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Evangelical Church of Our Saviour - Zabytek.pl

Evangelical Church of Our Saviour


church 19th century Tomaszów Mazowiecki

Address
Tomaszów Mazowiecki, św. Antoniego 37/39

Location
woj. łódzkie, pow. tomaszowski, gm. Tomaszów Mazowiecki (gm. miejska)

An example of Gothic Revival architecture.The work of famous architects Paul Hofer and Johannes Wende. The main component of a sacral complex.

History

Count Antoni Ostrowski founded a weavers’ settlement in Tomaszów. The first weavers, mainly Protestants, came and settled there in 1823. In the 19th century, the population of the parish increased significantly in several decades. At the end of the 19th century, it already had a congregation of over 5,000, but the existing church (at No. 21 T. Kosciuszko Square) had a capacity of up to 400 people. As a result, the construction of a new, larger temple was undertaken. In 1896, after the construction had been approved by the authorities, the pastor from Tomaszów, E. Biedermann announced a fund-raising campaign. The construction works began in 1897. The church was erected on a large land plot purchased earlier, situated at one of the main arteries of the town - St. Anthony Street. The design was created by the Warsaw architect Paul Hofer and the construction was entrusted to Johannes Wende. Wende, who was given full authority to construct the building for the first time, introduced slight changes to the design, after they had been approved by the district architect Wilhelm Sroka.

The construction of the church lasted two years, but it took another three years to finish the interiors and to supply them with fixtures and fittings. The size and the lavish form of the temple turned out to be much more expensive than had originally been anticipated. Many parishioners donated additional funds or items of fixtures and fittings, such as stained glass and bells. One of the most valuable gifts was a painting by W. Gerson entitled “The Meeting of the Resurrected Christ with Mary Magdalene” and the main altar, bought by pastor Biedermann and his wife. The church opening ceremony took place on 15 August 1902.

The parishioners were delighted with the magnificent, Gothic Revival form enriched with Romanesque elements. It was said that the church was so beautiful that it could compete with the Evangelical Church of St. John in Łódź. The new temple became a centre of vibrant social life. The parish had a singing association, an orchestra, sports teams, as well as women’s and youth clubs. A number of ancillary buildings were erected: the pastor’s house, the parish house, etc. Between 1902 and 1904, the spacious area around the church was planted with trees and a wrought iron fence was also constructed. The fence is set on a foundation with three entrance gates.

 After the Second World War, the area was used by the Polish army for several years, but was subsequently returned to the Evangelical community.

Description

The Evangelical sacral complex in Tomaszów is located in the southern part of the town, on a land plot surrounded by the streets: św. Antoniego, Seweryna, Szkolna and Bohaterów 14 Brygady. The land plot has a trapezoidal shape. Apart from the church, the complex includes a utility building and a clergy house. The residential and utility part is separated from the sacral one and it has its separate entrance from St. Anthony Street. The temple is not oriented, the chancel faces north-east.

Gothic Revival with Romanesque elements. The temple in the form of a hall church follows the floor plan of the Latin cross. The three-bay nave is preceded by the main (middle) porch built on a floor plan of a square (on the ground floor of the tower) and two rectangular side porches. The chancel is terminated polygonally. From the north-east, it is adjoined by a polygonal sacristy with a small vestibule. The chancel is flanked by two rectangular annexes. The transept consists of three parts.

The church was built from red bricks laid with lime-cement mortar. The external walls are not rendered with plaster, unlike internal walls, which have a plaster coating. The applied vaults are of a groin-ribbed type. At the intersection of the nave and the chance, there are stellar vaults made of brick. The roof truss is made of wood. It has a straining beam-purlin structure assembled using a queen post and an additional collar beam in the upper section. The gable roof is covered with galvanized sheet metal.

All elevations are set on a plinth, which is over one metre high, and are buttressed. The splayed window openings are topped with pointed arches and are decorated with different stone tracery patterns. The south-western front elevation is preceded by a tall tower, whose slender shape is emphasized by a steeple cupola. On its ground level, there is the main entrance to the temple, placed in a pointed-arch portal. Above the portal, there is a rosette, as well as a large window opening with a stained glass window. There is a clock above the window. Further above, there is another window. Two entrance openings in the side parts of the façade are placed in portals too. There are windows above the portals. Further above, arcaded friezes were used. The whole is crowned with triangular tops. The side elevations have two rows of window openings – on the ground level, there are double windows ended with a segmental arch. On the upper storeys, there are pointed-arch windows. The windows are separated by buttresses.

A plinth strip runs around the walls and pillars. The pillars dividing the naves and supporting the interior galleries (triforiums) are polygonal. The choir and organ gallery is supported by pillars and columns. On the walls of the chancel, there are polychromes with floral and religious motifs. The windows are glazed with the original stained glass (1900-1903).

The original fixtures and fittings in the Gothic Revival style have been preserved in the temple: the main altar with a painting by W. Gerson, a pulpit, a marble baptismal font, pews.

The building can be viewed from outside all year round. It can be toured inside upon prior arrangement with the parish authorities.

Compiled by Anna Michalska, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Łódź. 2 April 2020

Bibliography

  • 220 lat Tomaszowa Mazowieckiego, materiały z sesji naukowej, Tomaszów 2008
  • Ród Ostrowskich w dziejach Tomaszowa i Rzeczypospolitej, materiały z sesji naukowej, Tomaszów 1991
  • Tomaszów Mazowiecki, dzieje miasta, Warszawa 1980
  • Proksa M., Zub M., Ewangelickie kościoły w Tomaszowie Mazowieckim, Próba analizy przestrzenno- użytkowej i architektonicznej, in: Czasopismo Inżynierii Lądowej, Środowiska i Architektury, Vol. XXXIV, 2017, July - September.
  • Grzegorczyk, Andrzej, Johannes Wende – budowniczy z miasta bawełny, in: Rocznik Białostocki, 20, 2016
  • K. Stefański, Johannes Wende i Richard Schlein – między Łodzią a Żytawą, in: Sztuka Polski Środkowej – Studia IV. Sztuka nowożytna i nowoczesna, Łódź 2010

Category: church

Architecture: Neo-Gothic

Building material:  unknown

Protection: Register of monuments, Monuments records

Inspire id: PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_N_10_BK.132523, PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_E_10_BK.178059