Silesian architecture
Encyclopedia
Silesian architecture is the name given to the constructions made in Silesia
throughout time, and those by Silesian architects worldwide. The name is also applied to buildings made within its geographical limits before the constitution of Silesia as a duchy (than 1172) or before this name was given to those territories, and largely depends on the historical moment. Due to historic, geographic and generational diversity, Silesian architecture has known a host of influences.
The Romanesque art
in Silesia appeared with the Christianization
of the region. The first known structure, relics of a church on Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław (Breslau), was built in the mid-10th century. Around 1000 Boleslaw I of Poland
founded a three-nave cathedral on the same place, styled after the cathedral in Gniezno
. Few other buildings of that time are known. The rotunda in Cieszyn
(Teschen), of Moravian- Bohemian origin, dates back to 1050.
The 12th century was a time of great advancement. The first monasteries and minsters, in Wrocław and Lubiaz (Leubus), were built, and the quality of work improved significant, as the builders adopted architectural styles from Southern Germany and Meuse
. Outstanding achievements of this era were the cathedral and the abbey church of the Benedictine order in Wrocław, the latter being the most magnificent romanesque building in Silesia. It was planned after its mother church in Tyniec
near Kraków
, whereas its Westwork
was influenced by Thuringia
n traditions. The church of the first Cistercian monastery
in Lubiaz, built by monks from Pforta
in Thuringia
, was the first of many building made of brick in Silesia.
The beginning of the 13th century was marked by a big increase in building activity, caused by the large influx of German settlers (Ostsiedlung
). Most of the municipal churches in Silesia, built of stone or brick, emerged at that time. Examples were Głogów (Glogau), Nysa
(Neisse), Jelenia Gora
(Hirschberg) or Ziębice
(Münsterberg). These late- romanesque Silesian churches were a mix of local, Saxon
-Thuringian and Bohemia
n traditions. Interestingly there are only 7 known examples of that in time Upper Silesia, but 67 in Lower Silesia, including secular buildings.
The heralds of Gothic architecture
were connected with the building activities of the Cistercians and the patronage of Henry I the Bearded
. Two monasteries, in Trzebnica
(Trebnitz) and in Henryków
(Heinrichau), as well as two residences, in Wrocław and Legnica
(Liegnitz), were early examples and referred to architectonical standards in Southern Germany and along the Rhine. They probably indicate to the dynastic connection between Henry I. and the House of Andechs
. Characteristic attributes of all these buildings were the combination of brick constructions and details made of stone, which were most likely brought in via Altzella in Saxony.
The Tatar invasions
of 1241 led to the decentralization of Silesia. Baronial patronage decreased whereas episcopal and later municipal patronage increased. The most important construction project of that time was the cathedral of Wrocław, which became the first pure Gothic building in Silesia. The chapel St. Hedwig in Trzebnica was another important structure of that era. Both building cited early French traditions, imported via Saxony, Bohemia and Austria. Most mendicant orders built their monasteries in the second half of the 13th century, most notably in Wrocław, Głogów, Brzeg
and Strzelin
. At the same time the first hall church
es appeared. The most original were in Ziębice
and Goldberg (Złotoryja).
Silesia's towns needed approximately 50 years after foundation to get their independence. In the 14th century, many of these towns began to build their own big parish churches, and with the assistance of the new Bohemian sovereign a dynamic sacral development program began. Dominant were now Bohemian, Moravia
n, Southern German and Lower Austrian architectural traditions, but mixed with local traditions which preferred more simple forms. The most characteristic creation of the entire 14th century remained the basilical municipal church with a long nave and no transept. This style was most probably derived from the Cistercian abbey in Zlata Koruna
(Goldenkron) in Bohemia
. Although Silesia was now a part of Bohemia, a state of the Holy Roman Empire
, the Parler
Gothic had almost no influence. Architectural embellishments can only be found in three churches, probably all built by master builder Claus Brynner.
This dynamic sacral development program lasted the entire 14th century, and starting at around 1370 many bigger cities added guild and family chapel
s to their parish churches. At the end of the century, all monastery construction projects ended, and with the spreading of the Hussite wars
to Silesia most building activities were greatly reduced.
The expansion of the town hall in Breslau after 1480 marked a big change in the architectural history of Silesia. As it was obvious that local workshops, represented by Hans Berthold, could not meet the expectations, the city decided to invite experts from Saxony
and Lusatia
around master builder Paul Preusse. At the beginning of the new century, this influence from Saxony and Lusatia was most notably in western parts of Silesia, where Conrad Pflüger
and Wendel Roskopf
from Görlitz
built city halls and churches in Löwenberg
(Lwówek Śląski), Bunzlau (Bolesławiec), Sagan
(Żagań) or Gröditzberg
(Grodziec), all in the tradition of Benedikt Ried
from Prague
. Later Lucas Schleierweber from Schweidnitz (Świdnica
) continued this Görlitz style and constructed buildings in other parts of Middle Silesia.
The Renaissance
era began with the accession of Johann V. Thurzo
as bishop of Breslau. As a great patron of the arts he introduced the new style in Silesia as he commissioned two foundations plates (1505, 1509) at his residence in Jauernig
(Javornik, today in the Czech Republic) and the sacristy portal (1517) on the cathedral in Breslau. The latter was probably made by a local artist, whereas most other early Renaissance projects were carried out by Italians from Ticino
, the so called "Comasks". The most successful were members of the Parr family (Pahr, Bahr or Pario), which built the fortifications in Bolkenhain
(Bolków) in 1539 and later worked in Brieg.
The oldest preserved Renaissance buildings today are house "To the golden crown" (1521–28) in Breslau and the castle of Duke Karl I. von Münsterberg-Oels in Frankenstein
(Ząbkowice Śląskie), built after 1524 by Benedikt Ried. Many buildings of that time still showed the transition from Gothic to Renaissance, for instance the castle in Wohnwitz (Wojnowice) or the city halls in Bunzlau, Löwenberg and Gröditzberg. Most of these buildings were probably built by Wendel Roskopf, a pupil of Benedikt Ried and author of a collection of exceptional Renaissance houses in Görlitz. He probably also was the constructor of Palais Rybisch in Breslau, which was completed by an unnamed Italian artist after 1526.
The high building activity in the Middle Ages resulted in cities which were saturated with churches. Only in exceptional cases new churches were planned, for instance St. Blasius (today St. Maria) in Ohlau (Oława), carried out by Bernhard Niuron in 1587. At that time most Silesian churches became Protestant
and the interest shifted to small alterations of church interiors. A great exception was the conversion of the medieval church in Rothsürben
(Żórawina) by Hans Schneider, which resulted in one of the best examples of Protestant ecclesiastical architecture in Middle Europe.
Much more coherent was the development of secular buildings. The first homogeneous Renaissance building was the gate of Liegnitz castle, built 1533 by Georg von Amberg. The highlight of Silesian architecture of that time however represented Brieg castle and his castle gate, which is deemed to be the symbol of Silesian Renaissance. It was built between 1544–70 by Franziskus Parr, the figurative architectural sculptures, the biggest ensemble in Silesia, were carried out by Saxon master Andreas Walther d.Ä.. It depicts Georg II. von Liegnitz-Brieg-Wohlau, his wife Barbara von Brandenburg and his line of ancestors. It was most probably modeled after Dresden
s Georgenhof, which Parr visited in 1530, and Italian designs.
Similar buildings soon followed in Falkenberg
(Niemodlin), Kreppelhof in Landeshut
(Kamienna Góra), Sorau
(Żary) and Plagwitz (Plakowice). Sgraffito
appeared first in 1563 in Proskau
(Proszków), altogether 300 examples are preserved to this day.
