Student: Sarah Seefried, Uniwersytet Wrocawski, Instructor: MA A.

Jezierska, Course: In the heart of Europe History of Silesian Art and Culture, Presentation: Jesuit history and art in Wrocaw, 12.01.2013

Handout

1) General information about the Jesuits in Silesia 15 August 1539: formation of Catholic religious order Societas Jesu (S.J., Society 1 of Jesus) by Ignatius of Loyola; pontifical affirmation in 1540 1545 1563: Council of Trent is important for treatment of pictures in Catholic 2 religion 1597: first Jesuit house of studies with grammar school in Silesia; close connection 3 to Habsburg emperor dynasty helped to gain ground in Kodzko (Ger.: Glatz) 1620: Battle of White Mountain caused confiscation of Protestant churches that were partly overtaken by Jesuits (Catholic Revival/Ger.: Rekatholisierung) Wrocaw was biggest and most important city in Silesia and mainly inhabited by 4 Protestants; Jesuits were supported by public authorities 1638: foundation of mission with grammar school in Wrocaw 1639: upgrading to residence 1646: upgrading to college Habsburgian Baroque (geared to French baroque palaces)
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2) University of Wrocaw (opened 15 November 1702 as Universitas Leopoldina)

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1728 1732: first building phase (Aula Leopoldina 1728 - 1732; master builder: 5 Blasius Peintner ) 1733 1741: second building phase (Oratorium Marianum 1733, Mathematical 6 Tower, Under the Pillar (?), master builder: Joseph Frisch ) 1742: Silesia is part of Prussian empire and university is no longer antireformatory 13.2.1945 6.5.1945: Siege of Breslau, Nazis moved Headquarters into University Library May 1945: Scholarly-Cultural Group (scholars and students) managed reconstruction of demolished university in short time architects: Matthus Biener (1630 1692), Johann Georg Knoll ( 1704), Johann Blasius Peintner ( 1732), Christoph Tausch (1673 1731), Joseph Frisch ( 1743) floor plan: longitudinal building with clear 3 nave structure in eastern part, that is one huge hall; western part 2 naves cut into single rooms becoming smaller and being closed by large crossroms; middle part dominated by representative staircase with tower front: 2 side parts that are broken by a central projection; stories/window zones: nd bottom to top: Parterre, cornice, Piano Nobile/Beletage, 2 floor, Mezzanine; window registers are divided by colossal pilasters in the corner parts and colossal frescos in the other parts; central projection: round main portal, decoration growing outside to inside from simple pilasters to detached columns, balcony divided in 3 parts, height geared to cornice of side parts, alternate convex and concave balustrade with statues of the 4 Cardinal Virtues, above colossal pilasters and strongly decorated windows, above Mezzanine closed by round temple gable with the Jesuits badge; tower: same width as central projection, two stories, colossal pilasters, simple window decoration, closed by straight cornice with small balustrade, on top smaller story in middle arbor of the building with two-story helmed roof
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supported by emperor Leopold I.

3) University Church of the Blessed Name of Jesus in Wrocaw (1689 1698)

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https://www.jesuiten.org/fileadmin/Redaktion/Downloads/Gr%C3%BCndung.pdf, p. 1 [German] J. BAUMGARTEN, Jesuitische Bildpolitik zwischen berwltigung und berprfbarkeit am Beispiel der Jesuitenkirchen in Breslau und Glatz, in: A. OHLIDAL/S. SAMERSKI [Ed.], Jesuitische Frmmigkeitskulturen, Forschungen zur Geschichte und Kultur des stlichen Mitteleuropa vol. 28, p. 63, Stuttgart 2006 [German] 3 ibid., p. 70f. 4 ibid., p. 80

about 10% destruction after WW II (most of interior preserved)

PROF. DR. B. PATZAK, Studien zur schlesischen Kunstgeschichte I. Die Jesuitenbauten in Breslau und ihre Architekten. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des Barockstiles in Deutschland., in: Studien zur deutschen Kunstgeschichte, vol. 204, p. 25, Straburg 1918 [German] 6 ibid., p. 59 7 interactive online panorama visible at: http://zieba.wroclaw.pl/ku/ku_a.html

architect: Theodor Moretti, painter: Johann Rottmayer did frescos between 1703 and 1706, decorators: 1722 1734 under guidance of Christoph Tausch floor plan: 5 bays wide vestibule, 1 nave with 6 conches, choir with 2 side chapels and external sacristy

img. 3: Floor plan of university church.

img. 4: Cross section view of university church.

img. 1: description above

img. 2: Floor plan of main university building like planned 1727. img. 5: Demolished university building. img. 6: Demolished church building.