey town hall building was located on the eastern side of the market square. Among town buildings there is a baroque house with a high mansard roof, located at 7 Narutowicza Street. To the north and south of the town centre, along the main north-south road from Rydzyna to Ligota, small modestly built suburbs were developed.

The parish church of medieval origin is situated to the southeast of the market square. To the north of the church there is a large palace-park complex with a ruined palace. Between the parish church and the palace complex there is a 19th century brick tower, the remains of an Evangelical church. 

The church is open to visitors.

Complied by Maria Czyszczoń, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Wrocław, 12 December 2015.

Bibliography

• Weczerka H., (Hrsg.) Handbuch der historischen Stätten. Schlesien, Stuttgart 1977, p. 546.
• Zabytki sztuki w Polsce. Śląsk (Art Monuments in Poland. Silesia), Warsaw 2006, pp. 227-228.