Church of Peace in Świdnica

Today I will take you to an amazing place - the Church of Peace in Świdnica. Before we take a tour we need a little history lesson.

In the sixteenth century Świdnica was the second biggest town in Lower Silesia, a region which belonged at that time to the Habsburg empire. After Martin Luther published his Theses, Świdnica became a prominent center of Protestant Reformation, with many churches, priests and believers. The biggest parish of Ss.Stanislav and Vaclav had a church with a tower of 103 meters, higher than all other church towers in Silesia. The life in Świdnica was nice and peaceful until 1618, when the Habsburgs launched the Counter-Reformation which lead to the Thirty Years' War. And yes, this was a horrible war that really lasted thirty years. It ended in 1648 with the Peace of Westphalia. One of the clauses of the peace treaty guaranteed to the protestants in Lower Silesia the right to build three churches, so-called Churches of Peace, including one in Świdnica.

Let's enter by the main gate to the Peace Square.

The building on the left is the Guard House.

In the back you can see the bell tower. It was built much later than the church. The reason for this is that the Emperor imposed many restrictions on the Peace Churches - one of them was that they could not have a tower or a belfry. In fact, they were supposed to be built "in a shape that is not typical for churches". That is why when I looked at the Świdnica church for the first time I was a bit surprised that this building was actually a church.

In winter time it is possible to visit the church only if you book your visit in advance.

Before we enter it, I must give you the other restrictions posed by the Emperor on the protestants who wanted to have their church. Only then you will be able to fully appreciate what they have achieved:

• the building materials could be wood, sand, clay and straw
• the church had to be erected within one year’s time
• the church had to be located outside the city walls
• as mentioned, it could not have the shape of a church and a tower. 

The main entry is here.

And now my friends, open your eyes and admire. The church is 40 meters long and 30.5 meters wide. The central nave is 15 meters high. It has a total area of 1,090 m2 (covering the ground floor  and 4 levels of balconies, called matronea) and can hold 7,500 people, including 3,000 seated. It is the largest wooden church in Europe.

The main altar is baroque in style and includes a sculpture of the baptism of Jesus Christ.

On the left side you probably noticed the pulpit, also magnificently decorated.

I liked a lot this little detail - a set of hourglasses that allowed the priest to keep the length of his sermon reasonable.

On the right side the line of the matronea is disturbed by a loge seating of the Hochberg family who provided the wood needed to build the church.

Other donors and supporters were commemorated with paintings and inscriptions.

Since the church was built from wood, so is the ceiling.

At the intersection of the naves, the ceiling includes a painting of the Holy Trinity.

I was really impressed by the care given to the details. Just look at these seats ...

... or this box for offering.

The church in Świdnica, like any other huge church, includes also a huge organ. Unfortunately it requires often important conservation efforts. This is also the case today.

This is what it looks like in good times.

Since the conservation works are lengthy, the church is also equipped with a smaller organ, located behind the main altar.

Next to the entrance lies a bell. I am not sure how they manage to ring it. Any ideas?

In the antechamber of the church there is a little exhibition. You can see the clothes used in the past by the priests of the parish ...

... and even the priests themselves.

In the middle you can admire a beautifully ornamented baptismal font.

I was truely impressed by the Church of Peace in Świdnica. Especially since I have found out that nowadays the parish includes only 120 parishioners who are obviously unable to support all the restoration and conservation works. This is the reason why the church is supported by a special foundation. You can help it by coming there and paying the admission fee. And by buying some great postcards as well.

National Science Center Kopernik

A few months ago my cousin Ralph has taken you to the planetarium that is a part of the National Science Center Kopernik in Warsaw. I have promised you then to take you there again. It is time to fulfill this promise. All those who suddenly forgot who was Mikołaj Kopernik (aka Copernicus) should quickly take a look back to our recent trip to Olsztyn.

The Kopernic Center is unique in Poland. Everybody wants to visit it which means long queues at the entry. If you want to visit it at a specific date always remember to book your tickets on-line upfront.

Next to the entry we can meet again the robot that Ralph has presented you. Any guesses about the mood he can be today?