Stylistically the early buildings were connected to Bohemian and Lusatian traditions, represented by Wendel Roskopf, Benedikt Ried and Hans Lindener and were still influenced by Gothic ideas. Soon afterwards the buildings of the Comasks from Italy replaced their work. After 1560 Dutch
Renaissance styles, imported by pattern-books and master builders like Hans Vredeman de Vries
, replaced Italian elements. These Dutch forms were first visible at Oels
(Oleśnica) castle in 1542. Notable representatives of this era were Gaspare Cuneo, Gerhardt von Amsterdam and Hans Lucas. Buildings influenced by this style were the castles in Alt Warthau (Warta Bolesławiecka) or Gießmanndorf
(Gościszów) and the majority of the civic architecture of that time. Sporadically, other traditions emerged too, for example Saxon portals in Liegnitz or Bohemian roofs in Grafenort
(Gorzanów) castle.
The only new development of sacred architecture in Silesia which fully adopted Mannerism
was the palace chapel of Carolath
(Siedlisko), commissioned by Valentin von Säbisch. His son Albrecht created the famous Protestant churches of peace
, which were constrained by political conditions. Without tower, timber framed and built in minimal time they appeared more like commercial construction, a sparse look which was intended. In their simplicity they resembled on northern European Manierism, however they already were a creation of the baroque era.
The beginning and the end of the Baroque were marked by two wars, the Thirty Years' War
and the Seven Years' War
. The triumph of the Baroque architecture
in Silesia was closely connected to the rise of the house of Habsburg
and the counter-reformation
, whereas its decline was marked by the import of Classicism
by Prussia
, the new owner of Silesia after the Seven Years' War. The religious antagonism of Protestantism and Catholicism led to a sharp contrast of a conservative Protestant Baroque which was in the defence and a vanguard and rousing Catholic Baroque which was in the offensive. The ban to build Protestant churches and the saturation of the region with secular architecture resulted in a decline of building projects. As a consequence most Baroque palaces of the 17th and 18th century were alterations of existing structures.
The destruction of the secular courtly culture by the new Polish
owners after 1945 led to a widespread deterioration of palaces in Silesia, and today's remaining palaces and holdovers in museums give only a distorted impression of the Baroque era in Silesia.
Important patrons of the Baroque architecture were two bishops from Breslau; Karl Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt and Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg
. During their 50 year incumbency both initiated numerous artistic projects and supported a large array of artists. Cistercian monasteries with their large possession acted as important intellectual and artistic centers, and Cistercian abbots used the arts as an instrument to manifest their prince-like status. They created the conditions for a collaboration of the two workshops of Michael Willmann
and Matthias Steinl, which was of pan-European importance. The Jesuits
as the main supporters of the imperial counter-reformation
enriched mainly the civic centers with their buildings, much to the aversion of the Protestant society. They were responsible for the spread of basilicas modeled after Il Gisu
, stylistic vocabulary of the Bohemian Dientzenhofer
family and the baroque theatricalism found for instance at Leopoldina university in Breslau. Artistically very active were also the Premonstratensian
s, Augustinians
, Franciscan
s and the Benedictine
s, the latter being responsible for the church at Wahlstatt
(Legnickie Pole) near Liegnitz, an outstanding architectural monument and one of the most famous symbols of the triumph of the church against nonbelievers.
The privileged higher Catholic nobility, often immigrated, at that time laid the base for large possessions, whereas the Protestant bourgeoisie lost its role as a patron of the architecture and compensated this loss with outstanding achievents in literature, music and science.
Characteristic for the baroque era in Silesia was the glorification of the died out Silesian Piasts
and its successors, the Habsburgs. The mother of the last ruling duke of the Silesian Piasts, princess Luise von Anhalt-Dessau, built a Piast mausoleum in Liegnitz commemorating the extinct dynasty, which shows a unique program by poet Daniel Casper von Lohenstein
. The Cistercians regarded themselves as keepers of the Piastic legacy and erected commemorating programs in Leubus and Grüssau
, but also rendered homage to the Habsburgs at the university of Breslau, in Leubus and in Lobris.
The early period of the baroque era (1640–80) was marked by the activity of Italian masters, which after the Thirty Years' War filled the gaps in the entire Holy Roman Empire. St. Matthias in Breslau (1654) and Cistercian churches like Grüssau (1670) were first altered, later it affected all churches. The first remodeled palaces (all around 1640) were the residences in Zülz (Biała Prudnicka), Zyrowa
, Oberglogau (Głogówek), Palais Heberstein in Grafenort
(Gorzanow) by Carlo Lurago (1653–57) and the palace in Proskau
(Prószków) by G. Seregni between 1677-83. The palace in Sagan, started by Albrecht von Wallenstein
and later in possession of the family von Lobkowicz
, was modeled after Bohemian standards. The Jesuit seminar in Neisse (1656–58) was built by Melchior Werner, who represented the first generation of Silesian architects after the war.
Important for the Protestant European architecture were the three Churches of Peace in Glogau, Jauer and Schweidnitz. Its constructor, military engineer Albrecht von Säbisch from Breslau, had to deal with a number of political constraints defined at the Peace of Westphalia
. The churches should be built outside of the city walls, without stones and without a tower. The result were churches designed after Dutch and French examples, but with local traditions. A second variant of Protestant churches were so called border churches, simple buildings made of cheap materials, located outside of the borders of Silesia in the surrounding countries and used as refuges for the suppressed Silesian Protestants.
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Between 1680 and 1740 the Silesian baroque entered a period of prosperity. The palace in Suhlau (Sułów), built in 1680, was the first building made with all representative stylistic elements of the baroque era. The Althans family constructed several palace ensembles in Wölfelsdorf
(Wilkanów) and Mittelwalde
, Konrad Ernst Maximilian von Hochberg expanded castle Fürstenstein
(1718–25, carried out by F.A. Hammerschmidt and F.A. Scheffler), 10 years later Martin Frantz enlarged Kotzenau palace (Chocianów) and created one of the finest baroque garden in Silesia, and even some Palais entre cour et jardin emerged in Gröditzberg and Briese (by Johann Blasius Peintner from Austria). Entire landscape gardens however are rarely preserved and only known thanks to illustrations by Friedrich Bernhard Werner.
After 1680 all great Silesian monasteries were altered. Of special importance here is the abbey of Leubus with its famous representation rooms by Michael Willmann, F.A. Scheffler, Ph. Chr. Bentum and Franz Joseph Mangoldt. St. Elisabeth chapel at the cathedral of Breslau was the most significant import of Italian inspired baroque and the last major work carried out by Italians. 30 years later Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach
created the pendant, the electors chapel, which already anticipated neo-classical ideas.
The ideas of the Bohemian Baroque were spread by members of the Dientzenhofer
family and its students. The first church of this type was the Jesuit church in Liegnitz, built by Christoph and Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer between 1714 and 1727. Later works can be found in Neisse, Liebenthal
(Lubomierz), Leubus or Brieg. They were mostly propagated by Silesian Christoph Hackner from Jauer, Martin Frantz from Reval/Tallinn and his students Karl Martin Frantz and Johann Innocenz Töpper.
A reason for the intensified construction activity in the first half of the 18th century was the implementation of the Treaty of Altranstädt
, which demanded the restitution of 104 and the erection of 6 new Protestant churches, the so called Gnadenkirchen (churches of mercy). The abolishment of building regulation except for the erection outside of the townwalls caused the heterogeneity of this group. The churches in Sagan, Freystadt
(Kożuchów) and Militsch (Milicz) were timber-framed, the churches in Hirschberg and Landeshut by Martin Frantz modeled after Katarina Church in Stockholm
, whereas the Protestant church
in Teschen (Cieszyn, Český Těšín), modeled after Catholic Jesuit churches, was a exception.
The biggest metropolitan ensembles were carried out in Neisse, Breslau and Liegnitz. Important palaces, which combined residential and professional requirements, in Breslau were built by the family von Hatzfeld, von Spätgen, Hornes and von Schreyvogel, the latter being designed by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. The biggest secular urban developments of that time were theRitterakademie (knights academy) in Liegnitz, built for aristocratic children of both religious conviction, and the destroyed episcopalian spital in Neisse. Almost no city hall was constructed during the baroque era, and few saved their baroque rebuildings.
