Christ the King (statue)
Encyclopedia
Christ the King is a statue of Jesus Christ in Świebodzin
, Poland
, completed on 6 November 2010. The statue is 33 metres (108.3 ft) tall, the crown is 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall and along with its mound, it reaches 72.5 metres (237.9 ft) overall, making it the tallest statue of Jesus in the world. It weighs 440 tonnes. The project was conceived and led by Sylwester Zawadzki, a retired Polish priest.
was 33. The Crown of the temple is 3.5 metres in diameter and 2 m in height, and the whole is gilded. The head is 4.5 m tall and weighs 15 tons. Each hand is 6 m in length and the distance between the ends of the fingers is 24 metres. It is composed of plaster and fibreglass. It is claimed to be the tallest statue of Jesus in the world, although it remains smaller than that of Cristo de la Concordia
in Cochabamba
, Bolivia
if the statue's crown is not counted. It is 3 meters taller than the better known statue of Christ the Redeemer
in Rio de Janeiro
, standing at 30.1 metres (99 ft) tall without its pedestal.
. Meanwhile elements of the clothing and the arms of the statue were designed by Tomasz Stafiniak and Krzysztof Nawojski (the latter being of the town of Świebodzin) respectively. Another resident of Świebodzin, Marian Wybraniec, was responsible for the design of the foundations upon which the statue was constructed.
The construction work was undertaken by staff employed by the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy
in Świebodzin
and included welders, locksmiths and mechanics.
passed a resolution on the establishment of Christ the King. The President (under the authority of the board) along with the mayor spoke to the Bishop of Zielona Góra-Gorzów Diocese
. There was initial opposition from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
. State officials also temporarily halted the project due to safety concerns. With funding from local people and as far away as Canada
, the statue was completed on November 6, 2010.
Swiebodzin
Świebodzin is a town in western Poland with 21,757 inhabitants . It is the capital of Świebodzin CountyIt was formerly part of the Zielona Góra Voivodeship , a reconfiguration of the old German state of Prussia, the eastern 40% of which was inherited by Poland in 1945, and led to the expulsion of...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, completed on 6 November 2010. The statue is 33 metres (108.3 ft) tall, the crown is 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall and along with its mound, it reaches 72.5 metres (237.9 ft) overall, making it the tallest statue of Jesus in the world. It weighs 440 tonnes. The project was conceived and led by Sylwester Zawadzki, a retired Polish priest.
Characteristics
The statue was built on a 16 metre embankment of stones and rubble. Christ the King has a height of 33 metres, symbolising a traditional belief that Jesus' age at his deathChronology of Jesus
The chronology of Jesus aims to establish a historical order for some of the events of the life of Jesus in the four canonical gospels. The Christian gospels were primarily written as theological documents rather than historical chronicles and their authors showed little interest in an absolute...
was 33. The Crown of the temple is 3.5 metres in diameter and 2 m in height, and the whole is gilded. The head is 4.5 m tall and weighs 15 tons. Each hand is 6 m in length and the distance between the ends of the fingers is 24 metres. It is composed of plaster and fibreglass. It is claimed to be the tallest statue of Jesus in the world, although it remains smaller than that of Cristo de la Concordia
Cristo de la Concordia
Cristo de la Concordia is a statue of Jesus Christ located on San Pedro hill in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The statue is tall, on a pedestal of , bringing its total height to...
in Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
if the statue's crown is not counted. It is 3 meters taller than the better known statue of Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer (statue)
Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. It is tall, including its pedestal, and wide. It weighs 635 tonnes , and is located at the peak of the Corcovado...
in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, standing at 30.1 metres (99 ft) tall without its pedestal.
Project
The designs for various elements of the statue were produced by a number of individuals; the sculpture design was primarily produced by Mirosław Kazimierz Patecki with the technical design aspect being undertaken by Assoc. Jakub Marcinowski and Assoc. Mikołaj Kłapeć, both of whom are employees of the University of Zielona GoraUniversity of Zielona Góra
The University of Zielona Góra was founded on 1 September 2001 as a result of a merger between Zielona Góra's Pedagogical University, which was founded in 1971 and Technical University, which was founded in 1965. It is one of the youngest universities in Poland. Main buildings are located in two...
. Meanwhile elements of the clothing and the arms of the statue were designed by Tomasz Stafiniak and Krzysztof Nawojski (the latter being of the town of Świebodzin) respectively. Another resident of Świebodzin, Marian Wybraniec, was responsible for the design of the foundations upon which the statue was constructed.
The construction work was undertaken by staff employed by the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy
The Divine Mercy is a Roman Catholic devotion to the merciful love of God and the desire to let that love and mercy flow through one's own heart towards those in need of it...
in Świebodzin
Swiebodzin
Świebodzin is a town in western Poland with 21,757 inhabitants . It is the capital of Świebodzin CountyIt was formerly part of the Zielona Góra Voivodeship , a reconfiguration of the old German state of Prussia, the eastern 40% of which was inherited by Poland in 1945, and led to the expulsion of...
and included welders, locksmiths and mechanics.