The Kopernik Center is so modern that they do not distribute old-fashion paper tickets. They give visitors magnetic cards that later allow to access some additional attractions.

Just behind the main entry we will find the Foucault pendulum. It is the simplest tool developed so far to demonstrate that Earth rotates.

The Kopernik Center has very many topical exhibitions and installations. Presenting all of them in one story would be too much. Therefore I have chosen for you a few topics that I have found particularly interesting.

* * *

First we will start with the four elements. In the Kopernik Center you can learn a lot about water and its physical properties. There are a lot of strange devices that show you the way water flows. The best thing is that visitors are allowed to touch all of them!

Let's move to wind and air. Here you can see and feel it yourself. Hold on!

Be careful, here comes a fire tornado! This is obviously one of few items in the Kopernik Center that visitors cannot touch. When I was visiting the center a big group of 4-year old kids was running in all directions. I am pretty sure they would be ready to give the tornado a try if they were only able.

The section about Earth was devoted to archeology. If you have a moment you can sit here, put on these special glasses and try to decipher yourself the famous Rosetta Stone.

* * *

The second exhibition that I have liked a lot was about sound. It was possible to see closely some classical instruments like this violin.

But it was also possible to touch and play some very modern ones, like this harp. You think it is broken since it has no strings? Well, you are wrong. It has invisible strings, laser ones. Feels a bit like Star Trek, isn't it?

The Kopernik Center is also offering some workshops about selected topics. During those dedicated to sound it was possible to actually touch the sound made by a glovophone ...

... and even to see the sound! The vibrations made by the drum moved the buckwheat lying on top of the thin film.

* * *

Last but not least, I have liked the Bzzzz gallery, devoted to animals.

It is possible to see there paths of different animals, to learn some interesting facts about them. But it is also possible to literally look through their eyes, to see the way in which the sight of a particular species differs from human one.

It is also possible to smell different wild animals and their natural environment.

Just before we leave we can admire this huge bubble made out of water and soap.

In summer time I would take you as well for a walk on the bank of the Vistula river. But it is far too cold and cloudy to enjoy it.

So let's finish our visit in the wonderful science store. You can look for some games and I will buy a few postcards.

Illumination of the Royal Route in Warsaw (2015) - Łazienki Park

It has become a little tradition that every year I show you on this blog the illumination of the Royal Route in Warsaw. Last year we were at its Southern end in Wilanów, two years age at the Northern end in the Old Town, and three years ago - in the Łazienki Park that lies more or less in the middle.

This year, I decided to check what has changed in the Illumination in and around Łazienki Park over those past three years.

Let's enter the so-called Chinese alley from the South. The entrance itself is already inviting.

The Chinese alley is populated this year by beautiful ladies and some elegant gentlemen. This one looks very classy, don't you think?

This lady reminds me of Mary Poppins - do you think she could fly on this umbrella?

This couple seems to take a walk in the park despite the cold.

And this one is just standing there and watching all the visitors passing by.

The park itself is not illuminated and if fact it is quite dark. Luckily they have put some lights on this little bridge, otherwise some people might have missed it and realise it only with their feet in the little canal.

Let's walk a little on the side of the main alley to see the Palace on the Water. In front of it there is a lovely Christmas tree.

I was a bit disappointed because the Palace itself is not decorated.

Still, the game of light and shadows make it worth seeing after dark.

At the end of the Chinese valley there is a little Chinese pavilion. Easy to spot and to recognise thanks to the traditional red lanterns. They remind me of my trip to Taiwan.

Let's walk out of the park and climb up the Agrykola street. We will be accompanied by a shiny ceiling.

Aleje Ujazdowskie have some new decorations too. I think I like them more that the previous ones.

They look like huge Christmas tree decorations.

And another Christmas tree, this time in front of the Prime Minister Office.

As you might remember, next to the main entry to Łazienki Park there is a monument of the father of Polish independence - Józef Piłsudski. Since a few months it is possible to admire his car, a Cadillac 335D Series 30 from 1935.

The renovation of this limousine was an initiative of the Polish President. Here you can watch a little movie about it.

I hope that you have liked this short walk. Since it is pretty cold (minus eight centigrade today), I propose we finish it in front of the President's offices in Belweder.