Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 52 ° 32 ′ 12.4 "  N , 17 ° 35 ′ 33.5"  E

Gniezno Cathedral
Front view of the cathedral

The Archcathedral of Gniezno or Primate Basilica of the Assumption ( Polish : Archikatedra gnieźnieńska or Bazylika prymasowska Wniebowzięcia NMP ) is the main church of the Archbishop of Gniezno and the Primate Poloniae with the status of a minor basilica . It is also the sanctuary of Wojciech (the first saint of Poland) and thus one of the most important church buildings in Poland and is located on the Lech hill in Gniezno ( German Gnesen ).

history

Beginnings and establishment

The beginnings of the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno go back to the 9th century, when the rectangular and single-nave oratory was built. Towards the end of the 10th century, Mieszko I expanded the oratory to include a church based on the plan of a Christian cross . In 977 Princess Dobrawa , wife Mieszko I, was buried in this church . Before the relics of Wojciech , St. Adalbert of Prague , arrived in Gniezno, Poland's Prince Bolesław I Chrobry expanded the church so that its outer walls now formed a rectangle . Wojciech and his canons were buried here in 999 .

Between March 7th and 15th, 1000, the Roman-German Emperor Otto III met. in Gniezno to pray at the grave of St. Wojciech. At that time the first act of Gniezno took place, in which Poland's Prince Bolesław I. Chrobry with Emperor Otto III. discussed the plan to establish a common kingdom of Germans, French, English, Romans and the Slavic territories. The Archdiocese of Gniezno was created and the church was raised to the rank of arch-cathedral. Gaudentius became the first archbishop of Gniezno . In 1018 the Arch-Cathedral burned down completely, but was rebuilt after seven more years.

On April 18, 1025, Bolesław I. Chrobry was crowned the first king of Poland in the Arch-Cathedral, and after his death on December 25, 1025 his son Mieszko II. Lambert . In 1038 the Czech prince Břetislav I attacked the arch-cathedral, destroyed it and stole it. a. the bones of St. Wojciech, which he claimed for his people and therefore had them buried in Prague. The Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno - henceforth without Wojciech's relics - was rebuilt by Poles in the Romanesque architectural style in the following years and consecrated in 1064. In this new arch-cathedral, after the death of Mieszko II in 1076, the legitimate successor Bolesław II Szczodry was crowned king. Towards the end of the 11th century there was a building disaster in the east of the Arch Cathedral.

12th to 18th centuries

Wojciech's relics in the silver Castrum doloris , ( Peter vd Rennen , 1662)

During the years 1103 and 1104 took place in the Gniezno Cathedral a synod involving a legate instead of the Holy See, there in the replacement and future storage of Wojciech - relics went into the Archcathedral. A few years later, Prince Bolesław III came. Wrymouth to the tomb of St. Wojciech to pray in front of it. In 1127 the restoration and storage of the holy head of Wojciech in the Arch-Cathedral was celebrated. Around 1175 the bronze , red-cast bronze door was donated by Gniezno with Wojciech's martyrdom depicted on it . In 1177 the Great Congress took place in the Arch-cathedral of Gniezno, at which the Wielkopolska Prince Mieszko III. Stary appeared as dux totius Poloniae (ruler of all of Poland).

In 1295 the penultimate royal coronation took place in the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno. Prince Przemysł II was crowned king. Five years later armed troops of the Czech King Václav II marched into Gniezno . He was then crowned the new King of Poland in 1300 in the Arch Cathedral. This was the last highlight in Gniezno. In 1331 German crusaders marched into the first capital of Poland and completely destroyed the arch-cathedral. Ten years later, Archbishop Jarosław Bogoria had a Gothic church built on the site of the destroyed cathedral . He inaugurated the new arch-cathedral together with his entire cathedral chapter in 1378. King Kazimierz III. Wielki , who was very supportive of the reconstruction, was also present. The presbytery and nave were completed towards the end of the 14th century . The Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno was now crowned by a fourteenth chapel. Since 1419, the Archbishop of Gniezno has been the primate of Poloniae . The first primate of Poland was Mikołaj Trąba .

