Churches of Peace
Poland · Europe
About
The Churches of Peace (Polish: Kościoły Pokoju, German: Friedenskirchen) in Jawor and Świdnica in Lower Silesia. Poland, are 17th-century churches, named after the Peace of Westphalia of 1648.
The treaty granted the Lutherans of Silesia to build three churches from wood, loam and straw outside the city walls, without steeples and church bells. The construction time was limited to one year. The third Peace church, erected in Głogów, burned down in 1758.
The exterior of the churches look austere due to the religious restrictions of the time, while their interiors are ornately decorated in Baroque style.
The interior of the Jawor church is decorated with 180 paintings, depicting Biblical scenes from the Old and the New Testament, while the church in Świdnica features apocalyptic visions as well as the panorama of surrounding area.
Since 2001, the two remaining churches are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.