Abstract
As a result of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, huge timber-framed churches were built outside the city walls of Głogów, Jawor
and Swidnica, capable of accommodating several thousand people. Because of exceptional historical conditions, the large size of the
buildings, and their form and structure, they were researched since the 18th century. Yet there has never been an attempt at detailed
examination of their building history, or the reconstruction of their original architectural form and the structure of the wooden framework.
As part of the two scientific projects dedicated to the Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica, attempts have been made to fill
these gaps in the past research.
There was obviously no need to rewrite the history of the Churches of Peace. The latest study, however, made it possible to correct
some of the former opinions. For the first time it had been possible to make a detailed drawn reconstruction of their original form
and of the timber framework since they were first built in the mid-1650s. The original spatial layout of both churches was well known
and was described in numerous publications. However, the precise information about the location and the shape of the entrances, the
stairs, the windows, the sacristy, and the baptismal chapels is a new addition. Moreover, some new data has been gathered regarding
the bearing timber frames, the structural elements of the walls, the wood processing and the colours of the timber architecture of both
Churches of Peace.
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