The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located in Warsaw’s Ochota district at 38 Grójecka Street, is an important site in terms of both history and architecture, as well as religion. The building is the seat of the parish of St James the Apostle, and its turbulent history and unique form make it one of the most distinctive buildings in the capital.
The idea of erecting the temple arose at the beginning of the 20th century to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The initiative gained the support of numerous donors, including Jan Grądzki, who donated a substantial sum for the investment. The competition for the project was won by Oskar Sosnowski, whose neo-Romanesque vision referred to medieval architecture with Gothic elements. Construction began in 1911, and the cornerstone was consecrated by Bishop Kazimierz Ruszkiewicz.
Construction of the temple, 1920s Source: National Archives in Warsaw
The temple was planned as a three-nave basilica made of brick, with a semicircularly closed presbytery and side chapels. The dominant element was to be a four-storey tower with a square base, whose full finial in the form of a pyramidal cupola was never realised. Construction work was halted in 1914 due to the outbreak of the First World War. Although a parish was erected in 1918 and the church was given a patron saint in the person of St James the Apostle, construction did not resume until 1927. However, the pace of work was slow due to limited financial resources.
Construction of the temple in 1926 and the building today. Source: National Archives in Warsaw and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The church suffered its greatest losses during World War II. During the bombing in September 1939, the first parish priest, Fr Jakub Dąbrowski, was killed and the chapel of the Immaculate Conception was damaged. Then came the destruction in 1944 and the Warsaw Uprising, when the roof, organ, altar and wooden belfry, where the bells intended for the Temple of Divine Providence were placed, were burnt down. The tower was also damaged by shelling.
The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the early 1920s and today. Source: Museum of Warsaw and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
After the end of the war, work began to secure the damaged building. The final reconstruction, led by Father Stanislaw Mystkowski and architect Jan Zachwatowicz, was completed in 1960. The church was then re-furnished and its interior decorated with works of sacred art. A mosaic of Our Lady of Czestochowa was placed on the façade and the roof was covered with copper sheet metal. Noteworthy decorations include a marble altar and a pulpit with bas-reliefs. The frescoes in the presbytery and on the walls of the nave were created by Helena and Lech Grześkiewicz, while the windows are decorated with stained glass windows by Ryszard Więckowski, referring to historical events, including World War II.
The modernist style of the church combines Neo-Romanesque elements with Gothic details, creating a coherent and very monumental body. Characteristic of the church are the side chapels, which imitate the transept. The Chapel of the Immaculate Conception contains a marble statue of the Virgin Mary by Zofia Trzcińska-Kamińska, while the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament houses a 17th-century crucifix. The interiors are enriched by numerous commemorative plaques, including one commemorating Stefan Rowecki ‘Grot’. In 2012-2013, a new funeral home was erected next to the church, the appearance of which has caused controversy as it partially obscures the historic body of the church.
The church in 1935 and 2024. Source: Digital National Library Polon and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The damaged temple just after the war and today. Source: Museum of Warsaw and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an original example of sacred architecture and a witness to Warsaw’s turbulent history – a symbol reflecting both the spirit of times gone by and the power of rebirth.
Source: parafiajakuba.pl, warszawa.fandom.com
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