TUMSKIE REFLEKSJE

• Authors: Stawicki Stanisław

Title variants

EN

Reflections about Tum

• Languages of publication: PL EN

Abstracts

EN

Leading monuments of Romanesque art in Poland include the former arch–collegiate church in Tum near Łęczyca, which fulfilled important Church and political functions during the feudal disintegration period (twelfth–thirteenth century). In the course of its more than 800 years–long history, the church in question experienced turbulent and dramatic events. Consequently, the only extant element of the former outfitting of the interior is (apart from a Romanesque portal) a badly damaged, but relatively legible mural from 1611, discovered by Karol Dąbrowski in 1952. Already in 1930–1939 the weakened construction of the impressive building — specially the towers situated in the western part of the church — was protected by means of injected cement.During the campaign of 1939 the arch–collegiate church suffered serious damage which, in the opinion of the occupation authorities, qualified the valuable object for complete demolition. The reconstruction and restoration of the Romanesque character of the building, conducted in 1948–1958, were based on a project by Prof. Jan Koszczyc–Witkiewicz. The final, albeit extremely significant stages of this work (the draining of the terrain, the suitable carrying off of rainwater, the introduction of order into the interior, etc.) were never realised, primarily due to deteriorating relations between the communist state and the Church (after 1953) as well as the death of Prof. J. Koszczyc–Witkiewicz (1958). Karol Dąbrowski recorded his research and excavation work in a brief but extremely valuable diary which, together with the fragmentarily preserved conservation diary kept by Kalina Stawicka in 1960, became the basis for a presentation, outlined in this article, of the dramatic facts that took place in Tum several decades ago. The most dangerous events in the postwar history of the collegiate church, affecting both the architecture of the building and the paintings, included the unusually wet summer of 1960, when the expansive and flooded basin of the river Bzura, directly adjoining the environs of the church, created an equally vast and menacing fen. The walls of the church, especially to the west, resembled a saturated sponge, and relics of the tenth– and eleventh–century abbey became almost entirely filled with underground water. At the same time, due to the untight roof covering (which in 1952 was missing entirely), equally untight windows and the uncompleted pointing of the walls, rainwater made its way directly into the church interior. In those conditions, conservation of the murals (Romanesque and Renaissance), which in 1960 had been entrusted to a large group of conservators, contrary to their opinion, simply could not produce permanent and positive effects. Political changes which occurred in Poland in 1989 revived interest in the arch–collegiate church in Tum, although conservation experiences and accomplishments from 1952 and 1960 were taken into consideration only to a slight degree. It is highly incorrect to launch the view that the prime reason for the progressing degradation of the church was badly performed postwar conservation (1948–1958) and not the location of the church on waterlogged ground, whose harmful impact was intensified by the flood of 1960. This article contains a bitter reflection on the state of an exceptional historical monument; the lengthy history of its reconstruction and conservation, including undertakings connected with the murals, as well as efforts and strivings intent on its survival, dates back to the postwar decades. Our deliberations are the outcome of concern for the welfare and suitable state of the preservation of the Tum monument, as well as

• Publisher: Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa
• Journal: Ochrona Zabytków
• Year: 1999
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 178-188

Dates

published

1999

Contributors

author

Stawicki Stanisław

References

• K. Dąbrowski, Odkrycie romańskiej polichromii w Tumie pod Łęczycą, „Ochrona Zabytków” 1952, nr 4, s. 240–252;
• Historia sztuki polskiej, t. I, Kraków 1962, s. 86–97 (Rzeźba) oraz s. 122–125 (Malarstwo ścienne).
• W. Łuszczkiewicz, Kościół Kolegijacki Łęczycki dziś Parafijalny we wsi Tumie pod Łęczycą z XII w., „Sprawozdania Komisyi do Badania Historyi Sztuki w Polsce”, t. I, z. IV, Kraków 1879, s. 79–104;
• M. Walicki, Kolegiata w Tumie pod Łęczycą, Łódź 1938; to samo w jęz. niemieckim: Die Kollegiatkirche in Tum bei Lentschütz, Übers. u. erläutert v. Adolf Zeretzke, Lentschütz [b. d.].
• J. Koszczyc–Witkiewicz, Kolegiata w Tumie pod Łęczycą, „Teka Konserwatorska” 1952, z. 1, s. 40.
• L. Krzyżanowski, Dyskusja o konserwacji malowideł ściennych, „Ochrona Zabytków” 1968, nr 3, s. 68
• K. Dąbrowski, Dziennik prac w kolegiacie w Tumie. Tum 1952, Pracownia Malarska PKZ, rkps;
• S. Stawicki, Malowid ła ścienne w dawnym kościele archikolegiackim w Tumie pod Łęczycą — historia, stan zachowania, uwagi i wnioski, „Ochrona Zabytków” 1990, nr 3, s. 113.
• K. Stawicka, Tum. Dawny kościół archikolegiacki p.w.NMPanny i św. Aleksego. Dziennik prac konserwatorskich. Pracownia Konserwacji Malarstwa PKZ 1960 (rkps zachowany fragmentarycznie);
• M. Rawdanowicz, K. Stawicka i S. Stawicki, Kościół archikolegiacki w Tumie pod Łęczycą. Dokumentacja konserwatorska malowideł ściennych w apsydzie zachodniej i wschodniej, Warszawa 1960, (brak części opisowej i badań laboratoryjnych);
• M. Puciata, S. Stawicki, Program objazdu konserwatorskiego organizowanego w dniach 10–12 maja 1968, wyd. MKiS (Ośrodek Dokumentacji Zabytków) oraz ZPAP (Sekcja Konserwacji), Warszawa 1968, s. 18–20;
• S. Stawicki, Jeszcze o malowidłach tumskich, „Spotkania z Zabytkami” 1996, nr 12
• Zawał w Tumie?, „Wiadomości Dnia”, nr 185, z 23 IX 1996 oraz wyciąg z powyższej notatki prasowej zamieszczony w „Spotkaniach z Zabytkami” 1996, nr 12, s. 2 (dział Przeglądy poglądy);
• G. Pawlak, Ocalić dla pokoleń, „Gazeta na Mazowszu” (dodatek do „Gazety Wyborczej”), nr 222 z 23 IX 1996
• P. Pilch, Krzywe wieże w Tumie, „Gazeta Wyborcza” nr 286 z 9 XII 1997.
• T. Piliczewski, Malowidło w Tumie, „Spotkania z Zabytkami” 1996, nr 3, s. 30–33;

Identifiers

ISSN

0029-8247