The annexation by Prussia
marked the beginning of the end of the Baroque era in Silesia. The orientation towards the new political and artistical center in Berlin brought changes in the organization of building activities along. New artists from Prussia took the place of dying Silesian artists ( Tausch †1731, Peintner †1732, Hackner †1741, Frantz †1742, Frisch †1745), for instance G.L. Schirmeister in Oels (Oleśnica), J.M. Pohlmann in Oppeln (Opole) or Chr.Fr. Schultze in Breslau. The newly-created building inspection department limited the importance of Silesian guilds and adjusted construction plans.
Between the First and Second Silesian War almost only magazines, barracks, fortification and Protestant churches were built. Towns like Cosel (Koźle), Brieg, Breslau, Glogau, Neisse and Schweidnitz were converted to fortresses. Carlsruhe O.S.
(Pokój) was the first of a number of frederician urban foundations, modeled after Karlsruhe
. The liberated Protestant population built large quantities of modest churches in the first years of Prussian rule, which were portrayed by Friedrich Bernhard Werner. The most prestigious project of that time was the construction of the castle church in Breslau, which was remodeled by Carl Gotthard Langhans
and became the prototype of all later classical Protestant churches. The final say of the Catholics in Silesia was the monastery complex of the Cistercians in Grüssau (1774–90).
The symbol of the changes and the first palace construction after the second half of the 18th century became the royal residence in Breslau (1750-53 by Joh. Boumann d.Ä.), which integrated the palace of the family von Spätgen and was a mix of frederician rococo
and classical components. Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz
, commander of Fredericks
army, erected a Maison de plaisance in Minkowsky (Minkowskie) which was akin to Sanssouci
, and the palace of family von Maltzan in Militsch was modeled after the New Palace (Potsdam)
in Potsdam
.
, a long-lasting phase of political and economical stabilization led to building activities which lasted until the defeat of Prussia in 1806. The destroyed cities were rebuilt, Upper Silesia became industrialized and many defensive fortification were put up. In 1775 Silesia was split into two separate construction departments, Breslau and Glogau, which were headed by fully independent construction managers (Oberbaudirektoren). The most important of these managers, Karl Gotthard Langhans, developed its own unique neo-classical style, which was of European importance.
The sacral architecture was now dominated by the Protestant church. After 1763 the small modest churches of the past were gradually abandoned and large monumental churches were built. Groundbreaking for the development of these churches were the churches in Cosel by Joh.M. Pohlmann and K.G. Langhans and in Groß Wartenberg
(Syców) by K.G. Langhans in 1785. The new standards of these neo-classical churches were soon adopted by the churches in Waldenburg (Wałbrzych), Reichenbach
(Dzierżoniów) and Münsterberg
(Ziębice). The building activities of the Catholic Church stagnated until the mid 19th century.
The residence architecture between 1740 and 1806 was marked by dynamic changes regarding styles and types. New town palaces however were rarely built. The most important one was Palais Hatzfeldt in Breslau, one of the first neo-classical buildings in Europe, designed 1764 by I. Ganevale and K.G. Langhans. Other palaces adopted the new style after 1770. The public initiatives affected mainly military buildings: monumental fortifications in Silberberg, Neisse and Glatz (Kłodzko) as well as new barracks in Breslau and Brieg. According to the welfare policy of Frederick II of Prussia
new hospitals and workhouses were erected (Kreuzburg, Breslau), and with the beginning industrialization of Upper Silesia entire residential developments were planned.
New administration structures were adopted after the Prussian ministry for Silesia was closed in 1808 and the reforms by Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein and Karl August von Hardenberg
were implemented. From now on every building project had to be accepted by the building inspection department, which itself was under the control of the royal police headquarters. Every town appointed its municipal architect and local building deputation controlled the technical aspects of every project. These principles were in effect until 1900.
After 1820 positive results of these reforms became visible as a new period of building activity began. Most of these activities were now carried out in the cities, which became dominant in the shaping of Silesia's architectural landscape. Dozens of theaters, houses for different associations, schools, hospitals or asylums were built. The most important artistical center was Breslau, and the most important Silesian architect until 1840 was Carl Ferdinand Langhans
, son of Carl Gotthard and creator of the exchange, the theater, the loge "Friedrich zum goldenen Zepter" in Breslau and the theater in Liegnitz. A new type of apartment buildings began to evolve and the rich bourgeoisie began to live in large villas at the outskirts of the cities.
The architecture of that time was marked by a broad mix of several neo-classical styles, from Palladianism
, revolutionary Neo-Classizism (Hoym mausoleum by Friedrich Gilly
) in Dyhernfurt (Brzeg Dolny) or Palais Hohenlohe with the construction of the palace in Kamenz by Karl Friedrich Schinkel
. Summer residences for the king of Prussia and his court in Hirschberg valley
were the most important phenomenon in the palace architecture, where more than 30 palaces, castles and manors formed a cultural landscape of outstanding importance. In the cities the town walls were razed (first 1807 in Breslau) and replaced by greens, among them the first public parks.
The fourth decade of the 19th century was a turning point in the history of the Silesian architecture. Frederick William IV of Prussia
ascended the throne in 1840, Karl Friedrich Schinkel
died in 1841 and Karl Ferdinand Langhans finally moved to Berlin. Neo-Classizism was slowly replaced by Historism
, the Silesian architecture linked more and more with Berlin and with the rise of the Wilhelmine
empire the local architecture became fully dominated by German art movements. Neo-Renaissance was soon adoped in two varieties, Italian and Northern- German, the latter being promoted as the "national style". This German Renaissance was mainly used at state-run building projects, for instance post offices. Palaces and self-governments were often built in neo- Baroque forms, whereas neo- Romanic did not became popular in Silesia.
The departure of Karl Ferdinand Langhans left a gap which was soon filled by architects from Berlin. The time until 1914 was now marked by a peculiar rivalry between the architects from Silesia and Berlin. Communal and private building projects carried out by Silesian architects clearly cited local traditions, whereas governmental building projects dominated by architects from Berlin showed stylistic concepts without Silesian characteristics. The state (king, emperor) became the client with the most prestige, on his initiative many administrational buildings (regional councils, archives), prisons, courts of justice, police buildings and academies were constructed. As the leader of the Protestant church the king also founded many churches. The Catholic Church was still one of the biggest principals, especially in Upper Silesia. In 1883 a bishopric building officer was created, the first one being Josef Ebers. Not only churches were erected, but also hospitals, schools and many other buildings; approximately 2.000 Protestant and Catholic institutions in the entire 19th century. After 1850 the Jews became the third important ecclesiastic client and built large and representative synagogues which rivaled the churches of the other denominations. The most spectacular example was the synagogue "Am Anger" in Breslau, constructed by Edwin Oppler in 1872. They also built many hospitals and care homes. The religious equalization of Protestants, Catholics and Jews, which was typical für the second half of the 19th century in Prussia, was now mirrored by the architectural landscape of Silesia.
Thanks to the Prussian reforms in the beginning of the 19th century the bourgeoisie became the dominant group and replaced the patriciate, which partially left their town palaces and concentrated on big industrial investments in Upper Silesia. The bourgeoisie also became the foremost patrons and consumers of the arts and initiated the construction of many theaters, museums or galleries, in addition they also gave an impetus to the beautification of the cities with parks and promenades. Their biggest achievement however was the construction of countless apartment buildings, which led to a rapid growth of the cities and the transition of Breslau to a metropolis. At the same time the division of the suburbs into living spaces for workmen, craftsmen, industry and rich middle classes took place. This however occurred only in Lower Silesia. Most towns in Upper Silesia did not have an old town center but often only one street, and they also did not have suburbs but chaoticly scattered small apartment buildings for workers (so called familoki), which were closely connected to the local coal mines. A exception was the workers colony in Nickischschacht and especially Gieschewald, built by Berlin architects Georg and Emil Zillmann for Gesellschaft Georg v. Giesche's Erben.
