History

At the earliest, the parish was founded in the 12th or at the beginning of the 13th century in the area of the then village Niezamyśl, mentioned in written sources in 1239. In 1742 on its north, thanks to the then owner of the village, Mateusz Poniński, the town Zaniemyśl was chartered and the Niezamyśl village was eventually incorporated into it in the second half of the 20th century. The original wooden church was situated at the premises of the current rectory garden (on 31 May 1977, it was entered to the register of monuments under the no. 1768/A as a park-garden by the rectory). It was partially pulled down in 1840, while the brick chapel and sacristy added in 1631 were demolished by the German during the Second World War.

The new church was built in the present location in 1840-1842, thanks to the efforts and financial contribution of Count Edward Raczyński, from the legacy of Zaniemyśl owners, Józef and Laura Jaraczewski. In 1928, annexes were added to the presbytery, and in 1929, the windows were equipped with stained glass. In 1905, the church was consecrated by Bishop Edward Likowski.

Description

The parish church of St Lawrence is situated in the southern part of Zaniemyśl, on the area of the former Niezamyśl village, at the southern edge of an ovally closed original village square, today Raczyńskiego street similar to an alley. The building’s presbytery is directed to the south-east. It is a brick building, faced with red brick on the outside, and plastered on the inside. It was erected on a rectangular floor plan. It is a hall church with a separate chancel and three naves. The open roof truss over the naves is supported on pillars. Over the presbytery, there is a stellar vault. The façade with pointed-arch niches is flanked by two octagonal turrets. The façades are buttressed.

On the outside of the church, by its eastern wall, the tomb of Count Edward Raczyński is situated in the form of a granite sarcophagus decorated with the Nałęcz coat of arms and plaques with inscriptions. On the sarcophagus, a bronze monument of Hygieia with facial features of Konstancja Raczyńska, Edward’s wife, is situated. It was cast in Lauchhammer in 1841 according to the project of Albert Wolff. Originally, it was supposed to decorate the so-called Hygieia Well located in Poznań at the today’s Marcinkowskiego street.

The church can be viewed from the outside. Holy Masses: Sundays at 7.00 and 10.00 AM, and 6.00 PM, weekdays at 10.00 AM and 6.00 PM, public holidays falling on weekdays at 10.00 AM and 6.00 PM.

compiled by Tomasz Łuczak, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Poznań, 13-10-2014.

Bibliography

• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, t. V: Województwo poznańskie, z. 24: Powiat średzki, oprac. red. T. Ruszczyńska, A. Sławska, Warszawa 1964, s. 31.
• Wielkopolska. Słownik krajoznawczy, red. Łęcki Włodzimierz, Poznań 2002, s. 411-412.