Church of the Holiest Saviour
Encyclopedia
Church of the Holiest Saviour is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Śródmieście district of Warsaw
, Poland
. It is located on the Saviour Square.
During World War II
the building was heavily damaged. In 1939 during the Nazi bombing of Warsaw, missiles destroyed the western tower and the roof. Nazis also arrested church rector, priest Marceli Nowakowski, who was later executed in the Sejm
gardens in February 1940. After the fall of the Warsaw Uprising
of 1944, Germans detonated explosives in the church, heavily damaging the whole building. After the war quick restoration works have been conducted and in 1948, the building was again given to the worshippers. The communist authorities however allowed the reconstruction of towers only in 1955. During the construction of the Marszałkowska Apartments District, they also changed the course of the Marszałkowska street and built the MDM Hotel at the Constitution Square
in order to hide the church from the panorama of the city.
The building is a three-nave basilica church with a dome over the crossing of the naves. The main facade, facing the square, features two slim towers and sculptures of Saints Peter and Paul.
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It is located on the Saviour Square.
History
The origins of the church date back to the end of the 19th century. Growing number of citizens of Śródmieście Południowe and Ujazdów districts of Warsaw wanted to commemorate upcoming year 1900. They were supported by the Archbishop Wincenty Popiel. In 1900 the grounds between the Marszałkowska and Mokotowska streets were bought, and the construction began the next year. In 1903 the church was partially opened to believers and four years later became fully operational. In 1927 it was ceremonially consecrated by Bishop Stanisław Gall.During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the building was heavily damaged. In 1939 during the Nazi bombing of Warsaw, missiles destroyed the western tower and the roof. Nazis also arrested church rector, priest Marceli Nowakowski, who was later executed in the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
gardens in February 1940. After the fall of the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
of 1944, Germans detonated explosives in the church, heavily damaging the whole building. After the war quick restoration works have been conducted and in 1948, the building was again given to the worshippers. The communist authorities however allowed the reconstruction of towers only in 1955. During the construction of the Marszałkowska Apartments District, they also changed the course of the Marszałkowska street and built the MDM Hotel at the Constitution Square
Constitution Square (Warsaw)
Constitution Square is a major square in the Śródmieście district of Warsaw, Poland.The square was constructed in the initial post-war years on the Marszałkowska street as a main element of socrealist urban project. Together with the Palace of Culture and Science it was the main architectural...
in order to hide the church from the panorama of the city.
The building is a three-nave basilica church with a dome over the crossing of the naves. The main facade, facing the square, features two slim towers and sculptures of Saints Peter and Paul.