Holy Cross Church, Warsaw

Coordinates: 52°14′19″N 21°1′00″E / 52.23861°N 21.01667°E / 52.23861; 21.01667
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Holy Cross Church
Kościół św. Krzyża (in Polish)
Church façade (center), 2021.
Map
General information
Architectural styleBaroque
Town or cityWarsaw
CountryPoland
Construction started1682
Completed1757
Demolished1944
ClientMichał Stefan Radziejowski
Design and construction
Architect(s)Józef Fontana
Historic Monument of Poland
Designated1994-09-08
Part ofWarsaw – historic city center with the Royal Route and Wilanów
Reference no.M.P. 1994 nr 50 poz. 423[1]

The Church of the Holy Cross (

Warsaw University campus, it is one of the most notable Baroque
churches in Poland's capital.

The Holy Cross Church is currently administered by the Missionary Friars of Vincent de Paul.

History

As early as the 15th century, a small wooden chapel of the Holy Cross had been erected here. In 1526 the chapel was demolished, and a newer church was erected. Refurbished and extended by Paweł Zembrzuski in 1615, the church was too small to fill the needs of the growing city.[2] Initially located well outside the city limits, by the 17th century it had become one of the main churches in the southern suburb (przedmieście) of the city that had in 1596 become Poland's capital.

In 1653 Queen

Marie Louise Gonzaga gave the church to the French order of Missionary Friars of Vincent de Paul.[2] However, three years later Warsaw was captured by Swedish armies during the Deluge. Pillaged, the church was found to be damaged beyond repair.[2] During the reign of King John III Sobieski the church's remnants were demolished, and it was decided to erect a new shrine.[2] In the 18th century this became the origin of the gorzkie żale
tradition.

National Altar (Ołtarz Ojczyzny), symbolizing national unity, was built ca. 1700 to a design by Tylman Gamerski.

The main building was constructed between 1679 and 1696. Its main designer was Józef Szymon Bellotti, the royal architect at the Royal Court of Poland. It was financed by abbot Kazimierz Szczuka and the

Primate of Poland Michał Stefan Radziejowski. The façade was relatively modest and reminded of Renaissance facades of the nearby churches. The two towers surrounding the façade were initially square-cut. Between 1725 and 1737 two late Baroque headpieces by Józef Fontana. The façade itself was refurbished by Fontana's son, Jakub (in 1756) and ornamented with sculptures by Jan Jerzy Plersch
.

From 1765 the church was one of the most attended by Polish King

3 May Constitution.[2] During the Warsaw Uprising of 1794, the stairs leading to the main entrance were destroyed and had to be replaced with new ones designed by Chrystian Piotr Aigner.[2]

Pillar containing Chopin's heart (just above the bouquet near bottom)

During the Partitions, the church gained much importance, especially after the 1861 demonstration held before it, which was brutally put down by Russian Cossack troops — sparking the January 1863 Uprising.

On Christmas Day 1881, an outbreak of panic following a false alarm of fire in the crowded church caused the

Warsaw pogrom of 1881 ensued.[3]

In the late 19th century the church interior was slightly refurbished, and in 1882 an urn containing

Sursum Corda ("Lift Up Your Hearts"), signifying the Poles' endurance under the Russian partition. In addition to urns containing the hearts of some of Poland's most renowned artists, there are several epitaphs to other notable Poles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Juliusz Słowacki, Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, Bolesław Prus, and Władysław Sikorski.[2]

Destruction and rebuilding

Remains of the Holy Cross Church in 1945

During the 1944

high explosives) the facade was destroyed, together with many Baroque furnishings, the vaulting, the high altar, and side altars.[2] Afterward the church was blown up by the Germans in January 1945.[2]

Between 1945 and 1953, the church was rebuilt in a simplified architectural form by B. Zborowski. The interior was reconstructed without the Baroque polychromes and frescos. The main altar was reconstructed between 1960 and 1972.

Traditionally, during the

Chopin International Piano Competition on 17 October – the day of Fryderyk Chopin's death – a solemn mass is celebrated in the church, during which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem is performed in accordance with the wishes of the composer.[4][5]

Burials

Frédéric François Chopin (1810-1849): His heart is interred in the church. His body is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris.

Trivia

  • The Holy Cross Church and its gardens (now non-existent and occupied by the building of the Finance Ministry) gave their name to
    Świętokrzyska
    Street, one of the most notable streets in central Warsaw.
  • Following the signing of the Gdańsk Accords between
    People's Republic of Poland in 1980, it was decided that a mass be transmitted countrywide via state-controlled radio.[2] Since then, the mass has been recorded weekly at the church for transmission.[2]

Images

Historical

  • 1770s
    1770s
  • Before 1828
    Before 1828
  • 1890s
    1890s

Present day

  • The copper roof and bell towers of the church as seen from the west
    The copper roof and bell towers of the church as seen from the west
  • Statue of Christ Christ Bearing His Cross, before the church
    Statue of Christ Christ Bearing His Cross, before the church
  • Plaque commemorating Bolesław Prus, "great writer and teacher of the nation, 1847–1912"
    Plaque commemorating Bolesław Prus, "great writer and teacher of the nation, 1847–1912"
  • Plaque commemorating Polish general and prime minister Władysław Sikorski
    Plaque commemorating Polish general and prime minister Władysław Sikorski
  • Plaque commemorating Polish duchess, social and charity activist, Paulina Górska née Krasińska (1816-1893)
    Plaque commemorating Polish duchess, social and charity activist, Paulina Górska née Krasińska (1816-1893)

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Holy Cross church in Warsaw.

External links

52°14′19″N 21°1′00″E / 52.23861°N 21.01667°E / 52.23861; 21.01667

Notes and references

General:
  • Franciszek Maksymilian Sobieszczański (November 1863). "Kościół Śto-krzyzki w Warszawie". Tygodnik Ilustrowany (in Polish). VIII (216). Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
  • "kościół pw. św. Krzyża". Architektura Przedwojennej Warszawy (in Polish). Fundacja "WARSZAWA1939.pl". 2005. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
  1. ^ Zarządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 8 września 1994 r. w sprawie uznania za pomnik historii., M.P. z 1994 r. Nr 50, poz. 423
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Historia". www.swkrzyz.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2007-01-15. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  3. ISBN 0-19-513146-0
    , p.162
  4. ^ "Requiem Mozarta dla Chopina w Bazylice Św. Krzyża" (in Polish). Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Konkurs Chopinowski. Historyczne zmagania konkursowe członków jury" (in Polish). Retrieved 22 October 2021.
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