St. Mary's Church, Gdansk
Encyclopedia
St. Mary's Church or, properly, Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Polish
: Bazylika Mariacka Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny w Gdańsku) is a Roman Catholic church in Gdańsk
, Poland, which is the largest brick church in the world. It was begun in 1379. (The tallest brick church is St. Martin's Church, Landshut, Germany
.)
St. Mary's is one of the largest European Brick Gothic
buildings, which include castles. From 1577 until 1945, when it was named the Marienkirche, it was the biggest Evangelical Lutheran church in the world. It is 105.5 m long, and the nave
is 66 m wide. Inside the church is room for 25,000 people. It is an aisled hall church
with a transept
. It is a co-cathedral
in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gdańsk, along with the main cathedral for the Archdiocese, the Bazylika archikatedralna w Gdańsku-Oliwie (Basilica-Cathedral of Gdańsk-Oliwa).
According to tradition, as early as 1243 a wooden Church of the Assumption
existed at this site, built by Prince Swiętopełk II.
The foundation stone for the new brick church was placed on on March 25, 1343, the feast of the Annunciation
. At first a six-span basilica
with a low turret was built, erected from 1343 to 1360. Parts of the pillars and lower levels of the turret have been preserved from this building.
In 1379 the masonry master Heinrich Ungeradin led his team to start construction of the present church. St. Mary's Church in Lübeck
, the mother of all Brick Gothic
churches dedicated to St. Mary in Hanseatic cities
around the Baltic, is believed to be the archetype of the building. By 1447 the eastern part of the church was finished, and the tower was raised by two floors in the years 1452-1466.
Since 1485 the work was continued by Hans Brandt, who supervised the erection of the main nave
core. The structure was finally finished after 1496 under Heinrich Haetzl, who supervised the construction of the vaulting.
In 1577, during the Reformation
, the church became a Lutheran church. Since the kings of Poland remained Catholic and were the nominal heads of the City following the decay of the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
, they authorized building the baroque Catholic Royal Chapel. It was erected by Tylman Gamerski
near St. Mary's Church for the king's service when he visited the City.
After the Partitions of Poland
, Prussian authorities took many precious items from the church, including cloths
and vestment
s made of fabrics from ancient Mesopotamia
and ancient Egypt
, obtained during the Crusades
; as well as renaissance
wares from Venice
, Florence
and Lucca
(more than 1000 items altogether). Many artifacts were sold: the winged triptych
by Jan van Wavere
, sold to archduke Maximilian, is today held in the Church of the Teutonic Order in Vienna
; and the sculpture of Madonna and Child by Michael of Augsburg from the main altar, sold to count Sierakowski, is today located in the chapel in Waplewo Wielkie
. In addition, the Prussians melted down gold and silver reliquaries
for reuse; they also reused golden threads from embroideries
in uniforms for Prussian officers.
Until the 20th century, both the church interior and exterior were well preserved. The church was severely damaged in World War II
, during the storming of Danzig city by the Red Army
in March 1945. The wooden roof burned completely and most of the ceiling fell in. Fourteen of the large vaults collapsed. The windows were destroyed. In places the heat was so intense that some of the bricks melted, especially in the upper parts of the tower, which acted as a giant chimney. The floor of the church, containing priceless gravestone slabs, was torn apart, allegedly by Soviet soldiers attempting to loot the corpses buried underneath.
Most of the artworks from the interior survived, as they had been evacuated for safekeeping to the villages surrounding the city. Many of these have returned to the church, but some are displayed in various museums around Poland. The diocese sought to secure their return.
After WWII, Poland expelled the ethnic German population
of the city as part of the border changes promulgated at the Potsdam Conference
. The city was gradually repopulated by Poles, and Polish authorities handed St. Mary's Church to the control of the Catholic diocese.
The reconstruction started shortly after the war in 1946. The roof was rebuilt in August 1947, using reinforced concrete. After the basic reconstruction was finished, the church was reconsecrated on November 17, 1955. The reconstruction and renovation of the interior is an ongoing effort and continues to this day.