The opposite to the Upper Silesian industrial small towns represented the Lower Silesian spas in the Sudetes mountain range. Silesia was without a doubt scenically the most beautiful part of Prussia, which was the reason for the speedy development of several railway lines to the spas at the foothill of the mountains in the second half of the 19th century. These villages and towns, with its exclusive sanatoriums and hotels, were a prestigious field of work for architects from Breslau, but some of them, like Görbersdorf (the Silesian Davos), were also carried out by non- Silesians like Edwin Oppler from Hanover (although he was born in Silesia). After the royal court left Hirschberg valley (which is also a part of the Sudetes) the region became attractive for a number of famous people from the German intelligentsia, among them Nobel price winner Gerhart Hauptmann
, whose villa in Agnetendorf (Jagniątków ) was designed by one of the best architects from Berlin, Hans Grisebach, or political economist Werner Sombart
, who resided in a villa in Schreiberhau by Fritz Schumacher from Hamburg.
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
throughout time, and those by Silesian architects worldwide. The name is also applied to buildings made within its geographical limits before the constitution of Silesia as a duchy (than 1172) or before this name was given to those territories, and largely depends on the historical moment. Due to historic, geographic and generational diversity, Silesian architecture has known a host of influences.
Romanesque (late 10th – early 13th century)
Romanesque art
Romanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
in Silesia appeared with the Christianization
Christianization
The historical phenomenon of Christianization is the conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once...
of the region. The first known structure, relics of a church on Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław (Breslau), was built in the mid-10th century. Around 1000 Boleslaw I of Poland
Boleslaw I of Poland
Bolesław I Chrobry , in the past also known as Bolesław I the Great , was a Duke of Poland from 992-1025 and the first King of Poland from 19 April 1025 until his death...
founded a three-nave cathedral on the same place, styled after the cathedral in Gniezno
Gniezno
Gniezno is a city in central-western Poland, some 50 km east of Poznań, inhabited by about 70,000 people. One of the Piasts' chief cities, it was mentioned by 10th century A.D. sources as the capital of Piast Poland however the first capital of Piast realm was most likely Giecz built around...
. Few other buildings of that time are known. The rotunda in Cieszyn
Cieszyn
Cieszyn is a border-town and the seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has 36,109 inhabitants . Cieszyn lies on the Olza River, a tributary of the Oder river, opposite Český Těšín....
(Teschen), of Moravian- Bohemian origin, dates back to 1050.
The 12th century was a time of great advancement. The first monasteries and minsters, in Wrocław and Lubiaz (Leubus), were built, and the quality of work improved significant, as the builders adopted architectural styles from Southern Germany and Meuse
Meuse
Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse.-History:Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
. Outstanding achievements of this era were the cathedral and the abbey church of the Benedictine order in Wrocław, the latter being the most magnificent romanesque building in Silesia. It was planned after its mother church in Tyniec
Tyniec
Tyniec is a historic village in Poland on the Vistula river, since 1973 a part of the city of Kraków . Tyniec is notable for its famous Benedictine abbey founded by king Casimir the Restorer in 1044.-See also:...
near Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, whereas its Westwork
Westwork
A westwork is the monumental, west-facing entrance section of a Carolingian, Ottonian, or Romanesque church. The exterior consists of multiple stories between two towers. The interior includes an entrance vestibule, a chapel, and a series of galleries overlooking the nave...
was influenced by Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
n traditions. The church of the first Cistercian monastery
Abbatia Lubensis abbey
Lubiąż Abbey , also commonly known in English as Leubus Abbey, is a former Cistercian monastery in Lubiąż,, in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of southwestern Poland, located about northwest of Wrocław...
in Lubiaz, built by monks from Pforta
Pforta
Pforta, or Schulpforta, is a former Cistercian monastery, Pforta Abbey , near Naumburg on the Saale River in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is now a celebrated German public boarding school, called Landesschule Pforta...
in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, was the first of many building made of brick in Silesia.
The beginning of the 13th century was marked by a big increase in building activity, caused by the large influx of German settlers (Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung , also called German eastward expansion, was the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from modern day western and central Germany into less-populated regions and countries of eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The affected area roughly stretched from Slovenia...
). Most of the municipal churches in Silesia, built of stone or brick, emerged at that time. Examples were Głogów (Glogau), Nysa
Nysa
- People :*Nysa , daughter of Laodice IV and Antiochus, wife of Pharnaces I of Pontus* Nysa of Cappadocia, daughter of Pharnaces I of Pontus and Nysa, wife of Ariarathes V of Cappadocia and mother Ariarathes VI of Cappadocia...
(Neisse), Jelenia Gora
Jelenia Góra
----Jelenia Góra is a city in Lower Silesia, south-western Poland. The name of the city means "deer mountain" in Polish, Czech and German. It is close to the Krkonoše mountain range running along the Polish-Czech border – ski resorts such as Karpacz and Szklarska Poręba can be found...
(Hirschberg) or Ziębice
Ziebice
Ziębice is a town in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Ziębice. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany...
(Münsterberg). These late- romanesque Silesian churches were a mix of local, Saxon
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
-Thuringian and Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n traditions. Interestingly there are only 7 known examples of that in time Upper Silesia, but 67 in Lower Silesia, including secular buildings.
Gothic (early 13th – early 16th century)
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
were connected with the building activities of the Cistercians and the patronage of Henry I the Bearded
Henry I the Bearded
Henry I the Bearded , of the Silesian line of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201 and Duke of Kraków and thus High Duke of all Poland - internally divided - from 1232 until his death.-Heir of Wroclaw:...
. Two monasteries, in Trzebnica
Trzebnica
Trzebnica is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the seat of Trzebnica County, and of the smaller administrative district called Gmina Trzebnica. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany...
(Trebnitz) and in Henryków
Henryków, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Henryków is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ziębice, within Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
(Heinrichau), as well as two residences, in Wrocław and Legnica
Legnica
Legnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county...
(Liegnitz), were early examples and referred to architectonical standards in Southern Germany and along the Rhine. They probably indicate to the dynastic connection between Henry I. and the House of Andechs
Counts of Andechs
The House of Andechs was a feudal line of German princes in 12th and 13th century. The Counts of Dießen-Andechs obtained territiories in northern Dalmatia on the Adriatic seacoast, where they became Margraves of Istria and ultimately Dukes of a short-lived Imperial State named Merania from 1180 to...
. Characteristic attributes of all these buildings were the combination of brick constructions and details made of stone, which were most likely brought in via Altzella in Saxony.
The Tatar invasions
Tatar invasions
The Mongol invasion of Europe from the east took place over the course of three centuries, from the Middle Ages to the early modern period.The terms Tatars or Tartars are applied to nomadic Turkic peoples who, themselves, were conquered by Mongols and incorporated into their horde...
of 1241 led to the decentralization of Silesia. Baronial patronage decreased whereas episcopal and later municipal patronage increased. The most important construction project of that time was the cathedral of Wrocław, which became the first pure Gothic building in Silesia. The chapel St. Hedwig in Trzebnica was another important structure of that era. Both building cited early French traditions, imported via Saxony, Bohemia and Austria. Most mendicant orders built their monasteries in the second half of the 13th century, most notably in Wrocław, Głogów, Brzeg
Brzeg
Brzeg is a town in southwestern Poland with 38,496 inhabitants , situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on the left bank of the Oder...
and Strzelin
Strzelin
Strzelin is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is located on the Oława river, a tributary of the Oder, about south of the region's capital Wrocław. The town is the seat of Strzelin County and also of the smaller municipality of Strzelin...
. At the same time the first hall church
Hall church
A hall church is a church with nave and side aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was first coined in the mid-19th century by the pioneering German art historian Wilhelm Lübke....
es appeared. The most original were in Ziębice
Ziebice
Ziębice is a town in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Ziębice. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany...
and Goldberg (Złotoryja).
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
n, Southern German and Lower Austrian architectural traditions, but mixed with local traditions which preferred more simple forms. The most characteristic creation of the entire 14th century remained the basilical municipal church with a long nave and no transept. This style was most probably derived from the Cistercian abbey in Zlata Koruna
Zlatá Koruna
Zlatá Koruna is a village and municipality in Český Krumlov District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 694 . Zlatá Koruna lies approximately north-east of Český Krumlov, south-west of České Budějovice, and south of...
