Bolesławiec currently has five parish churches, but the church on Dąbrowszczaków Street is widely regarded as the most important sanctuary in the city.
The origins of this oldest church in the city must be sought in the 13th century. The church was consecrated in 1261, and its first parish priest was a clergyman named Włast (Wastens). During the Hussite Wars, the church was burned down. It was rebuilt and given its present form in 1482–1492.
It is a hall church built of rubble stone, the most commonly used building material in the area. An original architectural feature is the west gable wall, preserved to this day, with a slanted brick lattice and pinnacles connected by arcades to the edge of the gable.
The townspeople cared for their church and continually embellished it. The entrance portals built at the beginning of the 16th century are a result of these efforts. The most modest is the pointed-arch northern portal, enclosed by a small porch whose interior wall bears the date 1516.
The southern and western portals are very grand, preceded by stairways. Their compositional principles are similar and characteristic of the Late Gothic style.
During the Reformation, the church was taken over by Protestants (1524–1640). During the Thirty Years’ War, in the tragic fire of 1642, when almost the entire city burned down, the flames damaged the roof and most of the church vaults. Catholics took over the church in 1648, but it was not until 1655 that they obtained the necessary funds to begin rebuilding it. The work was completed only in 1692. Efforts were made to equip the rebuilt church appropriately. To this day, we admire the high altar, pulpit, baptismal font and numerous canvases.
The high altar, occupying the entire width of the chancel, is the work of Jerzy Leonard Weber and was made in 1723–1725. Jerzy Leonard Weber was one of the most talented Baroque sculptors in Silesia. The Bolesławiec altar confirms the artist’s mastery. Its centerpiece is a carved scene of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, placed beneath a decoratively rendered representation of the Holy Trinity. The entire composition, enclosed within a radiant mandorla, stands out vividly against the calm statues of saints set on the pedestals of the organ case. The altar’s effect is further enhanced by painted architectural sections imitating marble.
The pulpit, dating from the mid-18th century, is an interesting composition consisting of the preacher’s platform, the stairs leading to it and a beautiful, tall, multi-tiered canopy. The canopy is particularly charming because of the lightness of its leafy elements and sculptures. The parapet of the pulpit features busts of the Evangelists, while the back panel depicts the Holy Trinity.
The baptismal font, dating from 1727, is equally beautiful. The font, shaped like a deep basin, is supported by a kneeling angel and stands on a raised platform enclosed by an openwork balustrade with panel-like elements. Its backdrop is a large painting depicting the Baptism in the Jordan, hung on the wall and framed by a broadly composed carved decoration.
The church’s interior furnishings and the building’s structure have changed little since the 18th century, despite renovations in 1853 and 1926–1928. Carefully maintained by the current parishioners—with the floor replaced, the tower renovated and new stairs installed—it bears witness both to the church’s past splendor and to the culture of its present users.