Kościoły Pokoju w Jaworze i Świdnicy (2001)

• Authors: SCHAAF ULRICH

Title variants

Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica (2001)

• Languages of publication: PL EN

Abstracts

EN

The Churches of Peace built in the Silesian towns of Jawor (1654-1655) and Świdnica (1656-1657) in south-western Poland are the largest timber-framed Baroque religious buildings in Europe. They were both constructed following the Peace of Westphalia of 1648 which ended the Thirty Years’ War. In compliance with the conditions of that settlement, the temples were to be erected on a precisely specified area outside the city walls. Later, the building materials were limited to non-durable materials – wood and loam. The centuries-old tradition of timber framing found its reflection in the unparalleled scale, complexity, and durability of the Churches of Peace. Their sumptuous interior decoration, developed in the following decades, is a unique illustration of the coexistence of Baroque art and Lutheran theology, as well as a reflection of the social hierarchy of that time. Criteria: (iii), (iv), (vi) The question of the authenticity of the timberframe structure of the Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica in the context of contemporary thinking about the definition of heritage authenticity The article is based on the author’s experience gained during his participation in conservation works at the Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica since the early 1990s. Its fundamental objective is to draw attention to selected aspects of a range of issues connected with the recognition of broadly understood values of monuments, with special regard to the value of the authenticity of their construction. For a long time, the notion of authenticity in relation to conservation activities had mostly been associated with protecting the tangible substance of a monument. This was due to the belief that only the original substance could be the attribute of its value. In the course of time, the interpretation of authenticity was broadened considerably. Nowadays, the question of authenticity is settled not only on the basis of its material genuineness but also, for instance, in accordance with the ”Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention”, its ‘form and design; materials and substance; use and function; traditions, techniques, and management systems; location and setting; language, and other forms of intangible heritage; spirit and feeling, and other internal and external factors’ too. Besides, numerous examples show that the values of a monument often ensue from the social, political, or cultural context in which they are discussed; therefore, they can be changeable. The history of the appreciation of the Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica also provides such an example. Throughout the 20th century, the assessment of their historical value was changing depending on the current cultural context in spite of the fact that their authentic tangible substance remained virtually unchanged. For some – mostly Protestant – scholars, they were a symbol of their coreligionists’ struggle for religious freedom in the Silesian principalities ruled by Catholic Hapsburgs at the time when the churches were constructed (mid-17th century). For other – mostly Catholic – researchers, they were a symbol of tolerance towards his Protestant subjects on the part of the Catholic Habsburg Emperor. The latter interpretation of their historical value was also adopted as criterion III in the justification of the nomination of the Churches of Peace for inscription onthe UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. Coming back to the issue of authenticity, it should be noted that the extensive research conducted in the Churches of Peace prior to the drawing up of the nomination for inscription on the List demonstrated the enormous significance of the preservation of their original material substance. In the case of both the churches, an analysis of the existing timber- frame structure afforded possibilities for a detailed reconstruction of the history of their erection, determination of the technical solutions applied in the different periods of the building process, and a theoretical reconstruction of their original architectural form and structure. It was precisely the results of the research that allowed the scholars to highlight some hitherto unknown values that were then defined in the above-mentioned nomination: ‘The Churches of Peace are outstanding, pioneering, and unique structures, the construction, spatial arrangement, and technology of which were later imitated only in a simplified and reduced form’, thus providing strong arguments for inscribing both the properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List on the basis of criterion IV. Both the above mentioned examples of the significance of historical interpretation and understanding of the construction of the Churches of Peace provide a confirmation of the historical changeability of value judgments. However, it seems that this observation does not reduce the importance of the need to preserve the genuine substance, for it was precisely the analysis of the authentic structure of these monuments that allowed their unique significance and values related to the construction solutions adopted to be highlighted. In this particular context, the primary aim of conservation works related to the timber-framing construction of both the churches was to protect and preserve the existing layers of their historic substance that testified to the richness of their architectural history, as well as to the periods of rise or stagnation of the parish and its church. Attempts were made to reach the goal thus defined not only by means of the proper conservation procedure, from extensive research and guidelines, through the conceptual design study, building project, and detailed design, up to the model works and their final implementation. This was also carried out through clearly defined priorities such as preserving the historical layers while repairing local damage; improving the integrity by supplementing any missing structural elements in the individual parts/structures of the properties; replication building materials and techniques that corresponded, to the maximum possible extent, to the original solutions; and renovating the finishing coats subject to natural and constant wear and tear. The social, political, or cultural transformations and the progress of science will for sure also lead to the formulation, in the future, of new research questions regarding the Churches of Peace; and historians, art historians and scholars from other fields will be searching for the answers both in the tangible, and intangible, sphere of their heritage. The results of their research will, perhaps, highlight and attribute to the properties some new and hitherto unrecognised values. However, it seems that the analysis, evaluation, and protection of the tangible substance of the monuments in his charge will remain the fundamental task of architectural monuments protection officer.

Keywords

PL

Kościoły Pokoju w Jaworze i Świdnicy; Jawor; Świdnica; budynki sakralne kon¬strukcji szkieletowej; kościoły barokowe; sztuka barokowa; autentyczność konstrukcji szkieletowej Kościołów Pokoju w Jaworze i Świdnicy; wartości Kościołów Pokoju

• Publisher: Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa
• Journal: Ochrona Zabytków
• Year: 2017
• Issue: Dodatek Specjalny. Dziedzictwo w Polsce.
• Pages: 119-124

Dates

published

2017

Contributors

author

SCHAAF ULRICH

• Instytut Konserwatorstwa i Zabytkoznawstwa Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu
• Institute of Protection and Conservation of Cultural Property Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

Identifiers

ISSN

0029-8247