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 (earlier 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 architecture
The
Romanesque art
Romanesque art is the art of Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic Art, Gothic style in the 12th century, or later depending on region. The preceding period is known as the Pre-Romanesque period. The term was invented by 1 ...
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
Bolesław 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, TěšÃn), 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
Lubiąż (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
Thuringian traditions. The church of the first
Cistercian monastery in Lubiąż, 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
(, literally "East-settling") is the term for the Early Medieval and High Medieval migration-period when ethnic Germans moved into the territories in the eastern part of Francia, East Francia, and the Holy Roman Empire (that Germans had al ...
). Most of the municipal churches in Silesia, built of stone or brick, emerged at that time. Examples were
Głogów (Glogau),
Nysa (Neiße),
Jelenia Góra (Hirschberg) or
Ziębice (Münsterberg). These late Romanesque Silesian churches were a mix of local,
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
-Thuringian and
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
n traditions. There are only seven known examples of that time in
Upper Silesia, but 67 in
Lower Silesia, including secular buildings.
Silesian Gothic
The heralds of
Gothic architecture were connected with the building activities of the
Cistercians
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
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
Legnica (Polish: ; german: Liegnitz, szl, Lignica, cz, Lehnice, la, Lignitium) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River (left tributary of the Oder) and the Czarna Woda (Kaczawa), Czarna Woda ...
(Liegnitz), were early examples and referred to architectonic 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 churches appeared. The most original were in
Ziębice and
Złotoryja (Goldberg). A tower that remains of the
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in
Prudnik is considered to be the oldest private defensive structure in Poland (circa 1255).
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,
Moravian, 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
Zlatá Koruna (Goldenkron) in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
. 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
chapels to their parish churches. At the end of the century, all monastery construction projects ended, and with the spreading of the
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Cat ...
to Silesia most building activities were greatly reduced.
The expansion of the town hall in Wrocław 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
Wendel Roskopf the Elder (* 5 February 1485 – 1490; †25 June 1549 in Görlitz) was a stonemason, master builder and member of the cities council 1523 to 1548. In 1526 onwards he was the towns council chief builder.
Work
After Görlitz burne ...
from
Görlitz
Görlitz (; pl, Zgorzelec, hsb, Zhorjelc, cz, Zhořelec, :de:Ostlausitzer Mundart, East Lusatian dialect: ''Gerlz'', ''Gerltz'', ''Gerltsch'') is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is located on the Lusatian Neisse River, and ...
built city halls and churches in
Löwenberg (Lwówek Śląski),
Bunzlau (Bolesławiec),
Sagan (Żagań) or
Gröditzberg (Grodziec), all in the tradition of
Benedikt Ried
Benedikt Rejt (often spelled Benedikt Ried; c. 1450 – between 1531 and 1536) was a leading medieval architect in Bohemia, today's Czech Republic. He built Vladislav Hall (1497–1500) in Prague Castle, St. Barbara's Church, Kutná Hora, (c. 14 ...
from
Prague. Later Lucas Schleierweber from Schweidnitz (
Świdnica) continued this Görlitz style and constructed buildings in other parts of Middle Silesia.
Renaissance and Mannerism
The
Renaissance era began with the accession of
Johann V. Thurzó 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 (
JavornÃk, 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 Parr may refer to:
People
* Parr (artist) (1893–1969), Inuit artist
* Parr (surname)
Places
; United Kingdom
* Parr, St Helens, a township in Merseyside
* Parr Brook, a stream in Greater Manchester
; United States
* Parr, Indiana
* Parr, Vi ...
(Pahr, Bahr or Pario), which built the fortifications in Bolkenhain (
Bolków
Bolków (german: Bolkenhain) is a town in Jawor County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district ( gmina) called Gmina Bolków and part of the '' Neisse-Nysa-Nisa'' Euroregion.
Overvi ...
) in 1539 and later worked in Brieg.
The oldest preserved Renaissance buildings today are house "''To the golden crown''" (1521–28) in Wrocław (demolished in 1906 and rebuilt after World War II) and the castle of
Charles I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
Charles I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels (also: ''Charles I of Podebrady'', cz, Karel z Minstrberka, german: Karl I. von Münsterberg; 2 or 4 May 1476, in Kladsko – 31 May 1536, in Frankenstein) was a member of the House of Poděbrady. He was ...
in
ZÄ…bkowice ÅšlÄ…skie (Frankenstein), built after 1524 by Benedikt Ried. Many buildings of that time still show the transition from Gothic to Renaissance, for instance the castle in
Wojnowice (Wohnwitz) or the city halls in Bolesławiec (Bunzlau), Lwówek Śląski (Löwenberg) and Grodziec (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 Wrocław, 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 Legnica Castle, built 1533 by
Georg von Amberg. The highlight of Silesian architecture of that time however represented
Brzeg Castle and his castle gate, which is deemed to be the symbol of Silesian Renaissance. It was built between 1544 and 1570 by Franziskus Parr, the figurative architectural sculptures, the biggest ensemble in Silesia, were carried out by Saxon master Andreas Walther d.Ä.. It depicts
George II of Brieg
George II of Brieg (18 July 1523, in Legnica – 7 May 1586, in Brzeg), was a Duke of Brzeg from 1547 until his death.
