„Ożywił się i zaludnił odtąd kościół i nabrał wyglądu katolickiego”. Ewangelickie kościoły Szczecina Adolfa Thesmachera (1880–1948) i ich adaptacja do wymogów kultu katolickiego

Abstract

“And from then on the church was revived and adopted a Catholic appearance”. Adolf Thesmacher’s (1880–1948) evangelic churches in Szczecin and their adaptation to the requirements of Catholic worship.

Adolf Thesmacher was an architect operating in Szczecin between 1910 and 1945. He belongs to the most interesting creators of modernist architecture in this city, where he designed, for example, three sanctuaries (two Evangelic and one Catholic). In his works he paid attention to every detail — from the overall plan down to to the door-handles, creating a “Gesamtkunstwerk” — universal artwork. His buildings were influential through their creation of space and light, as well as their modest decoration. Two of the churches survived World War II: Kościół Św. Rodziny (Holy Family Church, former German Kreuzkirche) and Kościół św. Adrzeja Boboli (St. Andrew Bobola’s Church, former Nikolaikirche). In 1945 the churches fell into hands of new city inhabitants, coming from the East. Both churches were adapted to the needs of Catholic rites and rituals. The decorations were freshly arranged, with the existing simplicity often criticised. Crosses on the alters of both sanctuaries were replaced by paintings and sculptures — the first of them were brought from the former Polish city of Lwów (Lviv); later on new pieces were ordered from popular Polish artists. In this way, the existing, strange space was adapted and familiarized.