History of the structure

Karwin was founded in the 16th century on a swampy, wooded area rich in iron ore. The village was first mentioned in written records as Hammer in 1585. Until the depletion of the iron ore at the turn of the 18th century, the residents of the village mainly practiced metallurgy. It remains unknown when exactly the estate in Karwin was built. In the 17th and 18th century it belonged to Bogumił Horn and his heirs, in the years 1784-1815 to commissioner Michael Mittelstaedt and his wife, later to cavalry captain Sigismund von der Osten until 1839, followed by Robert Rehmann until 1845. The next owner, August von Rochow, introduced artificial drainage of meadows and established a brickyard in the village. Afterwards, the written sources list Robert Eugen von Wedell in 1856 and Adolf Horn in 1907 as subsequent owners. The church was erected in the 18th century (source literature mentions two dates: 1711 and 1778), probably in place of an earlier temple. The date 1795 placed on a pennant most probably refers to a renovation. After World War II the church was taken over by the Catholics and consecrated in 1952. In 1971, after reconsecration, the patronage of the church was changed from the Holy Spirit to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the 1980s window and door joinery was replaced, while during the renovation carried out in the years 1992-1993 the floors were laid anew and the temple fixtures and fittings were subject to renovation. In 2009 the fixtures and fittings were renovated again.

Site description

The church sits on a hill, on the north-eastern edge of the village, at a road to Kwiejce. The church is oriented towards the east, has a frame structure set on a rectangular floor plan with a polygonal terminating vista on the east side. A low, squat tower is incorporated into the main body on the west side. Two porches were added on the axes of longer sides. The main body is covered with a gable roof stepped on the east side, the annexes are topped with gable roofs, while the tower is surmounted with a tented roof. The interior is covered with a polychromed beamed ceiling. What is interesting among the surviving fixtures and fittings is the Baroque main altar with a “Crucifixion” painting on a board, a pulpit and benches with backrests and forechests.

Visitor access. Limited access to the monument. Viewing of the church interior is only possible by prior telephone arrangement.

Author of the note: compiled by Anna Jackiewicz, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Zielona Góra, 13-12-2017

Bibliography

• Garbacz K., Przewodnik po zabytkach województwa lubuskiego, vol. 3, Zielona Góra 2013, pp. 307-308.
• Szymańska-Dereń M., Kościoły zrębowe i szkieletowe województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2009, pp. 42-44.