He was the second son of Frederick II, Duke of Legnica-Brzeg, by his second wife Sophie, daughter of Frederick I, Margrav ...
, 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 (Zamek Grodztwo) in Landeshut (
Kamienna Góra), Sorau (
Żary) and Plagwitz (Płakowice, now a district of
Lwówek Śląski).
Sgraffito 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.
It lies approximately north-west of Åšroda ÅšlÄ…ska, and west of the regiona ...
), 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
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
Gorzanów (german: Grafenort) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bystrzyca Kłodzka, within Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. There is a large Gorzanów Castle in the village.
It lies approx ...
) castle.
The only new development of sacred architecture in Silesia which fully adopted
Mannerism
Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...
was the palace chapel of
Siedlisko (Carolath), commissioned by Valentin von Säbisch. His son Albrecht created the famous Protestant
Churches of Peace
The Churches of Peace ( pl, Kościoły Pokoju, german: Friedenskirchen) in Jawor (german: Jauer, link=no) and Świdnica (german: Schweidnitz, link=no) in Silesia were named after the Peace of Westphalia of 1648.
It permitted the Lutherans of Sil ...
, 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.
Silesian Baroque
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
The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...
, 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:
Frederick of Hesse-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
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...
s,
Augustinians
Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...
,
Franciscans and the
Benedictines, 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 House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
. The mother of the last ruling duke of the Silesian Piasts, princess
Louise of 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 (
Lubiąż and
Krzeszów Abbeys), but also rendered homage to the Habsburgs at the university of Breslau, in Leubus and in Lobris (
Luboradz).
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),
Żyrowa, Oberglogau (
Głogówek), Palais Heberstein in Grafenort (
Gorzanów
Gorzanów (german: Grafenort) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bystrzyca Kłodzka, within Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. There is a large Gorzanów Castle in the village.
It lies approx ...
) by Carlo Lurago (1653–57) and the palace in Proskau (
Prószków
Prószków (, German: Proskau) is a town in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the administrative seat of Gmina Prószków, a Polish/German bilingual commune since 2006.
Geography
The town is located in the historic Upper ...
) by G. Seregni between 1677 and 1683. The palace in Sagan, started by
Albrecht von Wallenstein and later in possession of the
von Lobkowicz family, 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
The Churches of Peace ( pl, Kościoły Pokoju, german: Friedenskirchen) in Jawor (german: Jauer, link=no) and Świdnica (german: Schweidnitz, link=no) in Silesia were named after the Peace of Westphalia of 1648.
It permitted the Lutherans of Sil ...
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 Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought pea ...
. 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.
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 (
Międzylesie
Międzylesie (german: Mittelwalde) is a town in Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district ( gmina) called Gmina Międzylesie, close to the Czech border. It lies approxim ...
),
Konrad Ernst Maximilian von Hochberg expanded castle Fürstenstein (
Książ; 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 Friedrich may refer to:
Names
* Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich''
* Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich''
Other
* Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Year ...
.
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 Franz may refer to:
People
* Franz (given name)
* Franz (surname)
Places
* Franz (crater), a lunar crater
* Franz, Ontario, a railway junction and unorganized town in Canada
* Franz Lake, in the state of Washington, United States – see Fran ...
. 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 Christoph is a male given name and surname. It is a German variant of Christopher.
Notable people with the given name Christoph
* Christoph Bach (1613–1661), German musician
* Christoph Büchel (born 1966), Swiss artist
* Christoph Dientzenho ...
and
Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer between 1714 and 1727. Later works can be found in Neiße, Liebenthal (
Lubomierz
Lubomierz (german: Liebenthal) is a town in Lwówek Śląski County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district ( gmina) called Gmina Lubomierz. It lies approximately south-west of Lw� ...
), Leubus or Brieg. They were mostly propagated by Silesian Christoph Hackner from Jauer,
Martin Frantz Martin may refer to:
Places
* Martin City (disambiguation)
* Martin County (disambiguation)
* Martin Township (disambiguation)
Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Aust ...
from Reval/Tallinn and his students Karl Martin Frantz from Liegnitz (Legnica) and Johann Innocenz Töpper from Neustadt (Prudnik).
