Due to the well-visible location near an escarpment over the Wierzyca river, the brick body of the church is an important urbanistic element of the town.

History

The construction of the parish church is closely connected with the Teutonic rule in Gdańsk Pomerania and was implemented in stages. The first small church of the Blessed Virgin Mary was erected in the first half of the 14th century and was located on a site now occupied by a chancel, earlier probably with a polygonal ending section. In the second half of the 14th century, the construction of a three-nave church body with a southern porch started. Next, the chancel was converted (a plain termination from the east was introduced), and a sacristy was built. In 1461 and 1484, the church was partly destroyed during fires of the town. As a result, the eastern gable was re-designed. In the first quarter of the 16th century, together with other churches, the parish church was taken over by Protestants. In the late 16th century, when it was returned to Catholics, the dedication of the church was changed. In 1897-1902, the Gothic style was restored to the church; two neo-Gothic porches were erected, faces of walls and gable detail were replaced, including, e.g., reconstruction of some of pinnacles, and introduction of a blind tracery in the blind window of the chancel. During World War II, the walls of the chancel and the roof cladding were damaged. The southern chapel was destroyed as well. The latest comprehensive restoration of the church’s interior took place in the 1990s. A full-scale restoration of the façade was carried out in 2000.

Description

The church is oriented, located in the north-western corner of the market square, in the vicinity of the defensive walls, on a tall river escarpment. The Gothic three-nave and four-bay building has a rectangular chancel with a straight ending section. From the north, by the chancel, there is a sacristy, and in the south-western corner, there is a small tower with stairs. From the west, the nave section adjoins a small porch, incorporated between a buttress and the western staircase tower. A chapel of St Barbara and a small porch (from the north), as well as a chapel of the Transfiguration of Jesus and a southern porch are added to the naves. In the basilica-like body of the church, without a tower, the middle nave covered with a gable roof is the dominant feature. The side naves are supported by buttresses and covered with shed roofs. The chancel is lower than the middle nave and covered with a gable roof with a stepped gable. The church body features two chapels and a two-storey porch, with roofs perpendicular to the roof ridge of the church. The church was built of brick arranged in a Polish pattern and positioned on a stone foundation. In the main nave, the chancel, and the northern chapel, there are wooden beamed ceilings. In the side naves, the southern porch, and the southern chapel, there are stellar vaults, and in the sacristy and the first storey of the porch, there are barrel vaults. Roofs are wooden, covered with S-shaped roof tiles. The brick façades have the plinth section separated by a cornice. Additionally, in the chancel part, there is a flat frieze and a cornice underneath the eaves. The western gable, the gable of the porch and the gablets of the side naves are tripartite and decorated with pairs of double-arch blind windows and profiled lesenes giving way to pinnacles. In the decorative gables, there are round clearances. The eastern stepped gable is slightly more modest and features pinnacles. In the western façade, on the axis, there is a neo-Gothic porch with a pointed-arch portal and a stepped gable. In the basilica-like interior, there are two dominating rows of brick octagonal piers. The chancel is divided with a rood arch. The chapels are connected with the naves with tall pointed-arch arcades. A notable feature of the interior are a wall painting over the rood arch from the half of the 15th century depicting the Judgement Day, and the Renaissance gravestone of Jerzy Niemojewski. The interior fittings date back mostly to the 18th century.

The church is accessible to visitors. Viewing of the church is only possible before and after services.

compiled by Krystyna Babnis, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Gdańsk, 01-10-2014.

Bibliography

• Architektura gotycka w Polsce, red. T. Mroczko i M. Arszyńskiego, Warszawa 1995, t. 2, s. 214 i 515.
• Szwoch R., Starogardzka fara św. Mateusza, architektura i sztuka, Pelplin, Starogard Gdański 2000.