A new church for new times? Competition for a church in Włocławek in 1911 as a reflection of trends in Polish sacred architecture at the beginning of the 20th century

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3(87)

Szymon Dembicki*

A new church for new times?

Competition for a church in Włocławek in 1911

as a reflection of trends in Polish sacred architecture

at the beginning of the 20

century

DOI: 10.37190/arc260302

Published in open access. CC BY-NC license.

Abstract

This article presents the process and background of the 1911 competition for the design of a church in Włocławek.

The intensive movement in Polish sacred architecture at the beginning of the 20

century was manifested by numerous architectural competitions,

including the one discussed for the church in Włocławek. It was attended by both renowned architects and those just starting their professional career.

The research conducted on this competition and the submitted works allowed for the specication of the formal and stylistic trends prevailing in Polish

sacred architecture at that time. Describing this little-known episode in the history of Włocławek architecture highlights the role of the Kuyavian-

Kalisz diocese in the architectural debate of the time. The competition itself foreshadowed the city’s subsequent transformations in the interwar period,

a eld of research that remains largely unexplored.

Key words: sacred architecture, Włocławek, Bularka, architectural competition

Introduction

The Church of St. Stanislaus the Bishop and Martyr is

one of Włocławek’s landmarks. The building’s current form

is the result of Adolf Buraczewski’s design from the in ter-

war period, but the rst attempt to build a church in this

location was made before World War I. The appearance of

the church in the Bularka district was to be determined by

the results of an architectural competition.

State of research

This competition, despite being well documented in the

architectural press of the time (Przegląd Techniczny, Archi

tekt) and the church press (Kronika Diecezji KujawskoKa

liskiej), was not widely discussed – fragments of some

de signs were presented in publications devoted to individ-

ual architects without proper analysis. Krzysztof Stefański

(2000) discussed the competition itself, limiting himself to

an outline of its proceedings and a brief description of the

three winning entries. The following article is therefore the

rst

scientic study discussing the competition in detail,

showing that it is a representative example of phenome-

na in Polish religious architecture in the early 20

century,

both in terms of the method of obtaining the design and the

architectural solutions used.

Methods

This article is part of the author’s broader research on the

architecture of the parish of St. Stanislaus in Włocławek. The

work used historical-architectural methods as well as com -

parative, iconographic and formal analyses. The research

used source materials from the period (press, design do cu-

mentation, chronicle notes), comparing them with scien tic

studies on sacred architecture in the period, the Kuya vian-

Kalisz diocese and individual architects participating in the

competition in question.

ORCID:

0009-0004-5034-6103.

Independent researcher, Gdańsk,

Poland, e-mail: sjrdembicki@o2.pl

Szymon Dembicki

Preparations and course of the competition

At the end of the 19

century, Włocławek began to re cov er

from years of economic stagnation. Along with its eco no mic

development, its demographic and territorial

ex pan sion also

advanced. A large portion of the incoming population settled

in the suburbs – Grzywno and Bularka.

They were charac-

terized by an agricultural-suburban character and were con-

sidered centres of poverty and pathology.

In this situation,

the bishop of the Kuyavian-Kalisz diocese, Stanisław Zdzi -

towiecki, decided to build a new church in this area. The

establishment of a parish had several advantages – rstly, it

signicantly reduced the distance from the parish church

and also allowed for being closer to the faithful and coun-

teracting the promotion of various religious denominations

and socialist or anti-church ideologies

. A donation made

to the diocese by local manufacturer Leon Bojańczyk was

helpful in deciding on the location of the new church. In

his will (he died in 1907), he left 30,000 rubles, 500,000

bricks, and a plot of land from the Łaniewszczyzna grange

in Bularka for the construction of a new church (Budowa

czwartego kościoła we Włocławku 1910, 54).

The construction of the church in Włocławek was a test

of Bishop Zdzitowiecki’s internal policy. He undertook va-

rious initiatives aimed at the cultural and social develop-

ment of the diocese

. These also included those related to

Until the parish on Bularka was established in Włocławek, there

was only a parish in St. John’s Church in the Old Town.

We are talking about religious denominations both domestic,

such as the Mariavite Church, and foreign, for example the Bible Stu-

dent movement.

He established, among other things, the Pius X High School (1906)

and an eight-grade philological gymnasium (1916). Around 1908, he also

planned to establish a craft school for boys entrusted to the Salesians.

construction issues. The situation of architecture in the Ku-

ya vian-Kalisz diocese was similar to the rest of the country

at that time – with the simultaneous increase in construc-

tion activity, the clergy were struggling with the low aes-

thetic and conservation awareness. The Diocesan Archaeo-

logical and Construction Committee (Diecezjalny Komitet

Ar cheo lo giczno-Budowlany), established in 1908, was in-

tended to counteract this negative impact, as it was the rst

in stitution of its kind in the Polish church

. Zdzitowiecki

also understood the importance of sanitary solutions in ar-

chitecture, which culminated in issuing an ocial decree

to build separate heated and funeral chapels in churches

These activities gave hope to circles that negatively as-

sessed the achievements of 19

-century sacred architec-

ture and were looking for a new architectural expression

that would respond to the changes that society underwent

dur ing the industrial era. It was believed at the time that

they would lead to the creation of a new type of church that

would be Catholicism’s response to the “new times”.

