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Old Gdansk Time


Old Gdansk Time
Photo Information
Copyright: Lucio Red (Redrubin) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 740 W: 41 N: 1555] (10162)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-07-04
Categories: Architecture
Exposure: f/4.9, 1/160 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Friday theme 2008/07/18 "Time" [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-07-17 1:08
Viewed: 248
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
In Gdansk an old sundial. Friday theme.

St. Mary's Church (Polish: Bazylika Mariacka, German: Marienkirche) or, properly, Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gdańsk is the largest brick church in the world[1], and one of the largest Brick Gothic buildings in Europe. It is 105.5 m long, and the nave is 66 m wide. Inside the church is room for 25,000 people. It is an aisled hall church with a transept.

Initially the site of the church was occupied by a six-span basilica with a low turret, erected between 1343 and 1360. Parts of the pillars and lower levels of the turret are preserved from this building.

In 1379 a masonry master Heinrich Ungeradin with his team started construction work on the present church. By 1447 the eastern part of the church was finished, and the tower was raised by two floors in the years 1452-1466.

Since 1485 the works were carried over by Hans Brandt, who supervised the erection of the main nave core. The works were finally finished after 1496 under Heinrich Haetzl, who supervised the construction of the vaulting
Until 20th century both the church interior and exterior were well preserved. The church was severely damaged in World War II, during the storming of Danzig city by the Red Army in March 1945. The wooden roof burned completely and most of the ceiling fell in. 14 of the large vaults collapsed. The windows were utterly destroyed. In places the heat was so intense that some of the bricks simply melted, especially in the upper parts of the tower which acted as a giant chimney. The floor of the church containing priceless gravestone slabs was torn apart, allegedly by Soviet soldiers attempting to loot the corpses buried underneath.

Fortunately, most of the artworks from the interior survived, as they were evacuated for safekeeping to the villages surrounding the city. Many of these have returned to the church, but some are displayed in various museums around Poland. Efforts are underway to secure their return.

The reconstruction started shortly after the war in 1946. The roof was rebuilt in August, 1947. After the basic reconstruction was finished, the church was reconsecrated on 17 November 1955. The reconstruction and renovation of the interior is an ongoing effort and continues to this day.
St. Mary's Church is a triple-aisled hall church with a triple-aisled transept. Both the transept and the main nave are of similar width and height, which is a good example of late gothical style. Certain irregularities in the form of the northern arm of the transept are remnants of the previous church situated on the very same spot.

The vaulting is a true piece of art, and was in great part restored after the war. Main aisle, transept and presbytery are covered by net vaults, while the side aisles are covered by crystal vaults.

The exterior is dominated by plain brick plains and high and narrow gothical arch windows. Such construction was possible due to placing corbels and buttresses inside of the church and erecting chapels right in between them. Gables are divided by a set of brick pinnacles. All corners are accentuated by turrets crowned by with metal headpieces (reconstructed after 1970).

Bazylika Mariacka Wniebowzięcia NMP w Gdańsku
Początkowo w tym miejscu stał 6-przęsłowy kościół o układzie bazylikowym z niską wieżą zbudowany w latach 1343- ok. 1360. Pozostałościami po tym pierwotnym kościele są filary korpusu nawowego i 2 najniższe kondygnacje wieży.

W 1379 roku mistrz murarski Henryk Ungeradin rozpoczął wznoszenie obecnego kościoła pod niemiecką nazwą Marienkirche. Do roku 1447 ukończono część wschodnią, w latach 1452-66 podwyższono wieżę o 2 kondygnacje. Od 1485 roku przy budowie pracował architekt Hans Brandt - jego udziałem wzniesiono korpus nawowy. Budowę ostatecznie ukończono po roku 1496 pod kierunkiem Henryka Haetzla, który w latach 1499-1502 dokonał przesklepienia całego wnętrza.

Tragiczna dla świątyni była II wojna światowa: w 1945 roku spłonęły dachy, większość sklepień runęła, a duża część wyposażenia uległa zniszczeniu. Rekonstrukcję kościoła ukończono w roku 1956, a wysokie hełmy narożnych wieżyczek odtworzono dopiero po roku 1970.

W XVII wieku, obok kościoła Mariackiego, zaczęto budować Kaplicę Królewską.

Kościół jest trójnawową halą o rozbudowanym i bogatym programie przestrzennym: trójnawowy transept i również trójnawowe prezbiterium tworzą we wschodniej części wrażenie przestrzeni centralnej, w której wszystkie kierunki są prawie równoważne, co było ideałem późnogotyckiej architektury miejskiej. Pewne nieregularności planu w miejscu połączenia północnego ramienia transeptu z prezbiterium wynikają z konieczności dostosowania się do istniejącej zabudowy miejskiej.

Popisem mistrzostwa architekta są sklepienia, częściowo rekonstruowane po ostatniej wojnie. W nawie głównej, transepcie i prezbiterium są to sklepienia sieciowe o bogatym układzie żeber, w nawach bocznych - sklepienia kryształowe.

