Traditionally, it is associated with the stay of St. Adalbert in Opole in 984.

History

The chapel was erected probably using the walls of the thirteenth-century fortified tower and was consecrated in 1361. In 1663, the chapel was extended upwards using the Gothic foundations. At that time, it was situated at the corner of the short western wing of the Dominican monastery, extending beyond the quadrangular monastery complex. The wing was built anew in 1865 and then extended in 1885 so that the chapel is now located in 2/3 of its length and is accessible from its interior. Over the years, the chapel was damaged by fires and was renovated several times. The chapel was burned in 1945; after the war it was converted into a storage room for the hospital in the former monastery. At the beginning of this century, the building gradually falling into ruin was restored and is now part of the Museum of the University of Opole.

Description

The chapel is linked with the former Dominican monastery complex located in the south-eastern part of the city centre, on the tallest hill in the old town (so-called Wzgórze Wojciechowe (Adalbert's Hill), Wzgórze Klasztorne (Monastery Hill), Wzgórze Zamkowe (Castle Hill), currently Wzgórze Uniwersyteckie (University Hill)). The northern side of the chapel adjoins the south-western wing of the Collegium Maius of the University of Opole.

The small building was built of brick on stone foundations. It is a single-space structure on a floor plan which approximates the shape of a rectangle. Significantly thick walls in the corners were additionally reinforced with buttresses and a stone plinth. The chapel is surmounted by a low square superstructure which is crowned with a round lantern with windows, covered with a cupola. The walls of the interior covered with a sail vault feature arcades and niches terminating in semicircular arches. The fixtures and fittings, i.e., a Baroque altar and statues in the niches, known from archival photographs have not survived.

The structure is open to the public from the outside; viewing of the interior of the chapel is possible during the opening hours of the Museum of the University of Opole.

compiled by Ewa Kalbarczyk-Klak, National Heritage Board of Poland, Regional Branch in Opole, 18-06-2014.

Bibliography

• Schidlausky G., Hartmann R., Eberle K., DieBau-und Kunstdenkmäler des Stadtkreises Oppeln, Breslau 1939, p. 105.
• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, woj. opolskie, miasto Opole i pow. opolski, Vol. VII, issue 11, pp. 21-28.
• Nicieja S.S., Wzgórze Uniwersyteckie w Opolu, ludzie i zabytki, fakty i legendy, Opole 2008.
• Publication from the archives of the Voivodeship Monuments Protection Office in Opole.
• Opole. Dzieje i tradycja, Link B., Tarka K., Zajączkowska U. (eds.), Opole 2011.