Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Jelenia Góra

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on 1 Maja Street in Jelenia Góra is a former Evangelical church, built as a church of grace and handed over to Catholics after the war.

History and former function

The building previously served as an Evangelical church of grace, also known as the Church of Grace under the Cross of Christ or the garrison church. After the Second World War and the expulsion of the German population, the church was taken over by the Polish state and handed over to the Catholic Church.

Architecture

The church was designed by the architect Martin Frantz on a Greek cross plan, with a flat dome in the middle surrounded by four small towers, modelled on a church in Stockholm. Inside, frescoes by Felix Anton Scheffler survive in the main nave, and by Johann Franz Hoffmann in the dome's vault and the transepts. The pulpit, made from a single block of sandstone, was made in 1717 with funding from Melchior Berthold. The organ was built in 1729 by Michael Röder, and the instrument has retained its 18th-century facade, although the current pipes, numbering more than four and a half thousand, date from 1906.

Historic surroundings

The church is surrounded by a park with 19 burial chapels of the town's patricians, built between 1717 and 1770, during a period of lively flax trade in Jelenia Góra. The church is listed on the heritage register, and it is dated to the 18th century.

Practical information

• Address: 1 Maja 45A, Jelenia Góra
• Getting there: the centre of Jelenia Góra, not far from the Castle Gate Tower, the Wojanowska Gate and the Cyprian Kamil Norwid Theatre in Jelenia Góra
• What to expect: a stone, baroque building with a park of burial chapels around it; it is worth checking visiting hours and mass times before your visit