In 1613 the roof and the helmet roof of the arch-cathedral burned down . Seven years later, the Polish organist and composer Adam z Wągrowca visited the Arch- Cathedral to try out the new organ . Between 1641 and 1652 Primate Maciej Łubieński carried out the Baroque renovation of the interior of the cathedral. His successor in office continued the work and in 1660 ordered a silver, early Baroque castrum doloris from Peter von der Rennen as a reliquary of St. Wojciech , which was to be placed on the ciborium (altar structure) of the arch-cathedral. The Gdańsk artist produced one of his most important works of art from 1660 to 1662, for which he is known alongside his later work, the silver catafalk in Kraków's Wawel Cathedral . In 1760, the next fire destroyed the cathedral and helmet roof and the vault of the presbytery collapsed. In the course of the following years, Primate Władysław Aleksander Łubieński arranged for the interior to be remodeled in the classical style, only baroque elements, which would be replaced in the near future due to wear and tear, remained unchanged.

19th to 21st century

Arch-cathedral of Gniezno around 1843

In 1809 Napoleon's troops set up their military camp in the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno, which was destroyed after their escape. Pope Pius XI gave the title Basilica minor . the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno in 1931. After the invasion of Poland by the German Empire in 1939, the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno was used as a concert hall . The Red Army, on the other hand, deliberately targeted the Arch-Cathedral on its way to Berlin in 1945 and then pretended that this was inevitable in the fight against Hitler. But the opening of the military fire on the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno was in no way connected with the fight against Hitler, as the city had previously been handed over to the Red Army without resistance. As a result of the deliberate attack by the Red Army, the cathedral towers and the roof of the central nave burned out completely. The Gothic vault above the gallery , the organ and the choir stalls were also destroyed. The side aisles and chapels were only slightly damaged. During the 1950s and 1960s, Poland restored the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno with great commitment and combined its reconstruction with regotization: all baroque and classicist remodels of the 18th and 19th centuries in the presbytery and nave have now been transformed back into Gothic forms. What was left was the silver ciborium and the cathedral chapels, which were undamaged during the war.

On June 3, 1979 Pope John Paul II visited the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno. In 1992, as Archbishop of Warsaw , Józef Glemp was appointed the new Primate of Poland, whereby Gniezno lost the title of Primate Capital.

On June 26, 2010, the new Metropolitan of Gniezno and Primate Józef Kowalczyk took office. Since then, the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno has again been the main church of the Primate Poloniae (Primate of Poland).

architecture

Towers and roof

Detail of one of the two towers

The church has two huge symmetrical west towers , in which there were four bells. Since the towers were no longer stable after the destruction of the building with the bells, the church council ordered the construction of a separate bell tower, which was inaugurated in 1975. This is where the preserved bells came, including the fourth largest bell in Poland at the time of casting, St. Adalbert's from the 18th century.

Statues on the roof of the cathedral
Baroque extension of the Arch-Cathedral
Relic of the Blessed Blood of John Paul II in the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno

At the eaves there are statues of Polish saints and blessed on high half-columns, made in the workshop of M. Rożek between 1932 and 1936.

description

Bronze door from Gniezno depicting the martyrdom of St. Wojciech

The Arch-Cathedral is a three-aisled, brick- Gothic basilica with a presbytery and cloister . Its architectural style is strongly reminiscent of the Poznan Cathedral . The Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno has been famous since the 12th century for its architecturally unique bronze cathedral doors depicting the martyrdom of St. Wojciech - the first saint in Poland. It is also the final resting place of many high-ranking Polish church fathers.

The linden wood crucifix at the entrance was created by Hans Brandt from Danzig . The marble epitaph for Zbigniew Oleśnicki was made by Veit Stoss .

