St. Nicholas' Church in

Brzeg Brzeg (; Latin: ''Alta Ripa'', German: ''Brieg'', Silesian German: ''Brigg'', , ) is a town in southwestern Poland with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021) and the capital of Brzeg County. It is situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on t ...

, Poland, is a

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

built in the fourteenth century. The church was built between 1370 and 1420 during the reign of

Louis I of Brzeg Louis I the Fair, also known as the Wise or the Righteous (, ''Roztropny'', or ''Prawy'') or Louis I of Brzeg (''Ludwik I brzeski''; – 6/23 December 1398) was Duke of Legnica from 1342 to 1346 (jointly with his elder brother Wenceslaus I unt ...

. He built it on the site of a former brick building, mentioned in sources from 1279. The building was financed by the town's inhabitants and the prince. The town's noblemen commissioned the project to Wrocław's Master Gunther who had planned the city's churches of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Elizabeth.

Building of the church

The church takes the form of a three-aisled basilica with an elongated

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

including a division for choir and lateral aisles leading to the main altar. The naves have

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosur ...

s which are wide and dark. The main nave is separated from the side by pillars and simple linear spans, with much interior space. The church has fine decorations carved in wood and stained glass windows. To date, only fragments survive of the original wooden decorations. The woodwork was burnt during the Second World War; the remains can be found in the

National Museum in Wrocław The National Museum in Wrocław (), established 28 March 1947 and officially inaugurated on 11 July 1948, is one of Poland's main branches of the National Museum of Poland, National Museum system. It holds one of the largest collections of contemp ...

and in the Museum of the Silesian Piasts in Brzeg. Two of the original stained glass windows are located in the

National Museum in Poznań The National Museum in Poznań (), Poland, abbreviated MNP, is a state-owned cultural institution and one of the largest museums in Poland. It houses a rich collection of Culture of Poland#Art, Polish painting from the 16th century on, and a coll ...

History of the church

In 1523, the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

reached the town of

. Prince Frederick II introduced the

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

religion into the principality. In 1524, the former

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

friar Jan of Opava gave his first sermon in the church in the reformist spirit; having gained ducal support, the teachings of

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

were quick to find recognition among most of the people. In 1525, the church of St. Nicholas began to function as a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

church, continuing this role until 1945. The walls and pillars of the church are of stone. It has wooden

epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

s of the rich citizens of Brzeg. At the end of the nineteenth century the church towers were extended in response to the heightening of towers in the Holy Cross Church. After the church burned down in late January and February 1945, it was left in disrepair for 13 years (until 1958). In 1958, on the initiative of Father Kazimierz Makarska, it was rebuilt on the basis of the plans from 1370. During the renovation work, late

wall frescoes were discovered in the sacristy. Currently, the church functions as a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church. It is one of the largest Gothic basilicas in

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

. File:Brzeg, Kościół św. Mikołaja - fotopolska.eu (261406).jpg, The church and Brzeski Dom Kultury cultural centre File:1339viki Brzeg, kościół p.w. św. Mikołaja. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg, View of the church ceiling File:Brzeg kosciol sw Mikolaja 04.jpg, Church interior from western entrance

References

{{coord, 50.8600, N, 17.4708, E, source:wikidata, display=title Basilica churches in Poland Brzeg County

Building of the church

History of the church

See also

References