On November 20, 1965, by papal bull
, Pope Paul VI
elevated the church to the dignity of the basilica
. On February 2, the Congregation for Bishops established the Bazylikę Mariacką as the Gdansk Co-Cathedral
in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gdańsk. The main cathedral for the Archdiocese is the Bazylika archikatedralna w Gdańsk-Oliwa. (Basilica-Cathedral of Gdańsk-Oliwa).
hall church
with a triple-aisled
transept
. Both the transept and the main nave
are of similar width and height, which is a good example of late gothic
al style. Certain irregularities in the form of the northern arm of the transept are remnants of the previous church situated on the very same spot.
The vaulting
is a true piece of art, and was in great part restored after the war. Main aisle
, transept
and presbytery
are covered by net vaults, while the side aisles are covered by crystal vaults.
The exterior is dominated by plain brick
plains and high and narrow gothical arch windows. Such construction was possible due to placing corbel
s and buttress
es inside of the church and erecting chapels right in between them. Gables are divided by a set of brick pinnacle
s. All corners are accentuated by turrets crowned by with metal headpieces (reconstructed after 1970).
The church is decorated within with several masterpieces of Gothic
, Renaissance
and Baroque
painting.
The most notable, The Last Judgement
by Flemish
painter Hans Memling
, is currently preserved in the National Museum of Gdańsk. Other works of art were transferred to the National Museum in Warsaw
in 1945. It wasn't until 1990s when several of them were returned to the church. The most notable parts of internal decoration are:
. The larger one is called Gratia Dei, weighs 7850 kg, and sounds in nominal F sharp. The smaller bell is the so called Ave Maria, weighs 2600 kg, and sounds in C sharp. Of the prewar chimes, there still exist two bells. Osanna from 1632 today can be found in St. Andrew's Church, Hildesheim, Germany
, and Dominicalis from 1719 can be found under the name Osanna in St. Mary's Church, Lübeck
, Germany
.
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
: Bazylika Mariacka Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny w Gdańsku) is a Roman Catholic church in Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Poland, which is the largest brick church in the world. It was begun in 1379. (The tallest brick church is St. Martin's Church, Landshut, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.)
St. Mary's is one of the largest European Brick Gothic
Brick Gothic
Brick Gothic is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northern Europe, especially in Northern Germany and the regions around the Baltic Sea that do not have natural rock resources. The buildings are essentially built from bricks...
buildings, which include castles. From 1577 until 1945, when it was named the Marienkirche, it was the biggest Evangelical Lutheran church in the world. It is 105.5 m long, and the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
is 66 m wide. Inside the church is room for 25,000 people. It is an aisled hall church
Hall church
A hall church is a church with nave and side aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was first coined in the mid-19th century by the pioneering German art historian Wilhelm Lübke....
with a transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
. It is a co-cathedral
Co-cathedral
A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the function of being a bishop's seat, or cathedra, with another cathedral. Instances of this occurred in England before the Protestant Reformation in the dioceses of Bath and Wells, and of Coventry and Lichfield, hence the names of these dioceses...
in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gdańsk, along with the main cathedral for the Archdiocese, the Bazylika archikatedralna w Gdańsku-Oliwie (Basilica-Cathedral of Gdańsk-Oliwa).
History
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
existed at this site, built by Prince Swiętopełk II.
The foundation stone for the new brick church was placed on on March 25, 1343, the feast of the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
. At first a six-span basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
with a low turret was built, erected from 1343 to 1360. Parts of the pillars and lower levels of the turret have been preserved from this building.
In 1379 the masonry master Heinrich Ungeradin led his team to start construction of the present church. St. Mary's Church in Lübeck
St. Mary's Church, Lübeck
The Lutheran Marienkirche in Lübeck was constructed between 1250 and 1350. For many years it has been a symbol of the power and prosperity of the old Hanseatic city, and as Germany's third largest church it remains the tallest building of the old part of Lübeck. It is larger than Lübeck Cathedral...
, the mother of all Brick Gothic
Brick Gothic
Brick Gothic is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northern Europe, especially in Northern Germany and the regions around the Baltic Sea that do not have natural rock resources. The buildings are essentially built from bricks...
churches dedicated to St. Mary in Hanseatic cities
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
around the Baltic, is believed to be the archetype of the building. By 1447 the eastern part of the church was finished, and the tower was raised by two floors in the years 1452-1466.
Since 1485 the work was continued by Hans Brandt, who supervised the erection of the main nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
core. The structure was finally finished after 1496 under Heinrich Haetzl, who supervised the construction of the vaulting.