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
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, whereas the
Protestant church in Teschen (Cieszyn, ÄŒeský TěšÃn), modeled after Catholic Jesuit churches, was an 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 Lukas von Hildebrandt
Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt (14 November 1668 – 16 November 1745) was an Austrian baroque architect and military engineer who designed stately buildings and churches and whose work had a profound influence on the architecture of the Habsburg E ...
. The biggest secular urban developments of that time were the ''Ritterakademie'' (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, now a district of
Kędzierzyn-Koźle), Brieg, Breslau, Glogau, Neiße and Schweidnitz were converted to fortresses. Carlsruhe (
Pokój) was the first of a number of Frederician urban foundations, modelled after
Karlsruhe in
Baden. 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 remodelled by
Carl Gotthard Langhans
Carl Gotthard Langhans (15 December 1732 – 1 October 1808) was a Prussian master builder and royal architect. His churches, palaces, grand houses, interiors, city gates and theatres in Silesia (now Poland), Berlin, Potsdam and elsewhere bel ...
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
Frederick's army, erected a ''Maison de plaisance'' in Minkowsky (
Minkowskie
Minkowskie is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Namysłów, within Namysłów County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland.
It lies approximately south-west of Namysłów and north-west of the regional capital Opole
...
) which was akin to
Sanssouci, and the palace of family von Maltzan in
Militsch
Milicz (german: Militsch) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It is the seat of Milicz County and of Gmina Milicz, part of the larger Wrocław metropolitan area.
Geography
The town is situated in the historic Lower ...
was modeled after the
New Palace in
Potsdam.
Neoclassicism and Historicism
After the
Treaty of Hubertusburg, a long-lasting phase of political and economic 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 fortifications 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 Polnisch 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 residential 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
Palais () may refer to:
* Dance hall, popularly a ''palais de danse'', in the 1950s and 1960s in the UK
* ''Palais'', French for palace
**Grand Palais
The Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées ( en, Great Palace of the Elysian Fields), commonly ...
in Breslau, one of the first neo-classical buildings in Europe, designed in 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 (
Fort Srebrna Góra), Neiße and
Glatz (
Kłodzko Fortress) as well as new barracks in Breslau and Brieg. According to the welfare policy of
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...
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
Heinrich Friedrich Karl Reichsfreiherr vom und zum Stein (25 October 1757 – 29 June 1831), commonly known as Baron vom Stein, was a Prussian statesman who introduced the Prussian reforms, which paved the way for the unification of Germany. ...
and
Karl August von Hardenberg
Karl August Fürst von Hardenberg (31 May 1750, in Essenrode-Lehre – 26 November 1822, in Genoa) was a Prussian statesman and Prime Minister of Prussia. While during his late career he acquiesced to reactionary policies, earlier in his career ...
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 Neoclassicism (Hoym mausoleum by
Friedrich Gilly) in Dyhernfurth (
Brzeg Dolny
Brzeg Dolny (german: Dyhernfurth) is a town in Wołów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is located north-west of Wrocław on the Oder River, and is the site of a large chemical plant complex, PCC Rokita SA. As of ...
) 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
Frederick William IV (german: Friedrich Wilhelm IV.; 15 October 17952 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, reigned as King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 to his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to ...
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 adopted 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 become 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
Edwin Oppler (18 June 1831, in Oels – 6 September 1880, in Hanover) was a German architect of Jewish ancestry,Arno Herzig: ''Jüdische Geschichte in Deutschland. Von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart'', C. H. Beck Verlag, 2002, and , pg. 179; a ...
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 chaotically scattered small apartment buildings for workers (so called ''familoki''), which were closely connected to the local coal mines. An 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
The Sudetes ( ; pl, Sudety; german: Sudeten; cs, Krkonošsko-jesenická subprovincie), commonly known as the Sudeten Mountains, is a geomorphological subprovince in Central Europe, shared by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. They consis ...
mountain range. Silesia was without a doubt scenically the most beautiful part of the
Kingdom 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 Prize 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.
Castles, palaces
*
Gliwice Castle
*
Pszczyna Castle
*
Sielecki Castle
Sielecki Castle is a castle in the city of Sosnowiec in southern Poland, located in the Sielc district. The castle is located on the left bank of the Czarna Przemsza River. It was built in the 17th century and it is the oldest building in the c ...
*
Książ
*
Goldstein Palace
The 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 .
The palace is represe ...
See also
*
Gliwice Radio Tower
*
Reichenbacher Tower (
:de:Reichenbacher Turm)
*
Dicker Tower (
:de:Dicker Turm)
References
* ''Dehio - Handbuch der Kunstdenkmäler in Polen: Schlesien'', Herder-Institut Marburg and Krajowy Osrodek Badan i Dokumentacji Zabytkow Warszawa,
Deutscher Kunstverlag 2005,
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silesian Architecture
Silesian culture
Culture of Prussia