A competition was chosen as the method of obtaining

the design for the new temple

. A request to organize it

was submitted to the Architects’ Circle in Warsaw (Koło

Architektów w Warszawie)

in October 1910. During the

Circle’s meeting on October 31, 1910, Jarosław Wojcie-

chow ski and Karol Jankowski were delegated to the jury,

and a delegate from the Architects’ Circle from Kraków

(Koło Architektów w Krakowie) was also to join them. At

the beginning of 1911, the competition rules were publicly

announced

. The church was to be built on a plot of land

located in the corner between the newly designed street and

the existing Starobrzeska Street (now S. Że romskiego and

Wiejska Streets) (Fig. 1). The technical requirements spec-

ied: usable area (600 m

excluding the chancel, chapels,

and side altars), preferred material (brick with the permit-

ted use of concrete and reinforced concrete), and functional

layout (a heated chapel of approximately 40 m

, a separate

funeral chapel of the same size but with a second entrance

A year earlier, the diocese had begun publishing the Kronika

Diecezji KujawskoKaliskiej, which served as a medium for promoting

the bishop’s building policy through the publication of numerous articles

on architecture and the conservation of monuments.

These actions were intended to prevent the spread of microbes,

especially during periods of increased activity of the faithful in churches

during Lenten confessions and funerals (Zdzitowiecki 1910, 374).

Details of the preparations were published in the column “Ruch

budowlany i rozmaitości” in the magazine Przegląd Techniczny (1910a,

556; 1910b, 632).

This association, which brought together representatives of Polish

architectural thought in the Russian partition, has been cooperating for

some time with the Diocesan Archaeological and Construction Commit-

tee in Włocławek, among other things by providing opinions on work on

historic buildings belonging to the diocese. With its help, two competi-

tions for church designs were also organized in the diocese – in Mąko-

szyn near Izbica Kujawska (1911) and in Włocławek (described here)

(Kaźmierczak 1991).

In the Warsaw Przegląd Techniczny (January 12, 1911) (Konkurs

XXX Koła Architektów 1911), in the Lviv Czasopismo Techniczne (Ja-

nu ary 25, 1911) (Konkurs na projekt kościoła 1911), and in the same

month in the Kraków Architekt (Konkurs na projekt kościoła we Włoc-

ław ku 1911) and the Kronika Diecezji KujawskoKaliskiej (Włocławek.

Konkurs na budowę kościoła 1911).

Fig. 1. Włocławek. The plot plan attached to the competition rules

(source: Konkurs XXX Koła Architektów 1911, 24)

Il. 1. Włocławek. Plan działki objętej konkursem załączony do jego

regulaminu (źródło: Konkurs XXX Koła Architektów 1911, 24)

A new church for new times? Competition for a church in Włocławek in 1911

from the outside

, a two-room sacristy on the south side

of at least 50 m

, with an

additional confession room for

the deaf and a vestibule to prevent heat loss, the main en-

trance from Starobrzeska Street, and a church treasury and

bell tower). Freedom was allowed in the choice of building

style

, with the only stipulation being that the construc-

tion cost could not exceed 80,000 rubles. The total prize

pool was 1,250 rubles, and the results were to be decid-

ed by a jury composed of: the above-mentioned Jarosław

Wojciechowski and Karol Jankowski from the Architects’

Circle in Warsaw, Władysław Ekielski from the Architects’

Circle in Kraków

, the chairman of the Diocesan Archae-

ological and Construction Committee, Rev. Władysław

Górzyński

, and from the church construction committee

– Antoni Olszakowski, an architect from Włocławek.

A total of 16 works were submitted to the competition,

and the results were announced on March 29, 1911. After re-

Rev. Górzyński was also a staunch advocate of this type of action

(Górzyński 1911a, 158–162).

This stemmed from reections on the Mąkoszyn competition,

where a mismatch was noted between the requirement for a vernacular

style and the material, which was to be eld stone (Górzyński 1911a,

210, 211).

According to the competition entry evaluation protocol, the

following changes were made to the jury: Jankowski was replaced by

Władysław Marconi, and Ekielski by Ludwik Wojtyczko from Kraków.

This priest was responsible for construction, conservation of

monuments and aesthetics in the diocese. Apart from being the chairman

of the Diocesan Archaeological and Construction Committee established

in 1908, he also served as curator of the Diocesan Museum and lecturer

in the history of Christian art at the Seminary in Włocławek. The com-

bination of these functions allowed for a unied direction for the entire

construction movement in the diocese, from the basics in the eld of

education to construction and restoration works (Filipski 1921, 7–12;

Górzyński 1915, 265–270; Grajnert 1960).

jecting works with defects and those with compositional or

aesthetic aws, ve nalists remained. The rst place was

taken by the work of Czesław Przybylski (no. 9), the

second

– by Zdzisław Mączeński (no. 8), and the third – by Os kar

Sosnowski (no. 7). Two honourable mentions were also

awarded to designs by Jan Wlekliński (no. 10) and Ka zi mierz

Skó rewicz (no. 12)

, which were intended for purchase.

