Wambierzyce
Encyclopedia
Wambierzyce w the "Silesia
n Jerusalem", is one of the most popular pilgrimage
sites in southern Poland
. The village is situated at an altitude of 370–410 m in the picturesque Cedron valley on the eastern slopes of the Table Mountains
in Lower Silesian Voivodeship
. The place was first mentioned in 1330 Alberndorf, 1398 Alberdorf, 1418 Alberti villa, 1560 Alberichsdorf, which then evolved into the (German) name Albendorf. Czech pilgrims from Bohemia
and Moravia
called the place Vambeřice. When Lower Silesia
became part of Poland in 1945/1946, the Polish name Wambierzyce became the official name of the village. Today Wambierzyce is part of the district called Gmina Radków
in Kłodzko County. It lies approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi) south-east of Radków
, 17 kilometres (11 mi) west of Kłodzko, and 84 kilometres (52 mi) south-west of the regional capital Wrocław.
The wooden statue of Our Lady, dating from the thirteenth century, was originally placed in a mighty linden tree located at this site. According to the legend a blind man regained his eyesight after praying before the statue. After that miracle a stone altar was erected in front of the tree. The first wooden chapel was built in 1263. A larger church was built in 1512 but was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War
. The present pilgrimage church 'Visitation of Our Lady' goes back to a church built in 1695–1710 following a design thought to resemble the Temple in Jerusalem
. However, all but the mighty Renaissance
façade had to be torn down already three years later because the structure had become unsafe. The fourth and present church in Baroque
style was then built 1715–1723, and financed by the local nobleman and owner Count Franz Anton von Götzen. In 1936 the church received the status of a 'Basilica
minor' from Pope Pius XI
. Pope John Paul II
awarded the Madonna of Wambierzyce the title of "Queen of Families" in 1980.
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
n Jerusalem", is one of the most popular pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
sites in southern Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The village is situated at an altitude of 370–410 m in the picturesque Cedron valley on the eastern slopes of the Table Mountains
Table Mountains
The Table Mountains are a -long mountain range in Poland and the Czech Republic, part of the Central Sudetes. The range is situated southeast of the Karkonosze. The Polish part of the range is protected as the Table Mountains National Park...
in Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Lower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province , is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is currently divided. It lies in southwestern Poland...
. The place was first mentioned in 1330 Alberndorf, 1398 Alberdorf, 1418 Alberti villa, 1560 Alberichsdorf, which then evolved into the (German) name Albendorf. Czech pilgrims from Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
and Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
called the place Vambeřice. When Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
became part of Poland in 1945/1946, the Polish name Wambierzyce became the official name of the village. Today Wambierzyce is part of the district called Gmina Radków
Gmina Radków, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Gmina Radków is an urban-rural gmina in Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the town of Radków, which lies approximately north-west of Kłodzko, and south-west of the regional capital Wrocław.The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total...
in Kłodzko County. It lies approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi) south-east of Radków
Radków
Radków is a town in Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Radków, close to the Czech border. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
, 17 kilometres (11 mi) west of Kłodzko, and 84 kilometres (52 mi) south-west of the regional capital Wrocław.
The wooden statue of Our Lady, dating from the thirteenth century, was originally placed in a mighty linden tree located at this site. According to the legend a blind man regained his eyesight after praying before the statue. After that miracle a stone altar was erected in front of the tree. The first wooden chapel was built in 1263. A larger church was built in 1512 but was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
. The present pilgrimage church 'Visitation of Our Lady' goes back to a church built in 1695–1710 following a design thought to resemble the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
. However, all but the mighty 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...
façade had to be torn down already three years later because the structure had become unsafe. The fourth and present church in 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...
style was then built 1715–1723, and financed by the local nobleman and owner Count Franz Anton von Götzen. In 1936 the church received the status of a '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...
minor' from Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
awarded the Madonna of Wambierzyce the title of "Queen of Families" in 1980.
People
- Ignaz Reimann (1820, Albendorf - 1885, Rengersdorf), musician, father of Heinrich ReimannHeinrich ReimannProfessor Dr. phil. Heinrich Reimann , was a German musicologist, organist, and composer.Reimann was born in Rengersdorf, Silesia, and was a son of Ignaz Reimann, also a musician...
- Arno Herzig (1937), German historian
- Joseph Knauer, curate in Albendorf, later archbishop of Breslau
See also
- Tourism in PolandTourism in PolandPoland is a part of the global tourism market with constantly increasing number of visitors, particularly after joining the European Union. Tourism in Poland contributes to the country's overall economy. The most popular cities are Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Poznań, Lublin, Toruń and the...