Wygląd zewnętrzny kościoła zdominowany przez gładkie płaszczyzny ścian, w których znajdują się wysokie ostrołukowe okna. Takie ukształtowanie ścian zewnętrznych stało się możliwe dzięki wprowadzeniu skarp do wnętrza kościoła i utworzeniu między nimi kaplic. Od góry elewacje zamykają szczyty, które są dzielone pinaklami. Z naroży wyrastają ośmioboczne wieżyczki nakryte spiczastymi hełmami (zrekonstruowanymi po roku 1970).
Royaldevon, Matylda76, tanburi, MagdalenaN has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Silvio2006: eh giąRedrubin 1 07-18 23:51
To Koala: HiRedrubin 1 07-18 23:49
To mbrito: hiRedrubin 1 07-18 07:19
To y2kosan: thanksRedrubin 1 07-18 07:04
To lisapw1: HiRedrubin 1 07-18 07:00
To Helkoryo: thanksRedrubin 1 07-18 06:57
To tanburi: hiRedrubin 1 07-18 06:54
To Matylda76: thanksRedrubin 1 07-18 03:16
To Royaldevon: ahahhaRedrubin 1 07-18 03:16
To ayse51: hiRedrubin 1 07-18 03:15
To lrw1966: thanksRedrubin 1 07-18 03:14
To jazmin: THANKSRedrubin 1 07-18 02:03
To cobra112: siRedrubin 1 07-18 00:53
To MagdalenaN: hi MagdaRedrubin 1 07-17 09:26
To MickoAna: ahahhaRedrubin 1 07-17 08:39
To Janice: no it's workingRedrubin 1 07-17 03:12
To eosnut: ahahhahRedrubin 1 07-17 01:43
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Critiques [Translate]

hello Lucio
interesting post. how does this clock works? or it is just a pattern?

we in India have Jantar Mantar, the old monument which used to tell us time in ancient times. it was based on the movements of sun. many resercher still work on that pattern here. although i have visited jantar mantar in delhi so many times but i never ever figure it out the way old people used to see time in that.

thanks for sharing
regards
Manuj Mehta

Hi Lucio,
The time is 11.40am on that clock, am I right?
Thank you for showing us such a historic timepiece, well done.
Peter.

  •      
  • pozaru Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3301 W: 676 N: 2053] (16615)
  • [2008-07-17 2:24]

Wonderful addition to the theme !


thanks,
v

Bom dia lucio

Time and you are very close and special time . Thanks for this wonderful watch time.

have a good day
My regards

Teresat

A sundial - this is definitely good for the theme Lucio. It's a shame it wasn't sunny so we could see it in action
Still well captured
Janice

Hi, Lucio!

Excellent shot, beautiful colours and lights. I like it!

jazmin

Lucio Hi;
Wonderful creative theme presentation. I like it.
Congratulations, very well done.
Larry
USA-tfs

Hi Lucio,
beautiful compositionand colours.Especially I liked framing.TFS.Necla.

Hi, Lucio, great composition... Very authentic object, and it's a shame that there wasn't sunny day, I guess...

Hello Lucio
interesting clock, and this building is amazing too, really big church, I like colours and excellent sharpness, good tribute for friday theme
ciao
Magda

Hello Lucio,

These were very early clocks, and very accurate.
Sadly, they don't work very well in England; no sun!
Very nicely composed with many contrasting shapes and textures!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

ciao Lucio;
yes, defenetly this is the most know object of time in Gdańsk;
this sunil is also well know;
very good capture of this "time" element
nice colours, well done
pozdrawiam Karolcia

Bellissimi colori per questa merdiana. Grande dettaglio sul disegno della finestra e ottima texture del muro. C'era poca luce?

Roberto

Hello Lucio,
Nic eold fashion clock...
Well suited to theme...
TFS
Selahattin E

Hello Luchio

An interesting capture here, i like the contrasting textures with the glass window and the brickwork too.

TFS and for joining in the theme

kind regards Helen

Hi Lucio,

Interesting and beautiful timepiece. The colors are so brilliant. I'm trying to figure out how to tell time with it. Very interesting with the different textures of the clock face and the bricks, windows, etc...

Nice addition to the theme, Lisa

colors are great. a unique wall clock.
well compose, a good contribution for this week.
congrats. y2koSan

Hello Lucio,
Fantastic «sun clock» very well presented, very sharp and amazing colours, light and detail. I never had seen a vertical «sun clock», TFS, mb

  • Great 
  • Koala Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 384 W: 19 N: 74] (2660)
  • [2008-07-18 10:29]
  • [+]

Ciao Lucio!
Interesting structure, i like the colors a lot and i just love those stars :P stars are my fav shapes
How are you? we haven't spoked for a while ...

Ale

Ciao Lucio, certo questo non bisogna dargli la corda, bella inquadratura, bravo, ciao Silvio

ciao Lucio!
bellissimo scatto !
good POV!

i didnt knew we have sunclocks in Poland:)
TFS

Kisses from Italy!
ANiA

Beautiful clock
great photo and perfect light
Have good day

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