Awarded projects

The winning design (Fig. 2) was based on the Neo-Ro-

manesque style. A massive structure with simple details

was to be erected next to the intersection of streets in the

very corner of the plot. To enhance the relatively squat

form, Czesław Przybylski decided to break it up with tow-

ers and annexes. The massive bell tower on the side of the

planned Kościelna Street (currently S. Żeromskiego Street)

housed a funeral chapel on the ground oor, while the low-

er tower housed the main entrance to the church and the

stairs to the choir. The annexes near the chancel were in-

tended for a heated chapel and all other rooms required by

In issue 14 of Przegląd Techniczny dated April 6, 1911, it was re-

ported that the authors of the honoured designs were S. Bartoszewicz and

K. Skórewicz. Three issues later (April 27), a correction was published

stating that the author of work no. 10 was Jan Wlekliński (a statement

repeated three days later by Kurier Warszawski). In issue 21 (May 24),

designs no. 10 and 12 were listed as honoured. At the same time, Rev.

Górzyński, in his article “Dwa konkursy” (1911a), states that the designs

proposed for purchase were those of Skórewicz and an unknown author.

This would indicate the following authorship: no. 10 – Wlekliń ski, no. 12

– Skórewicz. Therefore, the Architekt’s (no. 3) attribution of work no. 10

to Skórewicz should be considered wrong (Rozstrzygnięcie dwu… 1911,

5; Rozstrzygnięcie konkursu… 1911, 49; Rozstrzygnięcie XXX-go…

1911, 188; Z Koła… 1911, 9; Z konkursu XXX-go… 1911, 228).

Fig. 2. Włocławek. First place

– church design by

Czesław Przybylski

(source: Konkurs XXX

Koła Architektów w Warszawie

1911, 280, tabl. IX)

ll. 2. Włocławek.

Projekt kościoła autorstwa

Czesława Przybylskiego

nagrodzony I miejscem

w konkursie

(źródło: Konkurs XXX

Koła Architektów w Warszawie

1911, 280, tabl. IX)

Szymon Dembicki

the regulations

. The main nave was separated from the

relatively small side aisles by rows of Neo-Romanesque

columns. It was covered with a barrel vault with lunettes,

while the side naves and the chapel were heated with star

vaults. An interesting element of the design was its light-

ing – the architect wanted to create a semi-darkness. For

this reason, the church’s naves were illuminated with small

windows. The chancel was to be illuminated only by two

openings located in a small transept – invisible from the

naves and enhancing the mystical eect.

In the jury’s opinion, the design […] was full of

poetry

and noble atmosphere, with a profound sense of and ma

jestic grouping of masses, and a beautiful, clear plan, with

a skilfully and practically conceived arrangement of indi

vidual parts (Konkurs XXX Koła Architektów w Warsza-

wie 1911, 281). The shortcomings included insucient

lighting in the presbytery and too large a volume, but these

were considered minor obstacles. Additional observations

were also presented by Rev. Górzyński in his article “Dwa

konkursy” [Two competitions] (Górzyński 1911a, 212–

214). He praised the extraordinary mastery of the design,

paying particular attention to the visual and lighting solu-

tions. He appreciated the diversity resulting from the sculp-

ture of the shape and its majesty, also seeing a symbolic

message in it. As for the church’s lighting, he praised the

architect’s concept described above, seeing it as a skilfully

processed pattern from ancient Egyptian and baroque ar-

chitecture, but expressed concern whether purely practical

considerations (including the need for light for reading)

would not diminish the value of the artistic vision.

It is worth noting that the Włocławek project was not

an isolated example in Przybylski’s oeuvre. His early de-

signs were already inuenced by Romanesque inspiration.

Over time, there has been a noticeable shift from academic

It should be noted here that the church treasury was located on

the rst oor above the sacristy.

Fig. 3. Włocławek.

Second place – church design by

Zdzisław Mączeński

(source: Konkurs XXX

Koła Architektów w Warszawie

1911, 282, tabl. X)

Il. 3. Włocławek.

Projekt kościoła autorstwa

Zdzisława Mączeńskiego

zdobywcy II miejsca w konkursie

(źródło: Konkurs XXX

Koła Architektów w Warszawie

1911, 282, tabl. X)

forms to an increasingly free use of style. Depending on

the context and location, he even allowed himself to com-

bine Neo-Romanesque and vernacular architecture (in the

case of rural churches). He gave projects intended for cities

a more austere and monumental character – for example, in

the competition for the Church of the Immaculate Concep-

tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Warsaw (1909) and the

competition discussed here

In the second awarded project (Fig. 3), architect Zdzi-

s ław Mączeński proposed a solution that ts into the con-

ven tion of the vernacular style. The relatively compact

struc ture of the church, with a tower above the entrance

along the main nave and a ridge turret in the centre of the

roof, showed strong inspiration from provincial Polish ar-

chitecture. The apses, bends, and pseudo-transept imbued

the work with a picturesque and expressive character. An

interesting element taken from traditional religious archi-

tecture was the crucixion scene placed on the outer wall

of the chancel. The plan of the church was relatively sim-

ple and close to rectangular. A hall-like interior with four

pillars preceded the chancel, which ended with a straight

wall. On its southern side there is a sacristy with the rooms

required by the regulations, and opposite – a heated chapel.

