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The Lutheran church of the Cross complex - Zabytek.pl

The Lutheran church of the Cross complex


church Leszno

Address
Leszno, Plac Jana Metziga 19

Location
woj. wielkopolskie, pow. Leszno, gm. Leszno

The Lutheran church complex, currently serving as the Roman Catholic parish church of the Holy Cross, consists of the church itself, the cemetery surrounded by a wall, the lapidarium as well as the new pastor’s house, currently serving as a rectory.

It constitutes both an outstanding period complex of ecclesiastical buildings and a proof of the multicultural history of the town of Leszno. The Baroque church of the Cross was the largest of all protestant churches in Greater Poland, with many other buildings of this kind erected in the 18th century imitating its design solutions. The existing church was built in years 1707-1715 based on a design by the architect Pompeo Ferrari; the construction process was overseen by Jan Adam Stier from Rydzyna, a construction engineer. The tower was built at a later date - in 1792, with Karol Marcin Frantz being the man responsible for its design. The cemetery located alongside the Lutheran church was created in the first half of the 17th century, while the cemetery wall is a later, mid-18th century addition. The lapidarium, established in years 1950-1960, houses a valuable collection of antique headstones. The pastor’s house, built in 1911, was designed by Otto Johannis of Charlottenburg.

History

Leszno was a private town which remained in the hands of the Leszczyński noble family (of the Wieniawa coat of arms) between 1394 and 1738; later on, in years 1738-1833, the town passed on to the Sułkowski family, who also owned the nearby town of Rydzyna. In 1516, a group of refugees from Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia have settled near the village of Leszczynko, fleeing religious persecution. In 1547, the town was granted Magdeburg rights. After 1633, more Protestant refugees from Silesia - most of them of German descent - arrived in town. The town also had a sizeable Jewish population. In the 16th and 17th century, Leszno remained the centre of the Unity of the Bohemian Brethren. In years 1628-55, the eminent scholar Jan Amos Komeński as well as Jan Jonston both resided in the town of Leszno. In 1656, the town was set on fire by the Polish forces - an act of revenge brought about by the decision of the local authorities to open the town’s gates to the invading Swedish forces one year earlier. As the fire raged across the town, all non-Catholic places of worship were lost to the blaze. Following a period of stagnation, the town embarked upon the path of growth once again after 1738. After the Partitions of Poland and the Treaty of Versailles, the town was reincorporated into Poland in 1920.

The first Lutheran church - a sturdy timber-framed structure - was erected back in 1635.

The land upon which the church was erected was donated to the Lutheran community by Rafał VII Leszczyński. The wooden church was destroyed by fire on two occasions - in 1656 and in 1707. The cemetery located alongside the church of the Holy Cross was established in the first half of the 17th century.

The existing church was built in years 1707-1715, based on a design by an architect named Pompeo Ferrari, with Jan A. Stier being responsible for the oversight of construction works. The upper part of the walls was a timber-framed structure.

The wall surrounding the cemetery from the south, the west and the north was built in the early 18th century.

The tower achieved its current form in 1792, based on an earlier design by Karol Marcin Frantz which was prepared back in 1743; the tower was crowned with a wooden cupola.

In 1805, the upper parts of the wall were reconstructed as a full brick structure (as opposed to the previous use of timber framing) following a fire which devastated the church in 1790.

In 1896, a comprehensive restoration of the church took place under the direction of Julian Kohte, a historical monument preservation officer. The restoration works included the replacement of the capitals which crowned the columns, the application of new interior plasterwork as well as the execution of new wall paintings.

In 1911, the pastor’s house - currently serving as a rectory - was erected.

In 1928, the window surrounds on the church façades were subjected to restoration works.

After 1945, the northern part of the wall around the graveyard was demolished and the graves were completely levelled.

In 1957, the vaults inside the church were partially repaired.

A lapidarium intended to display the headstones from the cemetery of the Evangelical Reformed community which was liquidated back in 1947.

Description

Leszno is a town with district rights, situated at the northern edge of the Leszczyńska Upland. A number of roads and railways from Poznań to Wrocław and from Kalisz to Zielona Góra lead through the town.

The complex of the Lutheran church of the Cross, currently serving as the Roman Catholic parish church of the Holy Cross, consisting of the church, the walled cemetery, the lapidarium and the new pastor’s house (currently serving as the rectory) is situated by the Dr Jan Metzig square, formerly known as the “New Market” or “Church Square”. The complex is positioned towards the south-west of the market square, in the former Święcichowskie Suburb. The church was originally erected outside the limits of the chartered town.

