Church of Peace in Jawor

The Church of Peace in Jawor is a timber-framed Lutheran church, one of two surviving in Poland that were built after the end of the Thirty Years' War. It stands in Jawor in Lower Silesia and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2001.

Built after the Peace of Westphalia

The church was erected under the terms of the Peace of Westphalia of 1648, which ended the Thirty Years' War. Protestants in the Silesian lands under Catholic Habsburg rule were then granted permission to build three churches, on condition that they be built outside the town walls and from non-durable materials: timber, straw and clay. Construction took place between 1654 and 1656, and the architect was Albrecht von Säbisch.

Construction and architecture

The church was built in timber-frame construction, that is a wooden skeleton filled with clay and brick. Four levels of galleries run along both sides of the nave, making this church one of the largest Baroque timber-framed religious buildings in Europe. The monument is entered in the register of immovable heritage, and the building material is described in conservation records as timber-framed.

Interior

The Baroque interior houses an altar, a pulpit and a font. Paintings with scenes from the Old and New Testaments have survived on the galleries, along with the coats of arms of former founders and donors. The church has an organ with 27 stops and two manuals, reconstructed between 2000 and 2005 according to a 19th-century design by organ builder Lummert from 1855. Three bells hang in the tower, named Faith, Hope and Love, which ring on Sundays and holy days.

Monument of history

In March 2017, by decree of the President of the Republic of Poland, the church was declared a Monument of History. This recognition joined the earlier UNESCO listing from 2001, which covers both surviving Churches of Peace: in Jawor and in Świdnica.

Nearby

Close by, in the centre of Jawor, stand Jawor Castle and the Regional Museum in Jawor. A few kilometres outside town, towards the mountains, lie the Wąwóz Myśliborski Nature Reserve near Jawor and the Górzec hill.

Practical information

• Address: Aleja Pięciuset Lat Reformacji 1, Jawor
• The church stands in the town of Jawor, on the grounds of a former cemetery outside the old town walls
• The interior is open for visits; it is worth checking the hours and visiting rules before arriving
• From May to September the church hosts chamber music concerts