In 1577, during the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, the church became a Lutheran church. Since the kings of Poland remained Catholic and were the nominal heads of the City following the decay of the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights
The State of the Teutonic Order, , also Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or Ordensstaat , was formed in 1224 during the Northern Crusades, the Teutonic Knights' conquest of the pagan West-Baltic Old Prussians in the 13th century....
, they authorized building the baroque Catholic Royal Chapel. It was erected by Tylman Gamerski
Tylman van Gameren
Tylman van Gameren was a Dutch-born Polish architect and engineer who, at the age of 28, settled in Poland and worked for Queen Maria Kazimiera, wife of Poland's King Jan III Sobieski...
near St. Mary's Church for the king's service when he visited the City.
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
, Prussian authorities took many precious items from the church, including cloths
Altar cloth
An ' is used by various religious groups to cover an altar. Christianity, ancient Judaism, and Buddhism are among the world religions that use altar cloths....
and vestment
Vestment
Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially among Latin Rite and other Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, and Lutherans...
s made of fabrics from ancient Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
and ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, obtained during the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
; as well as renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
wares from Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and Lucca
Lucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
(more than 1000 items altogether). Many artifacts were sold: the winged triptych
Triptych
A triptych , from tri-= "three" + ptysso= "to fold") is a work of art which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works...
by Jan van Wavere
Jan van Wavere
Jan Van Wavere was an influential Flemish polychromer of late gothic Brabantine altarpieces , mainly produced in the Brabantine towns of Antwerp, Brussels and Mechelen. During the...
, sold to archduke Maximilian, is today held in the Church of the Teutonic Order in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
; and the sculpture of Madonna and Child by Michael of Augsburg from the main altar, sold to count Sierakowski, is today located in the chapel in Waplewo Wielkie
Waplewo Wielkie
Waplewo Wielkie is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Stary Targ, within Sztum County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately east of Stary Targ, east of Sztum, and south-east of the regional capital Gdańsk.Before 1772 the area was part of Kingdom of...
. In addition, the Prussians melted down gold and silver reliquaries
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
for reuse; they also reused golden threads from embroideries
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
in uniforms for Prussian officers.
Until the 20th century, both the church interior and exterior were well preserved. The church was severely damaged in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, during the storming of Danzig city by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in March 1945. The wooden roof burned completely and most of the ceiling fell in. Fourteen of the large vaults collapsed. The windows were destroyed. In places the heat was so intense that some of the bricks melted, especially in the upper parts of the tower, which acted as a giant chimney. The floor of the church, containing priceless gravestone slabs, was torn apart, allegedly by Soviet soldiers attempting to loot the corpses buried underneath.
Most of the artworks from the interior survived, as they had been evacuated for safekeeping to the villages surrounding the city. Many of these have returned to the church, but some are displayed in various museums around Poland. The diocese sought to secure their return.
After WWII, Poland expelled the ethnic German population
Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II
The flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland was the largest of a series of flights and expulsions of Germans in Europe during and after World War II...
of the city as part of the border changes promulgated at the Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
. The city was gradually repopulated by Poles, and Polish authorities handed St. Mary's Church to the control of the Catholic diocese.
The reconstruction started shortly after the war in 1946. The roof was rebuilt in August 1947, using reinforced concrete. After the basic reconstruction was finished, the church was reconsecrated on November 17, 1955. The reconstruction and renovation of the interior is an ongoing effort and continues to this day.
On November 20, 1965, by papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
, Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
elevated the church to the dignity of the basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
. On February 2, the Congregation for Bishops established the Bazylikę Mariacką as the Gdansk Co-Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gdańsk. The main cathedral for the Archdiocese is the Bazylika archikatedralna w Gdańsk-Oliwa. (Basilica-Cathedral of Gdańsk-Oliwa).
Exterior
St. Mary's Church is a triple-aisledAisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
hall church
Hall church
A hall church is a church with nave and side aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was first coined in the mid-19th century by the pioneering German art historian Wilhelm Lübke....
with a triple-aisled
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
. Both the transept and the main nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
are of similar width and height, which is a good example of late gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
al style. Certain irregularities in the form of the northern arm of the transept are remnants of the previous church situated on the very same spot.
