The Basilica of Saint John the Apostle in Oleśnica is one of those rather lovely historic buildings which shows just how varied a life it has. There’s no rendering over the whole lot, like they keep doing to some churches in Norfolk, which hides everything, the various building styles are all evident here.
The core of it goes back to the second half of the thirteenth century, with documentary references to the church at Oleśnica appearing as early as 1230, and over time it was enlarged, altered and rebuilt by successive ducal dynasties.
They had a great idea to modernise the church in the early part of the twentieth century and work started enthusiastically in 1903. Then in 1905, the church fell down which I suspect they found sub-optimal. There was a debate about who was responsible, but they blamed the medieval builders for their dodgy pillars. A decision was made to rebuild as best they could rather than entirely start again.
Fortunately, the church survived the Second World War undamaged and it’s now looking pretty much as it did 100 years ago. What has though changed is that this was a Catholic church until 1538, then it became Protestant and that lasted until 1945, when once again the Catholic church took over the building.
Here’s evidence of the church’s Silesian past, this grave stone from 1780 on the wall of the church is in German.
Now weathered, it seems that this stone was in this vague sort of location before the church fell down. Incidentally, on that note, there are some impressive photos of the damaged caused at https://www.olesnica.nienaltowski.net/zagadka_plyty_nagrobne.htm.
Unfortunately, the inside of the church wasn’t open, hence the lack of interior photos…