The funeral chapel was located at the rear of the church, in

a small quadrangular annex with an apse, providing access

from both the exterior and the chancel.

According to the jury’s verdict, the design was con

venient, clear, and practically conceived (Nowy kościół

we Włocławku 1911, 473), however, it was questioned

It is worth noting the noticeable similarity between Przybylski’s

design and the work by Zdzisław Kalinowski submitted to the Mąkoszyn

competition. However, plagiarism should be excluded here, bearing in

mind the close cooperation of these architects (Architekt Czesław Przy-

bylski… 1936) and their common sympathy for motifs in the spirit of

Romanesque. It is therefore possible that due to the relatively close dates

of both competitions, they inspired each other, which resulted in the nal

similarity of both works.

A new church for new times? Competition for a church in Włocławek in 1911

whether the form, concise, clear, perhaps too modest in its

simplicity (Konkurs XXX Koła Architektów w Warszawie

1911, 282), did not correspond more to the characteristics

of a village church than a city one. Rev. Górzyński made

a similar point in his article, praising the practicality and

simplicity of the work, while stating that the structure in

this form is denitely too modest for Włocławek (Górzyński

1911a, 214) and would be more suitable for a small town.

The design for Włocławek solidied Mączeński’s views

on architecture. The form he used in 1911 was far from his

relatively recent neo-Gothic or neo-Romanesque designs.

In the Włocławek design, he denitively opted for a ver-

nacular style with its simplicity and rustic, picturesque

character. This design also features the concept of a church

with a tower above the entrance in the axis of the building,

which Mączeński developed during the competition for

the church in Orłów Murowany (1910), and which he later

used many times

The work by Oskar Sosnowski (Fig. 4), which won third

place, highlights yet another direction that architects could

take in their work at the beginning of the 20

century. The

concept he proposed was a total one and stood out among

the works submitted to the competition. The ar chitect

changed the location of the temple – the church was moved

south, gaining a viewing area in the form of a garden-cem-

etery from the side of today’s Żeromskiego Street. In the

southern corner of the plot there was a rectory with auxiliary

buildings. A main gate equipped with bells and a ground-

oor parish oce were to be built on the side of Starobrzes-

ka Street. The temple was separated from its surroundings

by raising the ground for the future church by over a few

dozen centimetres and then enclosing it with a high wall

with arcades. A processional path was constructed within

this outline, intersected by four massive walls with arcade

passageways. This design was attributed to a somewhat pan-

theistic overtone, in which the church was to become the

main nave, the via sacra the side aisles, and the sky the vault.

The solutions used in the building itself were also unusu-

al. Most of the oor plan was occupied by the main nave,

with adjacent pseudo-aisles reminiscent of the rows of side

chapels in Baroque Jesuit churches. In the line of walls di-

viding the processional route, in the pseudo-transept, there

were chapels: heated and funeral, and a chancel, and behind

it a treasury, a sacristy and spiral staircases to the galleries,

which were most likely located above the chapels. Accord-

ing to the jury’s opinion and Rev. Górzyński’s article, the

presbytery was to be equipped with a large altar, actually

consisting of two altars placed one a few meters above the

other. Therefore, to provide access to the upper altar, two

staircases were designed in the presbytery

. The last ele-

Apart from the above-mentioned designs of churches for Orłów

Murowany and Włocławek, Mączeński used this form before World

War I in the winning entry in the Mąkoszyn competition (1911). He also

returned to it in the interwar years in designs for Siedlec (1922), Bystrzy-

ca (1932), Wysowa-Zdrój (1935) and Huta Stepańska. The concepts

from the third decade of the 20

century were created as stock plans

intended to support the Polonization of the borderlands of the Second

Polish Republic (Szmitkowska 2010).

It’s possible that Sosnowski proposed an altar with an unusually

elaborate altarpiece, in which he wanted to place a gure or a painting.

ment that distinguished Sosnowski’s concept was the shape

of the church. The massive structure, with its enormous

buttresses, combined expressionist forms with the Gothic

heritage. This design evokes associations with Scandina-

vian projects considered icons of expressionist architecture,

which it signicantly preceded – Grundtvigs Kirke in Co-

penhagen (1913) and Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavik (1937).

