Description of the attraction
The Basilica of St. Elizabeth of Hungary is a Gothic church with a tower 91, 46 meters high, located in the northwestern corner of the Wroclaw Town Hall Square.
The history of the church dates back to the 13th century, when the Romanesque church of St. Lawrence was built on this site. Later, a new church was built here, which was consecrated on November 19, 1257 by Bishop Thomas. The church was named in honor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. The main tower, built in 1456 under Prince Boleslav III, was originally 130 meters high. However, in 1529, during a strong storm, the tower broke down, so in 1535 a new 90-meter tower with six bells was built. Between 1525 and 1946, the Basilica of St. Elizabeth of Hungary was the main Lutheran church in Wroclaw.
Once again, the church was seriously damaged during the siege of the city by Napoleon's troops in 1806-1807, when the tower was damaged. In the years 1856-1857, the reconstruction of the church was carried out, which was funded both by the city and by wealthy citizens.
The church survived the Second World War without serious damage. After the war, it served initially as a Polish Protestant church, and after 1946 it was used as a garrison church for the Roman Catholic Church. After the war, fires began to haunt the church. The first of them took place on June 4, 1960, when the tower burned down from a lightning strike, the roof was damaged. The roof was repaired, but on September 20, 1975, the tower caught fire again, and with it the surrounding wooden scaffolding. The last, most serious fire occurred on June 9, 1976, when the basilica was badly destroyed, wooden furniture burned down, the nave vault partially collapsed, and the organ was damaged. Reconstruction began only in 1981 using modern building materials such as reinforced concrete.
The reconstructed tower is 91.46 meters high. The interior has been restored in the Gothic style. The church and observation deck of the tower was opened to believers and visitors in May 1997. On May 31 of the same year, Pope John Paul II consecrated the church, and six years later gave it the status of a basilica.
