The most precious monument in Jawor is the Church of Peace, which, along with the Church of Peace in Świdnica, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. The establishment of the church was made possible by the provisions of the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years’ War. This treaty granted limited rights to the Protestant population in areas under Catholic rule. The conditions for construction included the use of non-durable materials (wood, clay, straw), without any stone or metal elements, the location outside the city walls, at a distance from cannon fire, the absence of decorative exterior elements, the absence of a tower, and the obligation to complete the church within one year. The church, measuring 44 metres in length and 20 metres in width, was built in 1654-55 using a half-timbered construction technique. Inside, there were two levels of galleries, and two more were added at the beginning of the 18th century. After the expansion, the church could accommodate about 6,000 worshipers.
The interior is richly decorated, unusually so for Protestant churches. Particularly noteworthy are the paintings on the fronts of the galleries. On the second and fourth levels, there are biblical motifs from the Old (71 images) and New Testaments (72 representations). Heraldic shields, guild emblems, and landscape motifs are placed on the first and third levels. The main altar dates back to 1672, and the pulpit from 1670 is supported by a figure of an angel holding the gospel. Structural elements are covered with polychromes featuring plant motifs.
Description: Piotr Migoń
