EN
This article presents the history of four garrison churches in West Prussia: in Chełmno, Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz, Grudziądz and Toruń. The churches were constructed in the 2nd half of the 19th c. to ensure Lutherans, members of the United Evangelical church, had access to the suitable spiritual care. Previously the soldiers of West Prussian garrisons at fortresses frequented local parish churches. Only thanks to Kaiser Wilhelm II’s financial aid, for whom the army was the significant element of maintaining the internal social order, the magnificent garrison churches were constructed. They were modeled on the architecture of the capital city of Berlin and, due to their high towers, were very distinctive in the landscapes of garrison cities. The towers were interpreted also as symbols of the presence of the Lutheranism in the cities. The investment was carried out with the support of the Evangelischer Kirchenbauverein, led by Empress Augusta Victoria. The article discusses in detail the history of the construction and furnishing, stylistic inspirations, and changes of decorative elements after 1920, when the garrison churches were taken over by Polish-speaking Catholic parishes. In order to present the issue as accurately as possible the author made use of archival sources as well as Polish and German literature.