Church of Peace in Świdnica. The largest wooden baroque church in Europe!

Name: Church of Peace in Świdnica
Rating: 4.7

The Church of Peace in Świdnica is a fantastic, truly impressive UNESCO building. From the outside, its style of construction in half-timbered technique makes a striking impression. All the more so in the company of small, colorful doors that amazingly decorate the wonderful facade. But it is only in its interior that you will really fall into admiration. Baroque splendor and seats for 7,500 faithful! And all this in spite of the emperor, who allowed the evangelicals only to have a temple outside the city walls, made of impermanent materials! The Church of Peace in Świdnica is dazzling!

Church of Peace - the largest wooden baroque church in Europe! UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Church of Peace is an Evangelical-Augsburg church of the Holy Trinity. The most valuable monument of the sacred Protestant art of Silesia, and at the same time the most famous monument of Świdnica. Not everyone knows that the Church of Peace in Świdnica is the largest wooden baroque church in Europe, and thus probably in the world! It seats as many as 7,500 believers, which is why many doors lead to the interior. The monument is extremely original and interesting in its form. This fact was also appreciated outside Poland and in 2002 it was entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today, it is a real tourist magnet, made available to visitors. A similar Church of Peace is located in Jawor and is also a UNESCO object.

History of the Church of Peace

The establishment of the Church of Peace is associated with the end of the Thirty Years' War, when under the so-called Westphalian Peace of 1648, the evangelicals of Świdnica received permission from the emperor only to build a church from impermanent materials: wood, clay and straw. Without a bell tower and outside the city walls. Thus, in the years 1656-57, a pearl with a very well planned shape was created, which not only survived to our times, but also impresses to this day.

Sightseeing the Church of Peace

Let's take a look inside this amazing temple, because it takes your breath away. Now beautifully revitalized, it is accessible to tourists and successfully pleases their eye. The interior of the temple is entered atypically, through the sacristy, where there is, among others, a baroque baptismal font from 1661 founded by 6 families from Świdnica and a glazed baroque wardrobe with chasubles.

Polychromes and princely lodges

The Church of Peace is arranged in the shape of a Greek cross, the interior of the church is basilica, covered with a flat, wooden ceiling with an extremely rich polychrome. In fact, it is difficult to find fragments of the ceiling or walls without paintings here. Also polychrome and additionally carved are the lodges, piled between the admirals. The most effective is the Hochberg lodge from Książ, founded in 1698. The original, baroque and very rich and ornate interior of the temple is a rare deviation from the strict Protestant canon.

Antique benches and double organs!

You can admire the decor of the Church of Peace for a long time, but several elements deserve special attention here. The oldest in the temple are benches, some date back to the 17th century, when the church was built, others were replaced with new ones in 1902, but in the same way as the old ones. The Great Organs, created laboriously in the years 1666-69, are valuable and old. Their construction was led by Gottfried Klose from Brzeg. They make an impression by occupying the entire back wall. The so-called Small Organs are much smaller, although they are also impressive. They were erected in 1695 above the altar, because the Great Ones often broke down. Hence, they are also called Altarpieces. It is worth going to the Church of Peace for a service or even a concert, when you can listen to the sound of the organ. It happens that the Great Organ at the back and the Small Organ above the altar sound at the same time. They are considered the most beautiful and most valuable baroque instrument in Lower Silesia. It is especially worth going here to the International Bach Festival.

The main altar and pulpit in the Church of Peace

The Main Altar is a wonderful work by August Hoffman. It was established in 1752, on the 100th anniversary of the Church of Peace. It has the form of an open colonnade and you can stare at it for a long time. The main scene shows the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. I recommend you to see it with your own eyes, as well as the ornate, large tulip pulpit of the same artist, dating from 1729. An interesting fact is that an hourglass was placed on the pulpit, preserved to this day, which indicated to the pastor whether it bored the parishioner for not too long.

Epitaphs and empires

Numerous epitaphs and boxes surrounding the entire temple from the inside also attract attention. Thanks to them, the Church of Peace in Świdnica offers several thousand seats. Empory is a typical element in Evangelical churches. Those in Świdnica are still waiting for renovation, then everyone will be able to walk through them as part of the tour, and I assure you that it is an interesting experience to admire this magnificent temple also from above and enter the altar or organ!

Other Fragments of the Church of Peace

The sacristy itself is also interesting, and you can also find interesting decor elements at the back of the temple.

Church of Peace - a symbolic place of meetings and reconciliation

This masterpiece of Baroque art transcends the religious dimension. In 1989, Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Chancellor Helmut Kohl prayed here together. Similarly, in 2014, Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In addition, the temple hosted a royal couple from Sweden and the Dalai Lama - the spiritual leader of the Tibetans.

Room Square

The Church of Peace is surrounded by utility buildings, which are also nice buildings of great architectural value. The Baroque entrance gate to the Peace Square itself is impressive, and on the square you will also find the building of a former presbytery, a beautiful building of a former high school, a free-standing bell tower or a historic cemetery covering the ashes of many prominent residents of Świdnica. I was also captivated by Café 7 Heaven, which is located in front of the church, in the former guard house. In the House of the Hunchback, however, there is a free exhibition "Faith like a heart of bronze. Treasures of the Church of Peace in Świdnica." The exhibition shows objects related to the Lutheran church over several centuries: manuscripts, the Bible from 350 years ago, paintings, baroque liturgical vessels, portraits of pastors, collections of prayers, epitaphs.

Accommodation

Here you will find a wide selection of accommodations. By booking your stay on Booking.com through our link, you support the development of our blog — and we thank you in advance! It helps us reach many interesting places that we later love to show you and share our experiences and information with you.

Practical information

Church of Peace - Evangelical-Augsburg Church of the Holy Trinity
Pl. Room 6, Świdnica
Current hours of sightseeing and ticket prices can be found here:
https://kosciolpokoju.pl/ Wheelchair accessible
Church sightseeing with listening to the teacher takes about 40 minutes

Rent a car

Exploring becomes much easier when you have your own means of transport. You don’t have to worry about buses or taxis, and you can plan each day your way. The search box below will help you find the right car – right where your journey begins.

What's worth seeing in the area?

If you have already visited this attraction, it is also worth visiting several other interesting ones places nearby. Within a radius of 100 kilometers you will find many interesting places places that can diversify your stay in this part of Poland.

Grodno Castle in Zagórze Śląskie, distance: 12.2 km
Książ Castle, distance: 14 km
Szczeliniec Wielki, distance: 41.6 km
Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław, distance: 48.9 km
Wrocław Zoo with Afrkarium, distance: 50.1 km
Palace in Kopice, distance: 70.8 km
Bear Cave in Kletno, distance: 72.4 km
Sky Walk Tower in Świeradów Zdrój, distance: 81.2 km
Barycz Valley, distance: 85.7 km
Czocha Castle, distance: 85.7 km