Church of the Holiest Saviour

Church of the Holiest Saviour (Polish: Kościół Najświętszego Zbawiciela) is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Śródmieście district of Warsaw, Poland. It is located on the Saviour Square.

Church of the Holiest Saviour
Kościół Najświętszego Zbawiciela (in Polish)
General information
Architectural stylePolish Renaissance,
Polish Baroque
Town or cityWarsaw
CountryPoland
Construction started1901
Completed1927
Demolished1944
Design and construction
Architect(s)Józef Pius Dziekoński,
Ludwik Panczakiewicz,
Władysław Żychlewicz

History

The origins of the church date back to the end of the 19th century. A growing number of citizens of the Śródmieście Południowe and Ujazdów districts of Warsaw wanted to commemorate the upcoming year 1900. They were supported by the Archbishop Wincenty Popiel. In 1900 the grounds between the Marszałkowska and Mokotowska streets were bought, and construction began the following year. In 1903 the church was partially opened to believers and four years later became fully operational. In 1927 it was ceremonially consecrated by Bishop Stanisław Gall.[1]

During World War II the building was heavily damaged. In 1939 during the Nazi bombing of Warsaw, missiles destroyed the western tower and the roof.[1] Nazis also arrested the church rector, priest Marceli Nowakowski, who was later executed in the Sejm gardens in February 1940.[2] After the fall of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, Germans detonated explosives in the church, heavily damaging the whole building.[1] After the war quick restoration work was conducted and in 1948, the building was again opened to worshippers. However, the communist authorities only allowed the reconstruction of the spires in 1955. During the construction of the Marszałkowska Apartments District, they also changed the course of the Marszałkowska street and built the MDM Hotel at the Constitution Square in order to hide the church from the panorama of the city.[3]

The building is a three-nave basilica church with a dome over the crossing of the naves. The main facade, facing the square, features two slim towers and sculptures of Saints Peter and Paul.

See also

References
  1. "Historia Parafii i Kościoła". parafiazbawiciela.org (in Polish). Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  2. Jan Żaryn. "Ksiądz Marceli Nowakowski (1882–1940)". jan.zaryn.salon24.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  3. Mordyński, Krzysztof (January 2008). "Bierut i kandelabry na placu Konstytucji w Warszawie". Kronika Warszawy. Warszawa: Archiwum Państwowe m.st. Warszawy. p. 62. ISSN 0137-3099.
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