A Lesson in Gdańsk Gothic

Gothic was one of the most important periods of Gdańsk architectural development. It was then, at the beginning of the town’s golden age, that a spatial structure of the historic centre came into being: the network of Gdańsk streets was laid out and hundreds of gothic tenement houses, town halls, gates, towers and city walls were erected. In the following centuries the majority of those buildings were considerably converted or destroyed, with one exception, though, namely churches. Gdańsk churches have preserved till today the form created by masters of the late Middle Ages. Thus we can admire old parish churches such as St. Mary’s (now a basilica), St. John’s, St. Catherine’s, St. Peter and Paul’s and St. Barbara’s as well as abbey churches: St. Nicolas, Trinity, St. Bridget’s and St. Joseph’s and hospital churches: Holy Spirit, St. Jacob’s, St. Elizabeth’s and Corpus Christi. Among those fourteen churches which have been preserved there are at least a few which hold a prominent place in history of architecture.

Gothic originated in France in 1150s, where it was brought to a highest point of perfection and where a gothic cathedral, a canon of European architecture, was developed. Gothic spread in Europe in a dynamic way and over two centuries its many varieties had evolved. Consequently, brick Gothic of Gdańsk is completely different from widely known Gothic of French stone cathedrals. In Brick Gothic there are no light flying buttresses or delicate profiles. St. Mary’s Church, which best exemplifies these differences, impresses the onlooker with its huge, heavy structure contrasted with the rich ornamentation of gables. The bright, rational, spacious interior symbolises, besides theological issues, the pride of the merchant community growing rich. Architectural uniqueness of St. Mary’s Church makes it stand out from hundreds of places of worship on the Baltic Sea. Moreover, it is one of the biggest churches in Europe. Prof. Adam Miłobędzki has compared it to San Spirito Church built around the same time, at the opposite edge of Europe – in Florence. Despite fundamental differences in style, both churches have analogous spatial and functional layouts reflecting rich townsfolk’s blooming culture of the 15th century.

We suggest getting to know Gdańsk Gothic on May nights. Silhouettes of gothic churches in the cityscape are best visible at night – when the hustle and bustle of city life fades away and proper artificial illumination brings out their gothic structure. It is also worth remembering that symbolic quality of light is at the heart of gothic art. Two conceptions of its interpretation were developed as early as in the Middle Ages. Natural light was admired, which flooding into a cathedral endowed physical forms with various tones of brightness and illumination. The concept of gothic space achieved its full meaning when stained glass windows had been introduced. The light not only illuminated the cathedral’s walls but also transformed by art it emanated from images on the stained glass. Today we are trying to reinterpret Gothic by imposing new artistic quality on architectural forms thorough multimedia projections.

An important element of gothic culture was a motif of wandering or travel. Among those who travelled were builders, pilgrims, knights, troubadours and minstrels. Their journeys had been recorded not only in literary works but also reflected by the mazes on the cathedrals’ floors. The concept of wandering’s development in the 19th c. significantly contributed to the town’s interpretation. Wandering opened up new dimensions in the town’s space resulting from the firsthand individual experience and imagination, which went beyond the category of urban composition. Illuminated boulevards, mysterious lanes and streets with their magnetic atmosphere constituted the background to the walks around the city understood as a cultural phenomenon.

Bearing in mind the motif of gothic wandering we would like to invite you for a special lesson in Gothic, which will show the town rich in the architecture of this period. We will visit four Gdańsk churches. On the night of 25th May we are going to show you parish churches of the Main Town: St. John’s and St. Mary’s whose walls dominate this area, most of which has been reconstructed. The following night, on 26th May, will be devoted to churches of the Old Suburbs: St. Peter and Paul’s and Holy Trinity. As a result of the modernist urban planning implemented after 1945 those churches were brutally cut off the Main Town by a highway.

In our lesson in Gothic we would like to present the distinctive features of Gdańsk medieval architecture as well as its important role in the history of Polish and also European art. Our walks will be lit either by the existing artificial illumination (St. Mary’s Basilica and Holy Trinity) or by the illumination designed especially for this occasion by students of Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. Our itinerary includes visiting the four churches accompanied by lectures illustrated with drawings, archival materials and multimedia presentations. Musical setting will be provided by the violin and cello ensemble Bell Arte in St. John’s Church and Choir of Gdańsk Townsfolk in St. Peter and Paul’s Church.

The Project A Lesson in Gdańsk Gothic originated by the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre is developed within the 4th Baltic Festival of Science in co-operation with the Faculty of Architecture at Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk University, State Archives in Gdańsk, Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, Regional Centre for Historical Monuments Studies and Documentation and National Museum in Gdańsk. We would like to thank rectors of the churches and Father Guardian of the Franciscan Order for their kind help. The lighting equipment and materials for the illumination will be provided by ?wiatło i Projekt Company.

Project implemented by:
prof. Małgorzata Czermińska Institute of Polish Philology, University of Gdańsk
dr Sławomir Kościelak Institute of History, University of Gdańsk
dr hab. Maria Jolanta Sołtysik – Faculty of Architecture, Gdańsk University of Technology,
dr Lucyna Nyka – Faculty of Architecture, Gdańsk University of Technology
dr Jakub Szczepański – Faculty of Architecture, Gdańsk University of Technology
dr Robert Hirsch – Faculty of Architecture, Gdańsk University of Technology
dr Ewa Cofalik-Dobosz – Faculty of Architecture and Design, Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk
dr Arkadiusz Staniszewski – Faculty of Architecture and Design, Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk
mgr Stanisław Flis – State Archives in Gdańsk
mgr Bronisław Małecki – Institute of Art. History, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
mgr Tomasz Korzeniowski – Head of Conservation, St. Mary’s Basilica in Gdańsk
Dominik Kulaszewicz, Stanisław Bednarz – Studio DAM 5150 Company
Wojciech łojek – ?wiatło i Projekt

Company Project originated and curated by: Bronisława Dejna – The Baltic Sea Cultural Centre