The feature is a former church of the Franciscan monastery, located within the ring of medieval town fortifications, to the south of the market square. The church, devoid of stylistic features, represents an important element in the spatial layout of the town.

History

Originally the church of St Barbara was a part of the Franciscan monastery complex. The Franciscan Order was brought to the town in 1274 by the then owner of Żary, Albrecht Dziewin. At first, the monastery and the church were located on the edge of the old town. Only after the erection of the town walls was it included within its medieval borders. The monastery complex was situated in the south-western sector of the town. The original temple, erected in the 14th century, was a single- or double-nave building with a quadrangular tower adjoining on the east side. In 1718 the church was destroyed in a fire. The current silhouette of the temple was shaped during the reconstruction after the fire. At that time, most walls were demolished, only leaving the north wall and the tower from the old building. The new church was expanded in the south part and the interior was covered with a four-span groin vault. During another reconstruction in 1928 new, large windows were cut in the walls and the interior was covered with a flat wooden ceiling. The comprehensively remodelled feature lost its stylistic features and the fixtures and fittings were removed from the interior. Hostilities of World War II did not lead to major damage to the building. In 1945 a military parish was established in the church. As recently as in 1961, the patron of the parish was St Barbara, later to be replaced with the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In 1993 the church façade underwent renovation. Old layers of plaster were hacked off and the walls were covered with new, cement-lime one. In 2009 the roof was replaced, new flashings were made and new drainpipes were installed. In January 2015 the Ministry of National Defence handed the garrison church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross over to the State Treasury. The Żary District that manages the property sold it to the Curia of Zielona Góra and Gorzów Wielkopolski for a symbolic price. Therefore, the feature lost its function of the garrison church, but the pastoral activity has been continued. The temple is a significant part of the cultural heritage of the town.

Description

The church of St Barbara, currently of Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Żary, is located at 33 Zaułek Klasztorny Street, within the old town, to the south-west of the market square. The church stands on a small plot surrounded by a metal fence on a brick base. The area in front of the church is partially lined with cobblestones and partially overgrown with trees and shrubs. The church is a brick, plastered, aisleless building erected on a rectangular floor plan. A rectangular tower passing into an octagonal one on its upper storey adjoins the main body of the church at the east end. The main body of the temple is covered with a tall gable roof. The tower is crowned with a Baroque tented roof with two cupolas and a lantern. The façades are pierced by large, rectangular window openings with splayed reveals and metal joinery. There are two entrances to the church on the west façade: one terminates in a basket-handle arch, the other is rectangular. There is a rectangular door opening in the north and south façade. The doors feature modern, wooden joinery. Subtle architectural details are found on the façades, in the form of, among others, projections and cornices. The interior of the church is covered with a flat wooden ceiling, adorned with painted ornamentation featuring geometric and plant motifs. The aisleless interior houses a wooden organ gallery at the west end. The fixtures and fittings include a pipe organ casing from the late 18th century.

The church is property of a religious community. It celebrates regular masses. It is open to the public.

Author of the note Krzysztof Słowiński, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Zielona Góra, 16-11-2017

Bibliography

• Garbacz K., Szlakiem zabytkowych miast. Przewodnik po południowej części województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2005, p. 104;
• Garbacz K., Przewodnik po zabytkach województwa lubuskiego, vol. II, Zielona Góra 2012, pp. 16-17; Kowalski S., Zabytki architektury województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2010, p. 450;
• Kowalski S., Zabytki województwa zielonogórskiego, Zielona Góra 1987, p. 249;
• Pilch J., Kowalski S. (eds.), Leksykon zabytków architektury Pomorza Zachodniego i Ziemi Lubuskiej, Warsaw 2012, p. 369;
• White record sheet: Kościół pw. Podwyższenia Krzyża Świętego w Żarach, prepared by Wanda Janowska, study of 1999, [in] Archives of the Regional Monument Protection Office in Zielona Góra.