The commission appreciated the organic nature of the

church’s plan, the interesting arrangement of the chancel,

and the original composition, which was well-connected to

the planned processional route. At the same time, elements

such as a single nave, excessive tightening of the building

with external buttresses, the concept of a two-story altar

that was not justied by the liturgy, and the gate-bell tower

that was impractical in the jury’s opinion did not meet with

approval. Rev. Górzyński acknowledged the originality and

artistry of Sosnowski’s design but considered it too fanci-

ful. Commenting on this work, he even allowed himself

In this case, the staircases could have served the faithful as a kind of

holy staircase (Sancta Scala), as in the case of the Altar of repose in the

crypt beneath the Piarist Church in Krakow. However, the location of

the entrance to the stairs behind the balustrade separating the presbytery

from the nave speaks against such a hypothesis. It seems more likely

that we are indeed dealing with a not-so-orthodox concept of a double

altar, in which the upper level was intended to provide a good view of the

ceremonies for the faithful gathered in the gallery.

Fig. 4. Włocławek. Third place – church design by Oskar Sosnowski

(source: Konkurs XXX Koła Architektów w Warszawie 1911,

278, tabl. XI)

Il. 4. Włocławek. Projekt kościoła autorstwa Oskara Sosnowskiego

nagrodzony III lokatą w konkursie (źródło: Konkurs XXX

Koła Architektów w Warszawie 1911, 278, tabl. XI)

Szymon Dembicki

to ask a malicious question – whether, in such a modern

church, it would not be better to use a lift instead of stairs at

the upper altar (Górzyński 1911a, 215).

The Włocławek project stands out from Sosnowski’s

earlier works. There was a certain individual character in

the work of this architect, but the concepts for rural church-

es were usually kept in a style close to the vernacular style,

while the “urban” ones – in processed, yet maintaining sty-

listic continuity, historicizing forms. It was only after the

Włocławek competition that a new trend in Sosnowski’s

work became apparent – grand urban churches in the spirit

of modernized historicism

Other works

When analysing the designs submitted to the Włocławek

competition, it is worth mentioning three more works whose

appearance is at least partially known and which were

shown in later issues of Przegląd Techniczny

. The rst

Even before World War I, in the competition for St. Anne’s

Church in Lviv (1912), he proposed a combination of the buttresses

known from Włocławek with Baroque forms. In the interwar period he

tested other possibilities – initially more conservative, Gothic-Classicist

(Cathedral in Katowice, 1925), and over time increasingly modern: Art

Deco with Gothic (St. Roch Church in Białystok, 1927), Modernism

with Gothic (St. Michael the Archangel Church in Lublin, 1929) or Mod-

ernism with Classicist-Baroque forms (Temple of Divine Providence in

Warsaw, 1932) (Brykowska 2004).

“Z XXX-go konkursu Koła Architektów w Warszawie na pro-

jekt kościoła we Włocławku” (1911a; 1911b; 1911c).

two have a rather vague inscription: “Z XXX-go konkur-

su Koła Architektów w Warszawie na projekt kościoła we

Włocławku” [From the 30

competition of the Architects’

Circle in Warsaw for the design of a church in Włocławek],

while the third one is marked with the name of the architect

and the work number (no. 5).

In the case of anonymous works – the rst one (Fig. 5)

was published in the 42

issue of Przegląd Techniczny

from October 19, 1911. It depicted a three-nave church

with a transept ending with straight walls. Behind the chan-

cel apse ran an ambulatory connecting the sacristy with the

heated chapel opposite it. At the front, north of the main

entrance decorated with a porch, a funeral chapel was lo-

cated. The relatively low and simple form was enhanced by

the aforementioned porch, a ridge turret at the intersection

of the naves, and a square-shaped front tower that became

octagonal at its top.

Based on post-competition comments, one can attempt

to identify this entry. The rst candidate is the work de-

scribed in the competition protocol as no. 6

, but it is more

logical to combine it with the honoured project no. 12 by

Skórewicz. It was characterized by a “good and clear”

plan, and its shape was described as “graceful”, although

of a “slightly secular” character (Konkurs XXX Koła Ar-

chitektów w Warszawie 1911, 282). The concept from the

published drawings shows formal references to the tradi-

tional architecture of Polish cities and towns, thus reect-

ing the nature of this architect’s workshop (Baraniewski

2000). At the same time, one can notice a certain resem-

blance to purely secular buildings, such as railway stations

and market halls. The porch adorning the main entrance

is reminiscent of a solution the architect employed in the

church in Zagłoba (1906).

In this case, the location of the funeral chapel provided by Rev.

Górzyński is correct. However, publishing a work about a “complete-

ly unattractive view” does not sound logical (Konkurs XXX Koła Ar-

chitektów w Warszawie 1911, 281).