(Goldenkron) in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. Although Silesia was now a part of Bohemia, a state of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, the Parler
Peter Parler
Peter Parler, , Schwäbisch Gmünd – July 13, 1399, Prague) was a German architect, best known for building Saint Vitus Cathedral and Charles Bridge in Prague, where he lived from about 1356....
Gothic had almost no influence. Architectural embellishments can only be found in three churches, probably all built by master builder Claus Brynner.
This dynamic sacral development program lasted the entire 14th century, and starting at around 1370 many bigger cities added guild and family chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s to their parish churches. At the end of the century, all monastery construction projects ended, and with the spreading of the Hussite wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
to Silesia most building activities were greatly reduced.
The expansion of the town hall in Breslau after 1480 marked a big change in the architectural history of Silesia. As it was obvious that local workshops, represented by Hans Berthold, could not meet the expectations, the city decided to invite experts from Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
and Lusatia
Lusatia
Lusatia is a historical region in Central Europe. It stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the east to the Elbe valley in the west, today located within the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg as well as in the Lower Silesian and Lubusz voivodeships of western Poland...
around master builder Paul Preusse. At the beginning of the new century, this influence from Saxony and Lusatia was most notably in western parts of Silesia, where Conrad Pflüger
Conrad Pflüger
Conrad or Konrad Pflüger was one of the leading architects and master builders of the late Gothic period in Germany. In the 1490s he was the highest artistic authority in Albertine Saxony. He was also city architect to Görlitz, 'Werkmeister' to the Dukes of Saxony and designer of All Saints'...
and Wendel Roskopf
Wendel Roskopf
Wendel Roskopf the Elder was a stonemason and master builder. From 1523 to 1546 he was a council member in the town of Görlitz and from 1526 was also the Ratsbaumeister .- Work :...
from Görlitz
Görlitz
Görlitz is a town in Germany. It is the easternmost town in the country, located on the Lusatian Neisse River in the Bundesland of Saxony. It is opposite the Polish town of Zgorzelec, which was a part of Görlitz until 1945. Historically, Görlitz was in the region of Upper Lusatia...
built city halls and churches in Löwenberg
Lwówek Slaski
Lwówek Śląski is a town in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship in Poland. Situated on the Bóbr River, Lwówek Śląski is about 30 km NNW of Jelenia Góra and has a population of about 10,300 inhabitants...
(Lwówek Śląski), Bunzlau (Bolesławiec), Sagan
Zagan
Zagan may refer to:*Zagan - a demon in the Ars Goetia*Żagań - a town in west Poland...
(Żagań) or Gröditzberg
Grodziec, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Grodziec is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zagrodno, within Złotoryja County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
(Grodziec), all in the tradition of Benedikt Ried
Benedikt Rejt
Benedikt Rejt was a leading medieval architect in Bohemia, today's Czech Republic. He built Vladislav Hall in Prague Castle, St...
from Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Later Lucas Schleierweber from Schweidnitz (Świdnica
Swidnica
Świdnica is a city in south-western Poland in the region of Silesia. It has a population of 60,317 according to 2006 figures. It lies in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, being the seventh largest town in that voivodeship. From 1975–98 it was in the former Wałbrzych Voivodeship...
) continued this Görlitz style and constructed buildings in other parts of Middle Silesia.
Renaissance and Mannerism (early 16th – 17th century)
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
era began with the accession of Johann V. Thurzo
Thurzo
Thurzo or Turzo was a Hungarian noble family from the 15th century to the first half of the 17th century.The ancestors of the Thurzo family came to the Kingdom of Hungary from Lower Austria....
as bishop of Breslau. As a great patron of the arts he introduced the new style in Silesia as he commissioned two foundations plates (1505, 1509) at his residence in Jauernig
Javorník (Jeseník District)
Javorník or Javorník u Jeseníku or Javorník ve Slezsku, , is a town in the Jeseník District of the Olomouc Region, Javorník Hook, Czech Republic. It has about 2,900 inhabitants.-Early history:...
(Javornik, today in the Czech Republic) and the sacristy portal (1517) on the cathedral in Breslau. The latter was probably made by a local artist, whereas most other early Renaissance projects were carried out by Italians from Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
, the so called "Comasks". The most successful were members of the Parr family (Pahr, Bahr or Pario), which built the fortifications in Bolkenhain
Bolków
Bolków is a town in Jawor County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Bolków and part of the Neisse-Nysa-Nisa Euroregion....
(Bolków) in 1539 and later worked in Brieg.
The oldest preserved Renaissance buildings today are house "To the golden crown" (1521–28) in Breslau and the castle of Duke Karl I. von Münsterberg-Oels in Frankenstein
Zabkowice Slaskie
Ząbkowice Śląskie is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the seat of Ząbkowice Śląskie County, and of the smaller administrative district called Gmina Ząbkowice Śląskie....
(Ząbkowice Śląskie), built after 1524 by Benedikt Ried. Many buildings of that time still showed the transition from Gothic to Renaissance, for instance the castle in Wohnwitz (Wojnowice) or the city halls in Bunzlau, Löwenberg and Gröditzberg. Most of these buildings were probably built by Wendel Roskopf, a pupil of Benedikt Ried and author of a collection of exceptional Renaissance houses in Görlitz. He probably also was the constructor of Palais Rybisch in Breslau, which was completed by an unnamed Italian artist after 1526.
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
and the interest shifted to small alterations of church interiors. A great exception was the conversion of the medieval church in Rothsürben
Zórawina
Żórawina is a village in Wrocław County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Żórawina. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany.The village has a population of 1,700...
(Żórawina) by Hans Schneider, which resulted in one of the best examples of Protestant ecclesiastical architecture in Middle Europe.
Much more coherent was the development of secular buildings. The first homogeneous Renaissance building was the gate of Liegnitz castle, built 1533 by Georg von Amberg. The highlight of Silesian architecture of that time however represented Brieg castle and his castle gate, which is deemed to be the symbol of Silesian Renaissance. It was built between 1544–70 by Franziskus Parr, the figurative architectural sculptures, the biggest ensemble in Silesia, were carried out by Saxon master Andreas Walther d.Ä.. It depicts Georg II. von Liegnitz-Brieg-Wohlau, his wife Barbara von Brandenburg and his line of ancestors. It was most probably modeled after Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
s Georgenhof, which Parr visited in 1530, and Italian designs.
Similar buildings soon followed in Falkenberg
Niemodlin
Niemodlin is a town in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, Poland, with 6,911 inhabitants .It was first mentioned as Nemodlin in a 1224 deed and received town privileges in 1283. Originally a part of the Duchy of Opole, after the death of Duke Bolko I Niemodlin became the capital of a duchy in his...
(Niemodlin), Kreppelhof in Landeshut
Kamienna Góra
Kamienna Góra is a town in south-western Poland with 21,440 inhabitants . It is the seat of Kamienna Góra County, and also of the rural district called Gmina Kamienna Góra, although it is not part of the territory of the latter .Kamienna Góra on the Bóbr river is situated in Lower Silesian...
(Kamienna Góra), Sorau
Zary
Żary is a town in western Poland with about 39,900 inhabitants , situated in the Lubusz Voivodeship...
(Żary) and Plagwitz (Plakowice). Sgraffito
Sgraffito
Sgraffito is a technique either of wall decor, produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface, or in ceramics, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive layers of contrasting slip, and then in either case scratching so as to produce an...
appeared first in 1563 in Proskau
Proszków
Proszków is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Środa Śląska, within Środa Śląska County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
(Proszków), altogether 300 examples are preserved to this day.
Stylistically the early buildings were connected to Bohemian and Lusatian traditions, represented by Wendel Roskopf, Benedikt Ried and Hans Lindener and were still influenced by Gothic ideas. Soon afterwards the buildings of the Comasks from Italy replaced their work. After 1560 Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Renaissance styles, imported by pattern-books and master builders like Hans Vredeman de Vries
Hans Vredeman de Vries
Hans Vredeman de Vries was a Dutch Renaissance architect, painter, and engineer. Vredeman de Vries is known for his publication in 1583 on garden design and his books with many examples on ornaments and perspective ....