Presbytery and nave

The gilded ciborium (altar structure) is located in the presbytery (choir) of the arch-cathedral . The early baroque reliquary of St. Wojciech can be seen under the ciborium - a small castrum doloris made of chased pure silver sheet, created by Peter von der Rennen in 1662 (restored after the theft in 1987). Behind the reliquary is Wojciech's grave slab made of red marble with the medieval tumba from 1480. A gold-plated Prymasowski throne has stood on the north side of the presbytery since 1835, above which the coat of arms of the current Archbishop of Gniezno can be seen, currently the Józef Kowalczyk's coat of arms . In front of the throne is a gilded prayer chair with the coat of arms of Primate Wyszyński , a symbol that Poland's Primate of the Millennium is present. The choir stalls for the members of the Polish Primate Chapter are distributed on both sides of the presbytery. The large high altar with the bas-relief of St. Wojciech is also located here. An arched beam with a Gothic crucifix (from 1430) carved from linden wood is attached to the high altar .

In the main nave there are chairs for the faithful and at the other end the old chapter house .

organ

Organ of the Arch Cathedral

A short sound sample can be found on the Internet, combined with a pan through the nave.

Ambulatory (ambulatory)

In ambulatory other believers find space. The bronze tombstone of Jakub z Sienna from the late 15th century, four tombstones from the Primas Łaskis Foundation , the Stefan Wyszyński monument from 1982 (he was Poland's Primate of the Millennium ) and the red marble tombstone of Primate Oleśnicki are interesting here .

Aisles and chapels

The side aisles form a wreath, i.e. mainly chapels , but also the chapter house , the sacristy or the church tower room.

Kaplica prymasa Potockiego (Chapel of the Primate Potocki),

in whose crypt were buried:

Kaplica Bożego Ciała (Chapel of the Divine Body),

also called Kaplica Prymas Sprowskiego (Chapel of Primate Sprowski), in whose crypt were buried:

The Most Holy Sacrament is kept in this chapel .

Kaplica Doktorów (Chapel of Doctors),

also known as Kaplica św. Jana Nepomucena (Chapel of Johannes Nepomuk), in the crypt of which canons of the Gniezno Cathedral Chapter were buried:
Canon Jasicki, Canon Oczko, Canon Kantecki, Canon Robertson, Canon Balcer Pstrokoński.

In this chapel the penitentiary (penitential canon) regularly offers the opportunity to confess .

Kaplica sw. Walentego (Chapel of St. Valentine),

the cathedral vicars were buried in the crypt . It is open once a year on February 14th. In this chapel, too, the penitentiary offers the possibility of confession.

Kaplica Pana Jezusa (Jesus Christ Chapel),

Also known as Kaplica Świętego Krzyża (Chapel of the Holy Cross), in whose crypt other canons of the Gniezno Cathedral Chapter were buried. It currently houses the Cudowny Krzyż Gnieźnieński (Miraculous Cross of Gniezno).

Kaplica Niepokalanego Poczęcia NMP (Chapel of the Immaculate Conception of Mary),

also known as Kaplica prymasa Gembickiego , in whose crypt Primate Wawrzyniec Gembicki was buried.

Kaplica Kołudzkich (Chapel of the Kołudzkis),

the priests of the Kołudzki family were buried in the crypt.

Kaplica sw. Andrzeja (Chapel of St. Andrew),

also known as Kaplica prymasa Olszowskiego , in whose crypt were buried:

Kaplica Bogorii (Chapel of Bogoria),

also known as Kaplica Matki Bożej Częstochowskiej (Chapel of Our Lady of Częstochowa), in whose crypt were buried:

The chapel is the place of daily confession , which is accepted by the parish priests and the Gnieznos seminary.

Kaplica sw. Stanisława (Chapel of St. Stanislaus),

known as Kaplica sufragańską (Chapel of the Suffragans), in whose crypt were buried:

  • 1608: Bishop Jan Gniazdowski,
  • 1661: Canon Stanisław Sławieński.

The penitential canon does his confessional service in the chapel.

Kaplica prym. Baranowskiego (Chapel of the Primate Baranovsky),

Primate Wojciech Baranowski was buried in the crypt in 1615.