Fig. 6. Włocławek. Honourable mention – church design by

Jan Wlekliński (source: Z XXX-go konkursu Koła Architektów

w Warszawie… 1911b, 567)

Il. 6. Włocławek. Widok kościoła według wyróżnionego projektu

autorstwa Jana Wleklińskiego (źródło: Z XXX-go konkursu

Koła Architektów w Warszawie… 1911b, 567)

Fig. 5. Włocławek. Honourable mention – church design by

Kazimierz Skórewicz (source: Z XXX-go konkursu Koła Architektów

w Warszawie… 1911a, 545)

Il. 5. Włocławek. Projekt kościoła autorstwa Kazimierza Skórewicza

nagrodzony przez jury konkursowe wyróżnieniem (źródło: Z XXX-go

konkursu Koła Architektów w Warszawie… 1911a, 545)

A new church for new times? Competition for a church in Włocławek in 1911

commissioned (Figs. 8, 9), which was ultimately complet-

ed in 1913. According to the design, the building was to be

located south of the church and, together with the outbuild-

ings, form an enclosed area surrounded by a wall. The house

was planned on a plan similar to the letter L, and was to have

two oors, extensive basements, two staircases, as well as

a porch and a terrace. The brick structure, resting on a stone

foundation, was covered with a sloping roof covered with

tiles. In terms of detail, the architect opted for a relative-

ly modest combination of Romanesque and Gothic styles,

which was intended to harmonize with the planned temple.

As for the church itself, in the two years following the

com petition, minor changes were made to Przybylski’s cho-

sen design. Firstly, the chancel was simplied, ending it with

a straight wall. Additionally, the sacristy was re shaped, add-

ing a small apse at the entrance. The heated cha pel also under-

went changes, with a polygonal apse with butt resses added.

However, all eorts were thwarted by World War I. As

the front line shifted, Russian companies, including the

bank holding the funds for the construction, were evacu

ated. The collected construction materials were conscated

by the German occupation authorities and used, among oth

er things, to build roads and trenches, while Rev. Kwiecińs-

ki, seeing no chance of starting work in Włocławek, accept-

ed a parish in one of the villages (Zajęcie miasta… 1915,

107; Kronika parai… 1922–2011, 1). However, the idea

of establishing a parish in the Bularka area was not aban

doned. When the situation in Poland stabilized, the inter-

rupted work was resumed, and on February 2, 1922, Bish-

op Zdzitowiecki issued the foundation act for the parish of

St. Stanislaus the Bishop and Martyr. The changes occurring

The second anonymous entry (Fig. 6) was presented

two weeks later in issue 44

of Przegląd Techniczny. The

featured building was a three-nave, towerless basilica with

a transept. The structure was designed in a style combin-

ing simplied Gothic and Romanesque motifs. The author

adorned it with buttresses, gables, and annexes. It is like-

ly that this is the second of the honourable mention works

(no. 10) designed by Wlekliński

. “Outstanding ingenuity

in the arrangement of masses”, aesthetically thought-out

entrances and an interesting plan led the jury to recommend

this work for purchase despite certain shortcomings of the

design (Konkurs XXX Koła Architektów w Warszawie

1911, 282).

The last of the published works (Fig. 7) was the design

marked in the competition as no. 5. Its author was an En-

glishman working in Warsaw – Arthur Gurney. His pro-

posed structure was characterized by simplicity. The ap-

plied details in the form of bifora, trifora, full arches and

an arcade frieze kept the temple in the Romanesque style.

The semicircularly nished chancel was separated from the

main nave by a transept. In the case of chapels required by

regulations, the heated one was added to the back wall of

the chancel, while the funeral one was most likely located

on its left side – opposite the sacristy. The dominant feature

of the building was to be a corner bell tower, also serving

as a clock tower. Compared to Gurney’s other projects, this

project is another example of the use of late historicism,

which aims to simplify forms and move away from over-

loading with detail

. However, the greatest similarities

can be seen in its relation to the design of the church in

Mąkoszyn (1911). The Romanesque detail used, the mas-

sive buttresses, the similar nial of the tower and the end of

the transept demonstrate a certain continuity of design and

a well-thought-out visual program. The jury appreciated

the academic correctness of the façade and the quite good

layout of the work. However, the poor location of the cha-

pels ruined this project in the eyes of the competition jury.

Further initiatives

The competition itself did not end the actions taken by

the diocese. Shortly after Bojańczyk’s donation, Bishop

Zdzitowiecki appointed Rev. Wincenty Kwieciński as par-

ish priest of the future parish, and after the winning concept

was selected, the construction committee began collecting

building materials

. A design for the future rectory was also

This engineer, largely unknown, defended his diploma in 1906 at

the Institute of Technology in St. Petersburg (Koło inżynierów… 1933).

In the interwar years he worked at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineer-

ing of the Warsaw University of Technology. He also participated in the

development of the Słownik techniczny w czterech językach [Technical

dictionary in four languages]. This may indicate that he prioritized teach-

ing over designing. It is also worth noting that he performed static cal-

culations for the design of the current St. Stanislaus Church (1926) by

Adolf Buraczewski.

Such forms were used by Gurney in Warsaw tenement houses,

including Drzewiecki’s house (1909) and Horns and Rupiewicz’s house

(1911). This shows the inuence of Bronisław Brochwicz-Rogójski, with

whom he started his professional career in Warsaw (Kilanowski 2019).

Four wagonloads of lime, 58.5 fathoms of eldstone for founda-

tions, and 660 pine logs and planks were purchased at that time.