The vaulting
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
is a true piece of art, and was in great part restored after the war. Main aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
, transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
and presbytery
Presbytery (architecture)
The presbytery is the name for an area in a church building which is reserved for the clergy.In the oldest church it is separated by short walls, by small columns and pilasters in the Renaissance ones; it can also be raised, being reachable by a few steps, usually with railings....
are covered by net vaults, while the side aisles are covered by crystal vaults.
The exterior is dominated by plain brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
plains and high and narrow gothical arch windows. Such construction was possible due to placing corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s and buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es inside of the church and erecting chapels right in between them. Gables are divided by a set of brick pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s. All corners are accentuated by turrets crowned by with metal headpieces (reconstructed after 1970).
Interior
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
, Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
and Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
painting.
The most notable, The Last Judgement
The Last Judgment (Memling)
The Last Judgment is a triptych attributed to German painter Hans Memling and painted between 1467 and 1471. It is now in the National Museum in Gdańsk in Poland. It was commissioned by Angelo Tani, an agent of the Medici at Bruges but was captured by a privateer from Danzig , Poland...
by Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
painter Hans Memling
Hans Memling
Hans Memling was a German-born Early Netherlandish painter.-Life and works:Born in Seligenstadt, near Frankfurt in the Middle Rhein region, it is believed that Memling served his apprenticeship at Mainz or Cologne, and later worked in the Netherlands under Rogier van der Weyden...
, is currently preserved in the National Museum of Gdańsk. Other works of art were transferred to the National Museum in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
in 1945. It wasn't until 1990s when several of them were returned to the church. The most notable parts of internal decoration are:
- Jerusalem Altar, 1495-1500 (currently in the National Museum in WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
), - High AltarAltarAn altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
, 1511-1517, Michael of Augsburg - Ten Commandments, approx. 1485
- Gravestone of Simon and Judith Bahr, 1614-1620, Abraham van den BlockeAbraham van den BlockeAbraham van den Blocke was an architect and sculptor.Van den Blocke was born in Königsberg , presumably the oldest of seven children of Dorothea and Willem van den Blocke. In 1584 the family lived in Gdańsk, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where he was educated as a sculptor in his father's workshop...
- PietàPietàThe Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ...
, approx. 1420 - Holy Mother of God sculpture, approx. 1420
- Astronomical clockAstronomical clockAn astronomical clock is a clock with special mechanisms and dials to display astronomical information, such as the relative positions of the sun, moon, zodiacal constellations, and sometimes major planets.-Definition:...
, 1464-1470, Hans Düringer of ToruńTorunToruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
, reconstructed after 1945 - OrganOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
set, partially transferred from the St. Johns church in 1985
Bells
There are two bells in St Mary's Church. Both of them were cast in 1970 by foundry Felczyński in PrzemyślPrzemysl
Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
. The larger one is called Gratia Dei, weighs 7850 kg, and sounds in nominal F sharp. The smaller bell is the so called Ave Maria, weighs 2600 kg, and sounds in C sharp. Of the prewar chimes, there still exist two bells. Osanna from 1632 today can be found in St. Andrew's Church, Hildesheim, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Dominicalis from 1719 can be found under the name Osanna in St. Mary's Church, Lübeck
St. Mary's Church, Lübeck
The Lutheran Marienkirche in Lübeck was constructed between 1250 and 1350. For many years it has been a symbol of the power and prosperity of the old Hanseatic city, and as Germany's third largest church it remains the tallest building of the old part of Lübeck. It is larger than Lübeck Cathedral...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
See also
- Polish GothicPolish GothicThe Gothic style arrived in Poland in first half the 13th century with Dominican and Franciscan orders. The first elements of the new style is evident in the foundation built during the bishop Iwo Odrowąż in Dominican Trinity church in Kraków...
- History of GdańskHistory of GdanskThis article is about the History of Gdańsk , a Polish city located on the Baltic Sea.- Early times :The area around the Vistula delta was inhabited by populations belonging to the various archaeological cultures of the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age...
External links
(Polish, English and other languages)- Church Book Records of inhabitants of Danzig, Evangelical St.Mary's Church since Reformation
- Organ set of the St. Mary's church (Polish and German)
- History of pipe organs at St. Mary's Church from past till present (in English, Polish and German)