Church Saint-Charles-Borromée de Wrocław

The church Saint-CharlesBorromée with Wrocław was built in the years 1911 - 13 because of the great number of parishioners in the old villages (since 1868 attached to the town of Wrocław) of: Höfchen (Dworek) and Gabitz (Gajowice). The catholic living these villages until the 19th century belonged to the Paroisse very distant from the church Najświętszej Marii Panny ( Fr: the church of the holiest Virgin Mary ) on the sand island (Wyspa Piasek). It is only as from the year 1892 with the Cloitre of boromeusz trzebnickich, being today street Stysia, that one built for the need for the inhabitants of the two districts a catholic Chapelle (Preserved until in the years 1970, when one decided to build in his place the news church Saint-Ignace-with-Loyola). Patron saint Charles Borromée was thus transferred to the new church built according to the project from the architect J. Maasa in the triangle formed by Gabitzstraße (street Gajowicka), Charlottenstraße (street Krucza) I Herderstraße (street Grochowa). The church is of style architectural Historiciste of the Rhineland, and its interior of Gothic style Silesian. ( Halowa trójnawowa konstrukcja wykonana jest Z kamienia ciosowego ), Over the western face (street Gajowicka) a bell-tower dominates (composes of 4 small towers and a central tower).

During the seat of Festung Breslau ( the Fortress Breslau ) in 1945, the Germans made church a point of resistance, using the bell-tower like point of observation and it solid construction of the building. The decision was assumed by the commander of the defense of the city, the Général Hans von Ahlfen. The priest Paul Peikert of the Św church. Maurycego, wrote in its chronicles at the date of the February 22nd 1945:

It is this same general, who ordered that the church Saint-Charles-Borromée either transforms into building of defense and who after being challenged by the director of Caritas, Zinkego, negotiating with him about the profanation of the churches, declared, which in the event of need it will order the transformation of all the churches

Five days later:

the church Saint-Charles, which was transformed into fortress, from now on is completely destroyed. It was a construction of the type testifying Neoroman…, of a remarkable building

the quarry of the church Saint-Charles was put in residence to leave the church (it moved at the same time as other people in the cellars of the vault street Stysia (since 1923 crowned - Ignacy Loyola). Thanks to the relations of the Polish priests who are there takes refuge, one could know, who the bombardment and the shootings on the church were very important. The destruction of the church accounted for approximately 50% of the building. The largest damage was caused by some hundreds of cluster bombs, which destroyed the roof, three turns, the Sacristie and the Orgue. Directly after the end of the Second world war, one considered his total destruction seriously. This idea seemed more moved by the fact that at that time practically all the district of Gajowice, like the districts close to Dworek and Południe were at sea transform ruins and only one very small number of buildings could be recovered to place the population there. One thus did not feel the need to rebuild the church in priority, since still in 1952 one estimated that the parish counted only 200 faithful. During the first years after the war, the remainders of the crowned objects of the church were systematically plundered and devastated. The authorities of the church allowed to the clergies of Wrocław the disassembling of the ornaments with an aim of being transferred in other places from worship of the city. During a certain time the possibility was studied of building a church of garrison. Finally in 1947 the rebuilding was undertaken by the Franciscain, in 1950 one taken again here the religious offices, in 1951 one finishes renovating the roof, the repair of the stained glasses, the repair of the bell-tower and two of its turrets. In the years 1985 - 87 have led important restorations again to it, recovering the roof and the bell-tower of tiles of Cuivre.

Bibliography:

Z. Antkowiak, Kościoły Wrocławia , Wrocław 1991

External bonds

Church Saint-Charles-Borromée on the site of Wratislaviae Amici

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