Fig. 7. Włocławek. Competition design by Arthur Gurney

(source: Z XXX-go konkursu Koła Architektów w Warszawie…

1911c, 585)

Il. 7. Włocławek. Widok kościoła według projektu autorstwa

Arthura Gurneya (źródło: Z XXX-go konkursu Koła Architektów

w Warszawie… 1911c, 585)

Szymon Dembicki

in Polish architecture at the time led to the abandonment of

Przybylski’s project. The new design of the temple, inspired

by the forms of Polish Baroque of the House of Vasa era,

was developed by the then diocesan architect Adolf Bura

czewski. Construction began in 1926 and continued, with

interruptions, until 1958. Fortunately, the church was not

destroyed during the next world war and to this day it re

mains a distinctive feature of the city’s skyline.

Summary

Looking at the Włocławek competition, one can see that

it is a representative example of architecture at the turn of

the 19

and 20

centuries, both formally and stylistically.

The method of selecting a design by competition was ex-

tremely popular at the time

. Institutions and private in-

Competitions as a method of obtaining architectural designs

were used, among others, in the construction of St. Florian’s Cathedral

in Warsaw’s Praga district (1886), and the competitions mentioned in

this text for the churches in Zagłoba (1906), of the Immaculate Concep-

vestors who wanted the highest possible quality of planned

facilities, with the support of architectural associations, di-

rected the search for new architectural forms that would

meet the needs of the time. The competition also allowed

for the juxtaposition of projects by dierent generations of

architects on the basis of equal competition, thus acceler-

ating and democratizing the changes taking place in archi-

tecture by adopting the principle of “the best project wins”.

All these elements are noticeable in the organization and

course of the Włocławek competition. Of course, the win-

ning designs later underwent various adjustments naturally

related to the construction investment process, which can

be seen when analysing the design of the rectory that was

to accompany the church.

Since the competition for the design of St. Florian’s Ca-

the dral in Warsaw’s Praga district, which established the

position of neo-Gothic architecture (then known as the “os-

tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Warsaw (1909), in Orłów Murowany

(1910), in Mąkoszyn (1911) and St. Anne’s Church in Lviv (1912).

Fig. 8. Włocławek.

Unrealised parish land

development plan from 1913

with Starobrzeska Street

(today Wiejska Street)

on the right

(A – church, B – rectory)

(source: Projekt na postrojku

kamiennago… 1913)

Il. 8. Włocławek.

Niezrealizowany projekt

zagospodarowania terenu parafii

z 1913 r.:

A – kościół, B – plebania.

Po prawej, biegnąca na ukos,

ul. Starobrzeska (dziś Wiejska)

(źródło: Projekt na postrojku

kamiennago… 1913)

Fig. 9. Włocławek.

Northern and southern façade of

the unrealised rectory according

to the design from 1913

(source: Projekt na postrojku

kamiennago… 1913)

Il. 9. Włocławek. Północna

i południowa elewacja

niezrealizowanej plebanii

według projektu z 1913 r.

(źródło: Projekt na postrojku

kamiennago… 1913)

A new church for new times? Competition for a church in Włocławek in 1911

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Kaźmierczak, Wojciech. Budownictwo w diecezji włocławskiej za cza

sów bi skupa Stanisława Zdzitowieckiego (1902–1927). Włocławek,

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AKDWł 92110].

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nego w Petersburgu. St. Niemiry Syn i S-ka, 1933.

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skiej 5, (1911): 131–3.

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17–8.

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no. 21 (1911): 277–8, 280–3, tab. IX–XI.

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1922–2011. [Manusript in Paraa św. Stanisława B.M., Włocławek].

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in Archiwum Diecezjalne, Włocławek, Akta parai św. Stanisława,

Plany architektoniczne, sygn. AKDWł A.par. 228].

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no. 3 (1911): 49.

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no. 14 (1911): 188.

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narodowego. Wydawnictwo Uniwerystetu Łódzkiego, 2000.

tro łuk wiślano-bałtycki”) for years, it was the results of the

architects’ eorts that guided the changes in the style of Pol-

ish architecture of the time. These eorts were consistent

with the pan-European trend of creating a “national style”,

stronger in Polish lands, as it was seen as a countermeasure

to the denationalization eorts undertaken by the parti-

tioning authorities. The styles presented in the competition

primarily demonstrate a shift away from Gothic Revival,

already associated with Germanness at the time. Neo-Ro-

manesque architecture, which was supposed to refer to the

“Piast times”, was gaining popularity at that time, rejecting

academic precision and focusing more on the atmosphere

and simplicity of buildings. This trend continued also in the

interwar years, where, in modernized forms, it was used on

a large scale in religious buildings. In the Włocławek de-

signs, there is a clear dominance of neo-Romanesque – apart

from Przybylski’s winning design, Wlekliński and Gurney

also created their designs in this convention

. The vernacu-

lar architecture represented in the competition by the designs

of Mączeński and Skórewicz was relatively new in 1911, but

it quickly gained popularity thanks to its references to forms

known from the landscape of Polish villages and towns

During the period under review, Neo-Romanesque designs also

appeared in competitions for, among others, the Church of the Immac-

ulate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Warsaw (1909) (Oskar

Sosnowski, Sylwester Pajzderski, Czesław Przybylski, Zdzisław Ka-

linowski), the church in Orłów Murowany (1910) (Maksymilian Bys-

tydzieński), the church in Mąkoszyn (1911) (Zdzisław Kalinowski, Ta-

deusz Szanior, Arthur Gurney), and the chapel at the “Betania” Shelter in

Warsaw (1911) (Stefan Zwolanowski and Stefan Grochowicz).

