Development and Role of Sacred Structures in Gliwice Before the End of The 20th Century

Abstract

In the paper, the complexes of sacred architecture in Gliwice are discussed in the context of the urban development of the city. The sacred architecture objects here are connected both with the Roman Catholic and Evangelical denominations. The city, since the medieval times, had been developing around its very centre. One of the most important elements in the study of the history of the urban development of the city was the analysis of the drawings of Friedrich Bernhard Werner and of the state of the city presented on a map from 1902. The research concerned also the landscape in the public space which emphasised the significance of the sacred architecture buildings. Currently, within the administrative perimeter of the city, there are many individual buildings or entire urban complexes which may serve as examples of a landscape sacrum. The origin of these buildings was closely connected with the historical past of the city or was the outcome of its industrialisation occurring from the 18th century onwards. Nowadays, many of these objects can be regarded as examples of buildings of high historical, artistic and cultural value. Historical temples, shrines, crosses and cemeteries illustrate the combination of the changes in the artistic styles and tendencies in sacred architecture and art with the local tradition. They are important elements of the urban composition of the city, being at the same time, places of worship and carriers of its intangible heritage.