Kościoły Pokoju w Jaworze i Świdnicy w drugiej połowie lat 50. XVII wieku. Rekonstrukcja dziejów budowy i formy architektonicznej

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 frame- work. 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 cor- rect 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.