Description of the attraction
On agiewniki Street, across the crossroads from the Church of St. Bartholomew, there is another ancient temple consecrated in the name of St. Jacob.
This church was built on the site of an ancient chapel erected by the sailors of Danzig, as Gdansk was called at that time, in honor of its patron Saint George. In 1432-1437 the chapel was transformed into a church dedicated to St. Jacob.
The fate of the church was not smooth and cloudless. For some time Protestant services were held there. In 1636 it was damaged by fire. The upper part of the bell tower, which was added during the renovation of the church, dates back to the same time. When Napoleon's troops occupied Gdansk, this temple was turned into a prison for prisoners of war. In 1815, the church was badly damaged by an explosion at the neighboring gate of St. Jacob. After its restoration, it was turned into a city library and a navigation school, then this building was chosen by officials from the Chamber of Crafts. Only after 1945 the temple was returned to the believers. He was taken under the protection of the Capuchin monks.
After the Second World War, the temple was in need of reconstruction. It was restored in the Gothic style. This is the only church in Gdańsk that has preserved Renaissance ceiling beams. Stained-glass windows and polychrome decoration of the stone portal are considered interesting design elements. The helmet-shaped dome on the tower is original. It was moved here from the gate of St. Jacob.
The Church of St. Jacob belongs to the parish of St. Brigida, which is subordinate to the Archbishop of Gdańsk.
