Point of interest
Baptismal font
Painted timber and donors’ coats of arms on the oldest surviving furnishing.
Content language
The baptismal font of 1661 belongs to the church’s earliest furnishings. It was made only a few years after the first service in the new building. It is older than the present pulpit and altar, which were not created until the following century.
Its maker was Pankratius Werner of Jelenia Góra. The font is wooden and polychromed, meaning it is covered with painted decoration in several colours. Sculpture and colour work together, as they do in other furnishings within the church.
The font bears the coats of arms of donor families, including the von Nostitz, von Berger, von Czettritz and von Sommerfeld families. These heraldic emblems preserve the memory of people who supported the parish. The object’s religious purpose is combined with tangible evidence of past donations.
The font is used for baptism. Its function is reflected in the name of the Baptism Hall, established in the former sacristy. Its history leads back to the church’s earliest furnishings, before the interior acquired its eighteenth-century splendour.
For children
A baptismal font is used during baptism. This one dates from 1661, shortly after the church was built. Pankratius Werner of Jelenia Góra carved it from wood, which was then decorated with colours.
The font carries the coats of arms of families who supported its creation. A coat of arms identified a family, rather as a signature identifies the writer of a letter. The font belongs to the Baptism Hall, formerly part of the sacristy. It is older than the great altar and pulpit, helping us imagine the church’s earlier furnishings.
Question 1 of 2
What material is the font made of?
- Location
- Baptism Hall; access depends on the current conservation work.