The church is a brick edifice set atop a plastered brick foundation. The church features an exposed brick façade, although the tower, the gable walls of the front façade, the window and portal surrounds as well as the plinths atop which the pilasters are set are all covered with plaster. The church was designed on a rectangular floor plan, with pronounced, three-sided avant-corps with concave walls projecting out of the side façades and a rectangular tower abutting the western wall. The interior, designed on an elongated octagonal floor plan incorporated into the rectangular outline of the building, features a central layout, with the octagonal shape being achieved through an appropriate arrangement of the pillars and the course of the two-storey galleries positioned above them. The pipe organ gallery is positioned in the west. The sacristy is positioned towards the south, by the bay incorporating the altarpiece; a library is located on the first floor of the sacristy. A narthex flanked by two symmetrical turrets housing the stairs leading up to the galleries is located on the ground floor level of the tower. The church features wooden vaults supported by arches which rise above the massive, brick pillars constructed in 1804. The middle, square bay of the octagonal interior is covered with a barrel vault with lunettes, supported by arches. Other sections feature barrel vaults with lunettes, with cloister vaults used for the sacristy and the vestibule. The wooden galleries were constructed in the early 19th century.

The façades of the church are partitioned by Tuscan pilasters set atop tall plinths. The rectangular windows are topped with segmental arches and feature decorative window surrounds adorned with label stops and volutes. The windows in the lower section of the facade feature Baroque wrought iron grills. The three-sided roofs are clad with roof tiles. Both levels of the tower are adorned with pilasters at the corners; the tower’s facade is visually partitioned into regular sections, crowned with an entablature at the top. A portal topped with a semicircular arch, framed by pairs of pilasters, is positioned on the axis of the tower. Inside, the church features mostly fixtures and fittings designed in the Classicist style.

The cemetery located by the Lutheran church of the Cross was established back in the 17th century and existed there until the end of World War II. After 1945, the graves were levelled. In the early 18th century, the cemetery was circumscribed by a brick wall. The northern section of the wall which had once incorporated a gate was demolished after 1945. Today, the northern and eastern sides of the cemetery are only circumscribed by a modern fence set atop a brick foundation and consisting of metal spans positioned between brick posts; the eastern part of the cemetery is located beyond the fence. There was once a wicket gate where the southern and western walls meet, leading to a stone bridge spanning a moat which facilitated access from the direction of the church towards the Święcichowskie Suburb and the area of the large Augsburg Evangelical (Lutheran) cemetery, which was subsequently liquidated in the 1950s .

In years 1950-1960, a lapidarium - a museum of headstones and funerary sculpture - was established on the site of the former cemetery, with the brick wall around the graveyard and the façade of the church serving as a background for the items displayed. The lapidarium contains a collection of priceless headstones with inscribed epitaphs. At the present stage, 25 headstones are embedded in 22 niches of the western wall; a further 29 are positioned inside 25 niches in the southern wall, while 40 headstones and one decorative surround are embedded in the façade of the church. A further 34 obelisks and sculptures can be admired in the cemetery itself. Decorative plaques dating back to both the 18th century and to the period when the lapidarium was established are placed on the walls of the church. Obelisks from the cemetery of the Bohemian Brethren and from the cemetery of the Reformed Evangelical commune which was established at a later date as well as various fragments of funerary sculptures have also been relocated to the church cemetery. The obelisks, designed in the Baroque and Renaissance styles, are reminiscent of similar structures built in Silesia; the obelisks, some of which have subsequently been restored, date back to the period between the 17th century and the 19th century. Made at the local workshops, these obelisks are all examples of fine craftsmanship. Next to the obelisks stands a lone grave of doctor Jan Metzig, who died in 1868; the grave, featuring a modern headstone from 1985, was moved here in 1953 from a cemetery which was located beyond the embankments. A growth of old trees - oaks and lindens - towers above the old burial ground.

The new pastor’s house, erected in 1911 as a residential building for the pastor and the superintendent, currently serves as the rectory. The building still retains many preserved original features which include its overall shape, the detailing of the façades and the original wooden windows with muntin bars. The building constitutes a fine example of an early 20th-century villa - a tasteful rendition of the Berlin Historicist style.

The site is accessible to visitors. Viewing of the building is only possible by prior arrangement. More information about the parish and the Holy Mass schedule can be found on the website of the parish and of the Poznań archdiocese at: www.archpoznan.pl.

compiled by Teresa Palacz, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Poznan, 29-10-2014.

Bibliography

  • Łęcki Wł., Wielkopolska - słownik krajoznawczy, Poznań 2002.
  • Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, Ruszczyńska T., Sławska A. (red.), t. 5, z. 12 pow. leszczyński, s. 27-36, Warszawa 1975.
  • Świderski Br., Ilustrowany opis Leszna i ziemi leszczyńskiej, Leszno 1928 (reprint wydany na 450-lecie Leszna)
  • Werner A., Geschichte der ewangelischen Parochien in der Provinz Posen, Posen 1898.
  • Kalendarium miasta Leszna, Piwoń Aleksander (red.), Leszno 1996.
  • Piwoń Al., Kościoły Leszna, Poznań 1987,
  • Komolka M., Sierpowski St., Leszno - zarys dziejów, Poznań 1987

Category: church

Architecture: Baroque

Building material:  brick

Protection: Register of monuments, Monuments records

Inspire id: PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_N_30_BK.164373, PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_E_30_BK.60435