, replaced Italian elements. These Dutch forms were first visible at Oels
Olesnica
Oleśnica is a town in the Trzebnickie Hills in southwestern Poland with 36,951 inhabitants . It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
(Oleśnica) castle in 1542. Notable representatives of this era were Gaspare Cuneo, Gerhardt von Amsterdam and Hans Lucas. Buildings influenced by this style were the castles in Alt Warthau (Warta Bolesławiecka) or Gießmanndorf
Gosciszów
Gościszów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Nowogrodziec, within Bolesławiec County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
(Gościszów) and the majority of the civic architecture of that time. Sporadically, other traditions emerged too, for example Saxon portals in Liegnitz or Bohemian roofs in Grafenort
Gorzanów
Gorzanów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bystrzyca Kłodzka, within Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
(Gorzanów) castle.
The only new development of sacred architecture in Silesia which fully adopted Mannerism
Mannerism
Mannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
was the palace chapel of Carolath
Gmina Siedlisko
Gmina Siedlisko is a rural gmina in Nowa Sól County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. Its seat is the village of Siedlisko, which lies approximately south-east of Nowa Sól and south-east of Zielona Góra....
(Siedlisko), commissioned by Valentin von Säbisch. His son Albrecht created the famous Protestant churches of peace
Church of Peace
The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica in Silesia were named after the Peace of Westphalia of 1648 which permitted the Lutherans in the Roman Catholic parts of Silesia to build three Evangelical churches from wood, loam and straw outside the city walls, without steeples and church bells....
, which were constrained by political conditions. Without tower, timber framed and built in minimal time they appeared more like commercial construction, a sparse look which was intended. In their simplicity they resembled on northern European Manierism, however they already were a creation of the baroque era.
Baroque (middle 17th – second half 18th century)
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
and the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. The triumph of the Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
in Silesia was closely connected to the rise of the house of Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
and the counter-reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
, whereas its decline was marked by the import of Classicism
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
by Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, the new owner of Silesia after the Seven Years' War. The religious antagonism of Protestantism and Catholicism led to a sharp contrast of a conservative Protestant Baroque which was in the defence and a vanguard and rousing Catholic Baroque which was in the offensive. The ban to build Protestant churches and the saturation of the region with secular architecture resulted in a decline of building projects. As a consequence most Baroque palaces of the 17th and 18th century were alterations of existing structures.
The destruction of the secular courtly culture by the new Polish
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...
owners after 1945 led to a widespread deterioration of palaces in Silesia, and today's remaining palaces and holdovers in museums give only a distorted impression of the Baroque era in Silesia.
Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg
Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg was bishop and archbishop of several dioceses, prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, and Hochmeister of the Teutonic Order....
. During their 50 year incumbency both initiated numerous artistic projects and supported a large array of artists. Cistercian monasteries with their large possession acted as important intellectual and artistic centers, and Cistercian abbots used the arts as an instrument to manifest their prince-like status. They created the conditions for a collaboration of the two workshops of Michael Willmann
Michael Willmann
Michael Leopold Lukas Willmann was a German painter. The Baroque artist became known as the "Silesian Raphael".-Life:...
and Matthias Steinl, which was of pan-European importance. The Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
as the main supporters of the imperial counter-reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
enriched mainly the civic centers with their buildings, much to the aversion of the Protestant society. They were responsible for the spread of basilicas modeled after Il Gisu
Church of the Gesu
The Church of the Gesù is the mother church of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order also known as the Jesuits. Officially named , its facade is "the first truly baroque façade", introducing the baroque style into architecture ,. The church served as model for innumerable Jesuit...
, stylistic vocabulary of the Bohemian Dientzenhofer
Dientzenhofer
Dientzenhofer is the name of a family of German architects, who were among the leading builders in Bohemian and German Baroque.- architects :...
family and the baroque theatricalism found for instance at Leopoldina university in Breslau. Artistically very active were also the Premonstratensian
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
s, Augustinians
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
, Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
s and the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
s, the latter being responsible for the church at Wahlstatt
Legnickie Pole
Legnickie Pole is a village in Legnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Legnickie Pole. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
(Legnickie Pole) near Liegnitz, an outstanding architectural monument and one of the most famous symbols of the triumph of the church against nonbelievers.
The privileged higher Catholic nobility, often immigrated, at that time laid the base for large possessions, whereas the Protestant bourgeoisie lost its role as a patron of the architecture and compensated this loss with outstanding achievents in literature, music and science.
Silesian Piasts
The Silesian Piasts were the oldest line of the Piast dynasty beginning with Władysław II the Exile, son of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland...
and its successors, the Habsburgs. The mother of the last ruling duke of the Silesian Piasts, princess Luise von Anhalt-Dessau, built a Piast mausoleum in Liegnitz commemorating the extinct dynasty, which shows a unique program by poet Daniel Casper von Lohenstein
Daniel Casper von Lohenstein
Daniel Caspar , also spelled Daniel Casper, and referred to from 1670 as Daniel Caspar von Lohenstein, was a Baroque Silesian playwright, lawyer, diplomat, poet, and chief representative of the Second Silesian School.-Family:The Casper and/or Caspar family came from the Brieg principality, first...
. The Cistercians regarded themselves as keepers of the Piastic legacy and erected commemorating programs in Leubus and Grüssau
Grüssau Abbey
Grüssau Abbey also known as Krzeszów Abbey refers to a historical Cistercian monastery in Krzeszów in Lower Silesia, and to a house of the Benedictine Order in the town of Bad Wimpfen in Baden-Württemberg, where the German Grüssau community moved in 1947, after their former abbey had become...
, but also rendered homage to the Habsburgs at the university of Breslau, in Leubus and in Lobris.
The early period of the baroque era (1640–80) was marked by the activity of Italian masters, which after the Thirty Years' War filled the gaps in the entire Holy Roman Empire. St. Matthias in Breslau (1654) and Cistercian churches like Grüssau (1670) were first altered, later it affected all churches. The first remodeled palaces (all around 1640) were the residences in Zülz (Biała Prudnicka), Zyrowa
Zyrowa
Żyrowa is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zdzieszowice, within Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland...
, Oberglogau (Głogówek), Palais Heberstein in Grafenort
Gorzanów
Gorzanów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bystrzyca Kłodzka, within Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
(Gorzanow) by Carlo Lurago (1653–57) and the palace in Proskau
Prószków
Prószków / is a town in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, Poland, with 2,660 inhabitants .Prószków/Proskau has been bilingual in Polish and German since 2006.-Twin towns — Sister cities:Prószków is twinned with:* Pruszków, * Hünfeld,...
(Prószków) by G. Seregni between 1677-83. The palace in Sagan, started by Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
and later in possession of the family von Lobkowicz
Lobkowicz
The Lobkowicz family is one of the oldest still existing Bohemian noble families dating back to the 14th century...
, was modeled after Bohemian standards. The Jesuit seminar in Neisse (1656–58) was built by Melchior Werner, who represented the first generation of Silesian architects after the war.
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
. The churches should be built outside of the city walls, without stones and without a tower. The result were churches designed after Dutch and French examples, but with local traditions. A second variant of Protestant churches were so called border churches, simple buildings made of cheap materials, located outside of the borders of Silesia in the surrounding countries and used as refuges for the suppressed Silesian Protestants.
Wilkanów
Wilkanów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bystrzyca Kłodzka, within Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
(Wilkanów) and Mittelwalde
Miedzylesie
Międzylesie is a town in Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Międzylesie, close to the Czech border. Prior to 1945 it was part of Germany....
, Konrad Ernst Maximilian von Hochberg expanded castle Fürstenstein
Ksiaz
Książ is a castle in Silesia, Poland near the town of Wałbrzych. It was built in 1288-1292 under Bolko I the Strict. It lies within a protected area called Książ Landscape Park.- History :...
