From the moment of its construction, it has been functioning as an Evangelical church. It is located in the elegant resort part of Sopot and is perfectly embedded into the park greenery. It can be distinguished due to its high landscape value. The tower of the church is one of the spacial dominant features and is perfectly exposed from the side of the sea.

History

Since the 1820s, Sopot was a dynamically developing holiday and spa town, with a constantly increasing number of residents and seasonal guests. However, there was no church in the town until the 1870s. The Evangelicals from Sopot were members of the parish in Mały Kack (currently Gdynia), and only in the summer, services were held in the park in the open air for the guests of the resort. In 1871, the first Evangelical chapel was erected in Sopot. It was called the Chapel of Peace to commemorate that year’s conclusion of peace after the Franco-Prussian War. In 1913-1919, a larger church was erected on the site of the chapel, initially holding the same name. Adolf Bielefeld, a well-known architect working in Sopot and Gdańsk, was the author of the design. In May 1945, the church was handed over to the Catholic Church for a short period of time. However, already in September 1945, it was returned to the Evangelical Augsburg Church. Currently, it is a church of Our Saviour and belongs to the Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot Evangelical parish. Calvinist services are sometimes held in the church.

Description

The church is located in the central-eastern part of Sopot, in the area of the Southern Park, from its northern side adjacent to the Balneological Facility and the Spa Square, from its western side to Grunwaldzka and Parkowa streets, from its southern side to Kordeckiego street, and from the eastern side to Wojska Polskiego avenue and the sea beach. The church is surrounded by park greenery.

The building was erected in the neo-Baroque style and is made of brick. It was built on a Greek cross plan and has four annexes placed between the arms of the cross. In three of them, there are staircases. The body of the church is compact in shape. The southern and northern arm of the cross are covered with gable roofs, the eastern arm is covered with a three-pitched roof, and over the western arm there is a tall tower covered with a gable roof with a steeple. The annexes are significantly lower than the arms of the church, and are covered with mono-pitched roofs. Façades feature lavish neo-Baroque decorations. The northern and the southern façade of the arms of the cross are partitioned with Ionic pilasters, the gables are topped with triangular pediments and framed with vases on both sides. The façades of the tower are framed with pilasters. In the ground floor they are rusticated, and in the higher storeys they are plain, supported by acanthus corbels, with composite capitals. The gables of the tower are accentuated by volutes and topped with semi-circular pediments. Window openings in the building are significantly varied: they have segmental, rectangular, semi-circular, oval, and round shapes. All are adorned with decorative surrounds; larger windows are additionally topped with triangular pediments or cornices. In the annexes of the building, there are portals framed by pilasters and topped with entablature. The portals in the annexes by the tower are enriched with artistic decoration of acanthus leaves.

The interior features a wooden coffer ceiling, supported by pillars. Each arm of the cross has galleries. The eastern arm is separated in the ground floor with a wall. In front of the wall there is the altarpiece, and over the altarpiece there is the organ gallery. On the casing there is a plaque of the founders of the organ - the von Herbst family. The galleries feature panel balustrades, with painted busts of Moses and the Apostles.

The church is accessible to visitors. Viewing of the church is possible on Sundays directly after services (about 11 am) or upon prior telephone appointment.

compiled by Beata Dygulska, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Gdańsk, 29-10-2014.

Bibliography

• Cabała T., Historia wierzeń i religii w Sopocie, Sopot 2006, str. 105-113;
• Dzieje Sopotu do roku 1945, pod red. B. Śliwińskiego, Gdańsk 1998, str.131-132;
• Karta ewidencyjna zabytku architektury. Kościół ewangelicko-augsburski pw. Zbawiciela (parafialny), opr. J. Golc-Czyszek,1984, Archiwum NID