Construction
On 29 September 2006, the city council of ŚwiebodzinSwiebodzin
Świebodzin is a town in western Poland with 21,757 inhabitants . It is the capital of Świebodzin CountyIt was formerly part of the Zielona Góra Voivodeship , a reconfiguration of the old German state of Prussia, the eastern 40% of which was inherited by Poland in 1945, and led to the expulsion of...
passed a resolution on the establishment of Christ the King. The President (under the authority of the board) along with the mayor spoke to the Bishop of Zielona Góra-Gorzów Diocese
Roman Catholic Diocese of Zielona Góra-Gorzów
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Zielona Góra-Gorzów is an diocese located in the cities of Zielona Góra and Gorzów Wielkopolski in the Ecclesiastical province of Szczecin-Kamień in Poland.-History:...
. There was initial opposition from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is the congregation of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Catholic Church as distinct from the Eastern Catholic Churches and also some technical matters relating to the...
. State officials also temporarily halted the project due to safety concerns. With funding from local people and as far away as Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the statue was completed on November 6, 2010.
See also
- Cristo RedentoreCristo RedentoreChrist the Redeemer of Maratea is a statue of Jesus Christ in Maratea, southern Italy, realized in Carrara's marble in 1965 by Bruno Innocenti, a sculptor from Florence.-The Statue:...
in MarateaMarateaMaratea is a town and comune of Basilicata, in the province of Potenza. It is the only town of the region on the Tyrrhenian coast and because of its beautiful scenery and coastline it has been called "the Pearl of the Tyrrhenian"...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... - Christ The RedeemerChrist the Redeemer (statue)Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. It is tall, including its pedestal, and wide. It weighs 635 tonnes , and is located at the peak of the Corcovado...
in Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... - Christ of Vung TauChrist of Vung TauChrist of Vung Tau is a statue of Jesus, standing on Mount Nho in Vung Tau, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, Dong Nam Bo, Vietnam. The Catholic Association built the statue in 1974 and it was completed in 1993....
in VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
(32 m) - Cristo-ReiCristo-ReiThe Sanctuary of Christ the King is a Catholic monument and shrine dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ overlooking the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and inaugurated on 17 May 1959...
in PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
: a 28 meter high replica of Christ the Redeemer - Cristo Rey del Cubilete in GuanajuatoGuanajuato, GuanajuatoGuanajuato is a city and municipality in central Mexico and the capital of the state of the same name. It is located in a narrow valley, which makes the streets of the city narrow and winding. Most are alleys that cars cannot pass through, and some are long sets of stairs up the mountainsides....
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
: a 23 meter high statue inspired by Christ the Redeemer - Christ of the OzarksChrist of the OzarksChrist of the Ozarks statue is a monumental sculpture of Jesus located near Eureka Springs, Arkansas, atop Magnetic Mountain. It was erected in 1966 as a "Sacred Project" by Gerald L. K. Smith. He briefly led the Share Our Wealth movement initiated by Huey P. Long during the Great...
in ArkansasArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, USA: a 20 meter high statue inspired by Christ the Redeemer - Christ the Redeemer of the AndesChrist the Redeemer of the AndesChrist the Redeemer of the Andes is a monument high in the Andes at 3,832 metres above mean sea level on the border between Argentina and Chile...
(ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
/ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
) - Cristo de la ConcordiaCristo de la ConcordiaCristo de la Concordia is a statue of Jesus Christ located on San Pedro hill in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The statue is tall, on a pedestal of , bringing its total height to...
in CochabambaCochabambaCochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
, BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America... - Cristo Blanco in Cuzco, PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
- Cristo de las NoasCristo de las NoasEl Cristo de las Noas, located on the Cerro de las Noas hill, in the Mexican city of Torreón, Coahuila, is a large sculpture by Vladimir Alvarado, portraying Jesus Christ...
in TorreónTorreónTorreón is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Coahuila. As of 2010, the city's population was 608,836 with 639,629 in the municipality. The metropolitan population, including Matamoros, Coahuila, and Gómez Palacio and Lerdo in adjacent Durango,...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... - Christ the RedeemerCristo della MinervaThe Cristo della Minerva, also known as Christ the Redeemer or Christ Carrying the Cross, is a marble sculpture by the Italian High Renaissance master Michelangelo Buonarroti, finished in 1521...
, by MichelangeloMichelangeloMichelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art... - Christ of the AbyssChrist of the AbyssChrist of the Abyss is a submerged bronze statue of Jesus, located in the Mediterranean Sea off San Fruttuoso between Camogli and Portofino on the Italian Riviera. It was placed in the water on 22 August 1954 at approximately 17 metres depth, and stands c...
in various underwater locations - List of statues by height
External links
- The official Website of the Jesus Christ the King Statue (Polish, German, English, Russian)