(1718–25, carried out by F.A. Hammerschmidt and F.A. Scheffler), 10 years later Martin Frantz enlarged Kotzenau palace (Chocianów) and created one of the finest baroque garden in Silesia, and even some Palais entre cour et jardin emerged in Gröditzberg and Briese (by Johann Blasius Peintner from Austria). Entire landscape gardens however are rarely preserved and only known thanks to illustrations by Friedrich Bernhard Werner.
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach
----Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, born Johann Bernhard Fischer was probably the most influential Austrian architect of the Baroque period....
created the pendant, the electors chapel, which already anticipated neo-classical ideas.
The ideas of the Bohemian Baroque were spread by members of the Dientzenhofer
Dientzenhofer
Dientzenhofer is the name of a family of German architects, who were among the leading builders in Bohemian and German Baroque.- architects :...
family and its students. The first church of this type was the Jesuit church in Liegnitz, built by Christoph and Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer between 1714 and 1727. Later works can be found in Neisse, Liebenthal
Lubomierz
Lubomierz may refer to the following places:*Lubomierz, Bochnia County in Lesser Poland Voivodeship *Lubomierz, Limanowa County in Lesser Poland Voivodeship *Lubomierz in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
(Lubomierz), Leubus or Brieg. They were mostly propagated by Silesian Christoph Hackner from Jauer, Martin Frantz from Reval/Tallinn and his students Karl Martin Frantz and Johann Innocenz Töpper.
Treaty of Altranstädt
Treaty of Altranstädt may refer to*Treaty of Altranstädt , a peace treaty between Saxony, Poland-Lithuania and Sweden, including the abdication of Augustus the Strong...
, which demanded the restitution of 104 and the erection of 6 new Protestant churches, the so called Gnadenkirchen (churches of mercy). The abolishment of building regulation except for the erection outside of the townwalls caused the heterogeneity of this group. The churches in Sagan, Freystadt
Kozuchów
Kożuchów is a town in Lubusz Voivodeship, Poland.- External links :*...
(Kożuchów) and Militsch (Milicz) were timber-framed, the churches in Hirschberg and Landeshut by Martin Frantz modeled after Katarina Church in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, whereas the Protestant church
Jesus Church (Cieszyn)
Jesus Church or Grace Church is a Lutheran Church located in Cieszyn, Poland. It is one of the largest and most important Protestant churches in Poland....
in Teschen (Cieszyn, Český Těšín), modeled after Catholic Jesuit churches, was a exception.
The biggest metropolitan ensembles were carried out in Neisse, Breslau and Liegnitz. Important palaces, which combined residential and professional requirements, in Breslau were built by the family von Hatzfeld, von Spätgen, Hornes and von Schreyvogel, the latter being designed by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. The biggest secular urban developments of that time were theRitterakademie (knights academy) in Liegnitz, built for aristocratic children of both religious conviction, and the destroyed episcopalian spital in Neisse. Almost no city hall was constructed during the baroque era, and few saved their baroque rebuildings.
The annexation by Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
marked the beginning of the end of the Baroque era in Silesia. The orientation towards the new political and artistical center in Berlin brought changes in the organization of building activities along. New artists from Prussia took the place of dying Silesian artists ( Tausch †1731, Peintner †1732, Hackner †1741, Frantz †1742, Frisch †1745), for instance G.L. Schirmeister in Oels (Oleśnica), J.M. Pohlmann in Oppeln (Opole) or Chr.Fr. Schultze in Breslau. The newly-created building inspection department limited the importance of Silesian guilds and adjusted construction plans.
Pokój, Opole Voivodeship
Pokój is a village in Namysłów County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Pokój...
(Pokój) was the first of a number of frederician urban foundations, modeled after Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
. The liberated Protestant population built large quantities of modest churches in the first years of Prussian rule, which were portrayed by Friedrich Bernhard Werner. The most prestigious project of that time was the construction of the castle church in Breslau, which was remodeled by Carl Gotthard Langhans
Carl Gotthard Langhans
Carl Gotthard Langhans was a Prussian builder and architect. His works are among the earliest buildings in the German classicism movement. His best-known work is the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.- Life :...
and became the prototype of all later classical Protestant churches. The final say of the Catholics in Silesia was the monastery complex of the Cistercians in Grüssau (1774–90).
The symbol of the changes and the first palace construction after the second half of the 18th century became the royal residence in Breslau (1750-53 by Joh. Boumann d.Ä.), which integrated the palace of the family von Spätgen and was a mix of frederician rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
and classical components. Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz
Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz
Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Seydlitz was a Prussian soldier and one of the greatest German cavalry generals.-Early life:...
, commander of Fredericks
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
army, erected a Maison de plaisance in Minkowsky (Minkowskie) which was akin to Sanssouci
Sanssouci
Sanssouci is the name of the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam, near Berlin. It is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and is far smaller than its French Baroque counterpart, it too is...
, and the palace of family von Maltzan in Militsch was modeled after the New Palace (Potsdam)
New Palace
New Palace can refer to:* The former name of Topkapı Palace in Istanbul after its completion * New Palace...
in Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
.
Neo-Classicism and Historism
After the Treaty of HubertusburgTreaty of Hubertusburg
thumb|right|300px|Hubertusburg, WermsdorfThe Treaty of Hubertusburg was signed on 15 February 1763 at Hubertusburg by Prussia, Austria, and Saxony. Together with the Treaty of Paris, it marked the end of the French and Indian War and of the Seven Years' War. The treaty ended the continental...
, a long-lasting phase of political and economical stabilization led to building activities which lasted until the defeat of Prussia in 1806. The destroyed cities were rebuilt, Upper Silesia became industrialized and many defensive fortification were put up. In 1775 Silesia was split into two separate construction departments, Breslau and Glogau, which were headed by fully independent construction managers (Oberbaudirektoren). The most important of these managers, Karl Gotthard Langhans, developed its own unique neo-classical style, which was of European importance.
The sacral architecture was now dominated by the Protestant church. After 1763 the small modest churches of the past were gradually abandoned and large monumental churches were built. Groundbreaking for the development of these churches were the churches in Cosel by Joh.M. Pohlmann and K.G. Langhans and in Groß Wartenberg
Syców
Syców is a town in Oleśnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Syców....
(Syców) by K.G. Langhans in 1785. The new standards of these neo-classical churches were soon adopted by the churches in Waldenburg (Wałbrzych), Reichenbach
Dzierzoniów
Dzierżoniów is a town in southwestern Poland. It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
(Dzierżoniów) and Münsterberg
Ziebice
Ziębice is a town in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Ziębice. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany...
(Ziębice). The building activities of the Catholic Church stagnated until the mid 19th century.
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
new hospitals and workhouses were erected (Kreuzburg, Breslau), and with the beginning industrialization of Upper Silesia entire residential developments were planned.
New administration structures were adopted after the Prussian ministry for Silesia was closed in 1808 and the reforms by Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein and Karl August von Hardenberg
Karl August von Hardenberg
Karl August Fürst von Hardenberg was a Prussian statesman and Prime Minister of Prussia. While during his late career he acquiesced to reactionary policies, earlier in his career he implemented a variety of Liberal reforms...
were implemented. From now on every building project had to be accepted by the building inspection department, which itself was under the control of the royal police headquarters. Every town appointed its municipal architect and local building deputation controlled the technical aspects of every project. These principles were in effect until 1900.
After 1820 positive results of these reforms became visible as a new period of building activity began. Most of these activities were now carried out in the cities, which became dominant in the shaping of Silesia's architectural landscape. Dozens of theaters, houses for different associations, schools, hospitals or asylums were built. The most important artistical center was Breslau, and the most important Silesian architect until 1840 was Carl Ferdinand Langhans
Carl Ferdinand Langhans
Carl Ferdinand Langhans was a Prussian architect with a special interest in theatre architecture.Born in Breslau, Silesia, Langhans was the son of the architect Carl Gotthard Langhans....