Kaplica sw. Mikołaja (Chapel of St. Nicholas),

known as Kaplica prym. Dzierzgowskiego , in whose crypt Primate Mikołaj Dzierzgowski was buried in 1559.

Kaplica prymasa Łubieńskiego (Primate Lubienski Chapel),

in whose crypt were buried:

other rooms

The Vicar - sacristy is located between the Kaplica doktorów and Kaplica św. Walentego with entrance to the arch- cathedral and the prelate- sacristy, which is used by canons and bishops.

The north and south sides of the Arch-Cathedral have parallel entrance halls. In the northern entrance hall, the large two-winged church portals are worth seeing, which were built around 1400 and are Gothic on the outside and with the five Polish kings on the inside who were crowned in the Arch-Cathedral. From the northern entrance hall you can also get to the souvenir shop, pilgrims' office and the archdiocese office. The old chapter house with the entrance to the basement is not far. Also worth seeing on the north side of the cathedral is another church portal from the second half of the 14th century with the tympanum Sądu Ostatecznego (The Last Judgment), offset with the bronze door of Gniezno from 1175, which shows the martyrdom of Wojciech . The door is closed and is only opened for special celebrations, e.g. B. when the archbishop walks through in honor of St. Wojciechs.

The entrance for tourists is on the south side. There is also a staircase to the viewing platform on the south tower of the Arch Cathedral.

Surroundings

Monument to Bolesław I. Chrobry in front of the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno

To the north of the Arch- Cathedral of Gniezno is the Archbishopric together with the Kolegacki Kościół św. Jerzego (Archdiocese of St. Jerzy). In the ore pen is z. B. the Archbishop's Archives in Gniezno with the Archdiocesan Museum. East of the Arch-Cathedral you can see the Gniezno market square over the Lech Hill . To the south of the Arch-Cathedral stands the Gniezno monument to Bolesław I. Chrobry , which was destroyed in 1939 and rebuilt in 1985 . The green Plac Św is located west of the Arch-Cathedral . Wojciecha (St. Wojciech Square), where the large open-air liturgical celebrations are held every year.

Royal coronations in the Arch-Cathedral in Gniezno

Five Polish kings were crowned in the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno for over three centuries. Those were:

literature

  • Tadeusz Dobrzeniecki: Drzwi Gnieźnieńskie ( Eng .: Gnesen doors ), Kraków, 1953.
  • Wilfried Gerke (Ed.), With the help of Elfriede Henke: Deutsche im Gnesener Land. (Former districts of Gniezno and Witkowo). Office of the Heimatkreisgemeinschaft Gensen e. V., Hanover 1981.
  • Tomasz Janiak: Z badań nad przestrzenią liturgiczną romańskiej katedry w Gnieźnie , (German: Research on the liturgical space of the Romanesque cathedral in Gniezno ) in: Architektura romańska w Polsce. Nowe odkrycia i interpretacje . Materiały z sesji naukowej w MPPP, Gniezno 2009.
  • Gabriela Mikołajczyk: Zabytki Katedry Gnieźnieńskiej (German: Monuments of the Gniezno Cathedral ), Gniezno: Prymasowskie Wydawnictwo Gaudentinum , 1992. ISBN 83-85654-01-1 .
  • Kazimierz Śmiegiel: Święty Wojciech ( Eng .: Saint Wojtech ), Gniezno, 1996.

Web links

Commons : Gniezno Arch-Cathedral  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Arch-cathedral of Gniezno (970-1945) [Accessed: March 10, 2014]
  2. ↑ a b c d e Włodzimierz Łęcki: Gniezno. Poznań , in: WPT Przemysław, 1980, pp. 12-18, ISBN T-17/2322
  3. ↑ a b c Coronations of the Polish kings and queens (Polish) [Accessed: March 10, 2014]
  4. ↑ Walk through Gnesen (pdf), accessed on October 27, 2015.
  5. ↑ Basilica in Gniezno on regionwielkopolska.pl , accessed on October 27, 2015.
  6. ↑ Dom Gniezno organ on youtube.com ; accessed on October 27, 2015.