Гданьскідегі Әміре Мария шіркеуінің тарихы

Church in Gdańsk, Poland

St. Mary's Church (Polish: Bazylika Mariacka, links=no), or formally the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Brick Gothic Catholic church located in central Gdańsk, Poland. With its volume between 185,000 m3 and 190,000 m3 it is currently one of the two or three largest brick churches in the world. Only San Petronio Basilica in Bologna, comprising 258,000 m3 is larger, Munich Frauenkirche and Ulm Minster also comprise 185,000 to 190,000 m3. Between 1536 and 1572 St. Mary's Church was used for Catholic and Lutheran services simultaneously. From the 16th century until 1945 it was the second largest Lutheran church in the world. It is long, and the nave is wide. Inside the church is room for 25,000 people. It is an aisled hall church with a transept. It is a co cathedral in the Archdiocese of Gdańsk, along with the Oliwa Cathedral.

According to tradition, as early as 1243 a wooden Church of the Assumption existed at this site, built by Duke Swietopelk II. The foundation stone for the new brick church was placed on 25 March 1343, the feast of the Annunciation. After a short wave of turbulent religious altercations in 1525 and 1526, in which the previous city council was overthrown, the new authorities favored a smooth transition to Lutheran religious practice. stored the old liturgical garments, some of which survived. The inventories of St. Mary's reflect usage of Catholic style accessories in Gdańsk's early Lutheran services. The inventory of 1552 still mentions a great stock of garments and embroideries. Most of the gold and silver utensils of St. Mary's were melted down and minted to pay the mercenaries. As a compromise the jurisdiction over Gdańsk's Lutherans as to marital and sexual matters remained with Włocławek's Catholic officials. In 1817 the government imposed the union of Reformed and Lutheran congregations within the entire kingdom. First intended to win all these congregations to adopt a unified Protestant confession, the vast Lutheran majority insisted on retaining the Augsburg Confession, thus St. Mary's remained a Lutheran church and congregation, but joined the new umbrella of the Evangelical Church in Prussia in 1821, a regional Protestant church body of united administration but no common confession, comprising mostly Lutheran, but also some Reformed and united Protestant congregations. In 1820, during Bertling's pastorate, long forgotten chests and cabinets in the sacristy were opened and the first medieval garments and liturgical decorations were rediscovered. So when Chaplain Franz Johann Joseph Bock, art historian and curator of the then Cologne Archdiocesan Museum, reviewed the discoveries he acquired a number of the best pieces from the congregation. In 1861–64 a Sexton named Hinz systematically searched chests, cabinets and other storages in chambers and rooms, also in the tower, and found many more historic liturgical garments. mostly originate from the 150 years between 1350 and 1500. The congregation also sold other artifacts, such as the winged triptych by Jan van Wavere, acquired by Archduke Maximilian, now held in the Church of the Teutonic Order in Vienna, and the sculpture of the Madonna and Child by Michael of Augsburg from the main altar, sold to Count Alfons Sierakowski, now in the chapel in Waplewo Wielkie. It was then presented in the St. Barbara Chapel of St. Mary's. Bells were classified according to historical and/or artistical value and those categorised the least valuable and cast after 1860, and especially those requisitioned in occupied areas, were melted down the first. Of the prewar chimes, there still exist two bells, after restitution to the congregation loaned by its presbytery exiled in Lübeck to other congregations in northern Germany. Osanna from 1632 can be found in St. Andrew's Church, Hildesheim, and Dominicalis from 1719 can be found under the name Osanna in St. Mary's Church, Lübeck, both in Germany. Dominicalis is used by the congregation of Lutheran St. Mary's Church, and the parament treasure is on public display. Gdańsk was gradually repopulated by more Poles, and Polish authorities handed over St. Mary's Church to the Catholic diocese. Most of the artworks from the interior survived, having been evacuated for safekeeping to villages near the city. Many of these have returned to the church, but some are displayed in various museums around Poland. The diocese has sought to secure their return. The reconstruction started shortly after the war in 1946. The roof was rebuilt in August 1947, using reinforced concrete. After the basic reconstruction was finished, the church was reconsecrated on November 17, 1955. The reconstruction and renovation of the interior is an ongoing effort. On November 20, 1965, by papal bull, Pope Paul VI elevated the church to the dignity of the basilica. On February 2, the Congregation for Bishops established the Bazylika Mariacka as the Gdańsk Co Cathedral in the then still non metropolitan Catholic Diocese of Gdańsk. In 2020, the 15th century Gothic Pietas Domini altar, which was stolen by Germany during World War II, was restored to the church from Berlin.

St. Mary's Church is a triple aisled hall church with a triple aisled transept. Both the transept and the main nave are of similar width and height. Certain irregularities in the form of the northern arm of the transept are remnants of the previous church situated on the same site. In all, the building is a good example of late Gothic architecture. The vaulting is a true piece of art. Much of it was restored after World War II. Main nave, transept and presbytery are covered by net vaults, while the aisles are covered by crystal vaults. The exterior of the nave is dominated by plain brick walls and high and narrow pointed arch windows. Such a construction was possible by placing corbels and buttresses inside of the church and erecting chapels between them. Similar constructions have been used in Albi Cathedral (1287–1487, Southern France) and Munich Frauenkirche (1468–1494). The gables are divided by a set of brick pinnacles. All corners are accentuated by turrets crowned by metal headpieces (reconstructed after 1970). Similar turrets can be found on the town hall of Lübeck as well as on the two large Churches of Leiden and on the Ridderzaal in The Hague. It is stabilized by strong buttresses. The church has seven portals, one in the west under the steeple, one in the eastern façade of the choir, two on the northern and three on the southern side, six of them (all except the western) are of sandstone masonry.

There are two bells in St Mary's Church. Both of them were cast in 1970 by foundry Felczyński in Przemyśl. The larger one is called Gratia Dei, weighs , and sounds in nominal F sharp. The smaller bell is the so called Ave Maria, weighs , and sounds in C sharp.