, son of Carl Gotthard and creator of the exchange, the theater, the loge "Friedrich zum goldenen Zepter" in Breslau and the theater in Liegnitz. A new type of apartment buildings began to evolve and the rich bourgeoisie began to live in large villas at the outskirts of the cities.
Palladian architecture
Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
, revolutionary Neo-Classizism (Hoym mausoleum by Friedrich Gilly
Friedrich Gilly
Friedrich David Gilly was a German architect and the son of the architect David Gilly.Born in Altdamm , Pomerania , Gilly was known as a prodigy and the teacher of the young Karl Friedrich Schinkel. In 1788 he enrolled at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Berlin...
) in Dyhernfurt (Brzeg Dolny) or Palais Hohenlohe with the construction of the palace in Kamenz by Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian architect, city planner, and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassical and neogothic buildings.-Biography:Schinkel was born in Neuruppin, Margraviate of...
. Summer residences for the king of Prussia and his court in Hirschberg valley
Jelenia Góra valley
Jelenia Góra valley in Poland is a big valley at the Silesian northern side of the Western Sudetes and next to Kłodzko Valley the largest intramontane basin of the Sudetes. It is situated at an altitude of 250–400 meters above sea level and covers an area of 273 km2...
were the most important phenomenon in the palace architecture, where more than 30 palaces, castles and manors formed a cultural landscape of outstanding importance. In the cities the town walls were razed (first 1807 in Breslau) and replaced by greens, among them the first public parks.
The fourth decade of the 19th century was a turning point in the history of the Silesian architecture. Frederick William IV of Prussia
Frederick William IV of Prussia
|align=right|Upon his accession, he toned down the reactionary policies enacted by his father, easing press censorship and promising to enact a constitution at some point, but he refused to enact a popular legislative assembly, preferring to work with the aristocracy through "united committees" of...
ascended the throne in 1840, Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian architect, city planner, and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassical and neogothic buildings.-Biography:Schinkel was born in Neuruppin, Margraviate of...
died in 1841 and Karl Ferdinand Langhans finally moved to Berlin. Neo-Classizism was slowly replaced by Historism
Historism
Historism is a philosophical and historiographical theory, founded in 19th-century Germany and especially influential in 19th- and 20th-century Europe...
, the Silesian architecture linked more and more with Berlin and with the rise of the Wilhelmine
Wilhelmine
Wilhelmine is a term for the period of German history, also known as the German Empire. The term Wilhelmine Germany refers to the period running from the proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Kaiser at Versailles in 1871 to the abdication of his grandson Wilhelm II in 1918.Although the father of...
empire the local architecture became fully dominated by German art movements. Neo-Renaissance was soon adoped in two varieties, Italian and Northern- German, the latter being promoted as the "national style". This German Renaissance was mainly used at state-run building projects, for instance post offices. Palaces and self-governments were often built in neo- Baroque forms, whereas neo- Romanic did not became popular in Silesia.
The departure of Karl Ferdinand Langhans left a gap which was soon filled by architects from Berlin. The time until 1914 was now marked by a peculiar rivalry between the architects from Silesia and Berlin. Communal and private building projects carried out by Silesian architects clearly cited local traditions, whereas governmental building projects dominated by architects from Berlin showed stylistic concepts without Silesian characteristics. The state (king, emperor) became the client with the most prestige, on his initiative many administrational buildings (regional councils, archives), prisons, courts of justice, police buildings and academies were constructed. As the leader of the Protestant church the king also founded many churches. The Catholic Church was still one of the biggest principals, especially in Upper Silesia. In 1883 a bishopric building officer was created, the first one being Josef Ebers. Not only churches were erected, but also hospitals, schools and many other buildings; approximately 2.000 Protestant and Catholic institutions in the entire 19th century. After 1850 the Jews became the third important ecclesiastic client and built large and representative synagogues which rivaled the churches of the other denominations. The most spectacular example was the synagogue "Am Anger" in Breslau, constructed by Edwin Oppler in 1872. They also built many hospitals and care homes. The religious equalization of Protestants, Catholics and Jews, which was typical für the second half of the 19th century in Prussia, was now mirrored by the architectural landscape of Silesia.
Thanks to the Prussian reforms in the beginning of the 19th century the bourgeoisie became the dominant group and replaced the patriciate, which partially left their town palaces and concentrated on big industrial investments in Upper Silesia. The bourgeoisie also became the foremost patrons and consumers of the arts and initiated the construction of many theaters, museums or galleries, in addition they also gave an impetus to the beautification of the cities with parks and promenades. Their biggest achievement however was the construction of countless apartment buildings, which led to a rapid growth of the cities and the transition of Breslau to a metropolis. At the same time the division of the suburbs into living spaces for workmen, craftsmen, industry and rich middle classes took place. This however occurred only in Lower Silesia. Most towns in Upper Silesia did not have an old town center but often only one street, and they also did not have suburbs but chaoticly scattered small apartment buildings for workers (so called familoki), which were closely connected to the local coal mines. A exception was the workers colony in Nickischschacht and especially Gieschewald, built by Berlin architects Georg and Emil Zillmann for Gesellschaft Georg v. Giesche's Erben.
The opposite to the Upper Silesian industrial small towns represented the Lower Silesian spas in the Sudetes mountain range. Silesia was without a doubt scenically the most beautiful part of Prussia, which was the reason for the speedy development of several railway lines to the spas at the foothill of the mountains in the second half of the 19th century. These villages and towns, with its exclusive sanatoriums and hotels, were a prestigious field of work for architects from Breslau, but some of them, like Görbersdorf (the Silesian Davos), were also carried out by non- Silesians like Edwin Oppler from Hanover (although he was born in Silesia). After the royal court left Hirschberg valley (which is also a part of the Sudetes) the region became attractive for a number of famous people from the German intelligentsia, among them Nobel price winner Gerhart Hauptmann
Gerhart Hauptmann
Gerhart Hauptmann was a German dramatist and novelist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1912.-Life and work:...
, whose villa in Agnetendorf (Jagniątków ) was designed by one of the best architects from Berlin, Hans Grisebach, or political economist Werner Sombart
Werner Sombart
Werner Sombart was a German economist and sociologist, the head of the “Youngest Historical School” and one of the leading Continental European social scientists during the first quarter of the 20th century....
, who resided in a villa in Schreiberhau by Fritz Schumacher from Hamburg.
Castles, palaces
- Castle in GliwiceCastle in GliwiceThe so-called Piast's Castle in Gliwice, southern Poland dates back to the mid-14th century. It consists of a tower from 1322, which was originally part of the city walls, and an adjoining building which was probably an armory. Modifications were carried out in the 15th century, between 1558-61 it...
(:pl:Zamek w Gliwicach) - Castle in PszczynaCastle in PszczynaCastle in Pszczyna is a classical-style palace in Pszczyna. Constructed as a castle in 13th century or earlier, in a gothic style, it was rebuilt in renaissance style in 17th century, in baroque in 18th century and classicist in 19th century; the classicist modernization transformed the castle...
(:pl:Zamek Pszczyński) - Sielecki CastleSielecki CastleSielecki Castle is a castle in the city of Sosnowiec in southern Poland.It was built in the 17th century....
(:pl:Zamek Sielecki) - Książ Castle (:pl:Książ, :de:Schloss Fürstenstein, :tr:Książ)
- Goldstein PalaceGoldstein PalaceThe Pałac Goldsteinów or Goldstein Palace is neo-renaissance palace, which was built by two brothers, Abraham and Joseph Goldstein. It is located in Katowice, Silesia, Poland, at the west end of the city centre, at ....
(:pl:Pałac Goldsteinów)
See also
- Gliwice Radio TowerGliwice Radio TowerThe Gliwice Radio Tower is a transmission tower in the Szobiszowice district of Gliwice, Upper Silesia, Poland.-Structure:It is an high construction of impregnated larch wood framework and bronze connectors. The tower was nicknamed "the Silesian Eiffel Tower" by the local population, although the...
- Reichenbacher Tower (:de:Reichenbacher Turm)
- Dicker Tower (:de:Dicker Turm)