Vernacular designs included, among others, a large group of

works submitted to competitions for churches in Orłów Murowany (Oskar

The peak of its popularity came shortly afterwards in the

reborn Poland, which was seeking to legitimize its sover-

eignty also in art and architecture. Sosnowski’s project is the

only one known from the Włocławek competition that has

remained an individual phenomenon. Despite the architect’s

further attempts in this direction, they did not develop into

a distinct trend in Polish architecture. At the same time, the

noticeable similarity to the realization in the spirit of Scan-

dinavian expressionism shows that such projects could be

successful.

To summarize the discussion of the Włocławek com-

petition, the church’s role in the entire undertaking cannot

be overlooked. The pioneering activities of the Kuyavian-

Kalisz Diocese, represented by Rev. Górzyński and Bishop

Zdzitowiecki, were an inspiration for other dioceses.

Thanks to initiatives such as the Włocławek competition,

a mo ve ment was developing within the Polish church,

striving to make conscious architectural decisions and

search ing for forms of sacred architecture that would re-

spond to the needs of the “new times”. Although hopes for

a new type of church were not fullled, and the need to in-

corporate chapels into the structure for sanitary reasons did

not lead to major changes in church architecture, the future

of sacred ar chi tec ture in Poland was still viewed with con-

dence (Gó rzyń ski 1911a, 212–214; 1911b, 55–60).

Sosnowski, Jarosław Wojciechowski, Zdzisław Mączeński, Józef Czaj -

kowski and Tadeusz Stryjeński) and in Mąkoszyn (Franciszek Krzyw da-

Polkowski, Łucjusz Michałowski, Zdzisław Mączeński, Alfons Bogu-

sławski and Franciszek Morawski). They also appeared in competitions

for buildings to be built in cities, as was the case, for example, for the

chapel at the “Betania” Shelter in Warsaw (Zdzisław Mączeński).

Szymon Dembicki

Szmitkowska, Agata. “Zdzisław Mączeński (1878–1961) – sylwetka archi

tekta.” Kwartalnik Architektury i Urbanistyki 55, no. 4 (2010): 117–29.

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Kaliskiej 5, (1911): 30–2.

“Z Koła architektów.” Kurier Warszawski, no. 118 (1911): 9.

“Z konkursu XXX-go na kościół we Włocławku.” Przegląd Techniczny,

no. 17 (1911): 228.

“Z XXX-go konkursu Koła Architektów w Warszawie na projekt kościoła

we Włocławku.” Przegląd Techniczny, no. 42 (1911a): 545.

“Z XXX-go konkursu Koła Architektów w Warszawie na projekt kościoła

we Włocławku.” Przegląd Techniczny, no. 44 (1911b): 567.

“Z XXX-go konkursu Koła Architektów w Warszawie na projekt kościoła

we Włocławku.” Przegląd Techniczny, no. 45 (1911c): 585.

“Zajęcie miasta Włocławka przez wojska niemieckie.” Kronika Diecezji

KujawskoKaliskiej 9, (1915): 97–107.

Zdzitowiecki, Stanisław. “Polecenie budowy kaplic ogrzewanych.” Kroni

ka Diecezji KujawskoKaliskiej 4, (1910): 374.

Streszczenie

Nowy kościół na nowe czasy? Konkurs na kościół we Włocławku z 1911 r.

jako odzwierciedlenie trendów polskiej architektury sakralnej początków XX w.

W artykule przedstawiono przebieg i tło sytuacyjne konkursu z 1911 r. na kościół we Włocławku.

Jednym z przejawów intensywnego ruchu w polskiej architekturze sakralnej na początku XX w. były liczne konkursy architektoniczne, w tym oma-

wiany konkurs na kościół we Włocławku. Przyciągnął on zarówno uznanych architektów, jak i tych dopiero zaczynających swoją drogę zawodową. Ba-

dania przeprowadzone nad tym konkursem oraz nadesłanymi pracami pozwoliły na wyszczególnienie trendów formalnych i stylistycznych panujących

wówczas w polskiej architekturze sakralnej. Opisanie tego mało znanego epizodu z historii włocławskiej architektury przybliża udział diecezji kujaw-

sko-kaliskiej w ówczesnej dyskusji architektonicznej. Sam konkurs zaś stanowił zapowiedź późniejszych przemian miasta w okresie międzywojennym,

stanowiących nadal niezbadany dokładnie obszar.

Słowa kluczowe: architektura sakralna, Włocławek, Bularka, konkurs architektoniczny

A new church for new times? Competition for a church in Włocławek in 1911 as a reflection of trends in Polish sacred architecture at the beginning of the 20th century

Szymon Dembicki

doi:10.37190/arc260302

Abstract