Christ the King statue (Świebodzin)
The Christ the King statue ( Polish: Pomnik Chrystusa Króla ) is a monumental figure of Christ in Świebodzin (Eng. Schwiebus ) in the Lubusz Voivodeship in western Poland . It was built in 2010 on a 16 meter high heaped hill and measures 36 meters including the three meter high crown. This makes it the tallest figure of Christ in the world and six meters higher than the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro .
The creation of this statue was the colossal ambition of the local parish priest Sylwester Zawadzki, who was nicknamed "Ksiądz Budowniczy" (translated: "building pastor") by his fellow priests because of his general building activities
history
The erection of the monument was suggested by the local pastor, Prelate Sylwester Zawadzki, and the statue was designed by the Polish sculptor Mirosław Kazimierz Patecki from Przybyszów. Christ the King is considered the patron saint of both the city and the parish church. The statue was completed on November 6, 2010. On November 21, 2010, the Bishop of Zielona Góra-Gorzów, Stefan Regmunt , consecrated it during a Holy Mass in the presence of the Archbishop Emeritus of Wroclaw, Henryk Roman Cardinal Gulbinowicz . Cardinal Henryk Roman Gulbinowicz, the main celebrant of the Holy Mass, spoke the following words during the celebrations: “Świebodzin appeared on the map of Poland and Europe. Christ has open arms for you and for the whole world! "
Construction data
The statue, weighing around 440 tons, can be seen from afar and was erected not far from the center of Świebodzin on a 16.5 meter high artificial hill made of earth and stones. The view of the Christ the King statue is directed to the west and the man-made hill is surrounded by five rings. These rings are symbolic of the redeeming role of Christ on the five continents of the earth.
By backfilling the site, a total height of 52.5 meters is achieved. The statue itself is 33 meters high and symbolizes the 33 years of Jesus' life. On the head, which weighs 15 tons and is 4.5 meters high, there is a 3 meter high gold-plated crown. It should refer to the three years of his public appearance.
With her arms open to humanity, the statue is 24 meters wide. The hands are each six meters long. The figure was made from exposed concrete reinforced with steel mesh . It's hollow inside.
Mikołaj Kłapoć and Jakub Marcinowski from the University of Zielona Góra were responsible for the construction project. The elements of the statue's robe were made by Tomasz Stafiniak from Brójce. The designs of the necessary foundations come from Marian Wybraniec from Świebodzin. Krzysztof Nawojski and Roman Sobociński from Świebodzin provided all construction drafts. The construction was carried out by the ANKO company under the direction of Andrzej Kołodyński from Świebodzin.
The construction costs were covered exclusively by donations. Depending on the source, the amount varies between one million euros and additional donations in kind up to 3.5 million euros.
Surroundings
The Swiebodziner Gardens with rosary paths are currently being built in the immediate vicinity of the statue . Much has already been achieved. This created a place for reflection and prayer. At the same time, it serves as a place of rest and relaxation. There is a way of the cross at the feet of the statue. The stations of the cross are decorated with flowers and plants. Many places invite the pilgrims at the Christ the King statue and at the established pilgrims' office for moments of silence and contemplation. There is a hotel in the immediate vicinity.
Burial controversy
Prelate Sylwester Zawadzki had decreed in his will that his heart should be buried at the foot of the statue of Christ, because he considered the realization of the monument to be his greatest work. His successor granted him this wish after Zawadzki passed away in spring 2014. The heart was buried in a box in the foundation mound in the presence of a few dozen believers with Pastor Zygmunt Zimnawoda's blessing . However, this had serious consequences, since according to Polish law, burials can only take place in cemeteries and elsewhere only with special permission. The competent court found the pastor guilty of an administrative offense without further penalty. Zimnawoda then applied for his transfer, and from July 13, 2014, he no longer conducted church services in Świebodzin. Criminal proceedings are pending against the two doctors who had removed the heart (as of July 13, 2014), and the head of the clinic voluntarily resigned from his post.
gallery
Under construction, August 2010
Shortly before completion, November 2010
Haupt and Krone, April 2011
Detail of the Christ the King statue, Aug 2013
Statue with surroundings, Aug. 2013
Statue with visitors, Aug. 2013
The statue, June 2014
Entrance gate to the monument, July 2015
The statue, Sept. 2016
View of Świebodzin from the statue, Sept. 2016
Christ the King statue in Świebodzin in June 2019
The back of the Christ the King statue 2019
The inside of the statue is not open to the public
A station on the Rosary Path in front of the Monument 2019
A small stone chapel is behind the statue
The heart of Prelate Sylwester Zawadzki was buried on the foundation hill
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Individual evidence
- ↑ Gerald Drissner: Colossal ambitions of a small town . In: Prince Philipp von und zu Lichtenstein (Ed.): CREDO . tape XXVIII . Lichtenstein 2019, p. 20-27 .
- ↑ a b c d Prospectus of the city of Swiebodzin and the diocese of Zielona Góra-Gorzów on the Christ the King statue, 2015.
- ↑ The world's largest statue of Christ is now in Poland , article dated November 7, 2010 on welt.de. Retrieved February 6, 2013
- ↑ Dietrich Schröder: "A heart under the Jesus figure causes unrest." In: Märkische Oderzeitung from 12./13. July 2014, p. 10.
Web links
- Official website of the Christ the King statue (Polish, German, English, Russian)
- The Christ the King statue (Polish)
- Short report in Polish
- "Completed - Poland has the largest statue of Christ in the world" (rp-online.de)
Coordinates: 52 ° 14 ′ 12 ″ N , 15 ° 32 ′ 48 ″ E