Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of Saints Martin and Nicholas in Bydgoszcz is a Catholic church built in the 15th century in the Gothic style in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz. The cathedral is the most valuable architectural monument of the city.
The first parish church was founded at the initiative of the mayor of the city in 1346. In 1425, the church burned down during a severe fire. Reconstruction began immediately after the incident. The squares were expanded, two aisles were built, the altar became wider by almost two meters. There was not enough funding, funds from the townspeople and local nobility did not give an opportunity to complete the reconstruction. The situation changed after the coming to power of the new mayor of the city, who was one of the richest people in the country at that time.
In 1466, all work in the church was completed, as evidenced by the entry of the bishop in archival documents. The interior of the church was decorated with two new altars: the Blessed Virgin Mary in the northern nave and St. Stanislaus.
In the early 16th century, global construction work began again in the church. The roof was raised higher, chapels appeared. The next renovation took place at the end of the 17th century after a fire in 1684.
At the time of the incorporation of the city into Prussia, the parish church was not in the best condition. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the church was brought to ruin. During the period of the Duchy of Warsaw (1807-1815), the French and Russians used the church for military purposes.
In 1819-1829, the overhaul of the church was financed by Prussia. During the reconstruction, three chapels were demolished. Only three altars were preserved: the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Barbara and St. Sebastian. The renovation was completed in 1831 and the cathedral was re-consecrated.
In the years 1922-1926, the interior of the church was renovated at the initiative of the then parish priest Tadeusz Skarbek Malczewski. The amount of work done was very great. The walls and ceiling were covered with murals by Stefan Kubichowski, stained-glass windows were inserted into the windows by the master Henrik Jakovski-Nostrica.
During the struggle for the liberation of Bydgoszcz in January 1945, the church suffered serious damage. Artillery fire destroyed the roof and damaged windows and stained-glass windows. The roof began to leak, precipitation caused damage to the interior decoration. Repairs were carried out in 1952-1954.
In 2002, the 500th anniversary of the parish church was celebrated, Pope John Paul II sent a special congratulatory letter to Bydgoszcz on this occasion.
