Fot. Piotr Namiota |
VOIVODESHIP: zachodniopomorskie DISTRICT: Choszczno COMMUNE: Bierzwnik DIOCESE: szczecińsko-kamieńska DECANATE: Drawno FOUNDATION: 1286-1294 r. ABOLISHMENT DATE: ok. 1539 r. |
Today of the abbey
CLOISTER
Currently, the cloistral buildings are occupied by a Roman -Catholic parish and are made available for visiting. From the original cloistral buildings only lower storey of the eastern and southern wing survived. Parts of basements are left from the western wing as well as fragments of the western gallery.
Eastern wing's interior includes: vestry, former library and chapterhouse where its original ceramic floor has been preserved as well as relics of polychromy and one console with a double-line motif and corner cantilever. In the southern end of this wing there still is a Brothers' Hall and a locutory. A so called warm room situated in the southern wing is now functioning as parish's office.
Present rectory's residential rooms (two rooms and a kitchen) were probably created from refectory, whereas, a room which is used as a catechetic room is the only preserved fragment of the lower storey of the western wing.
In the post-Cistercian interior there are many architectural details preserved among which the most valuable is a set of vault cantilevers decorated by floral motifs, faces of people or devils or ox's head with a crown.
POST-CISTERCIAN CHURCH
The present state of the church is a result of the renovation and rebuilding which took place in the 19th century. There are no side chapels. Two bays of nave's body and an apse function as a temple. Apse's interior is today's presbytery. Under the presbytery there is a burial crypt that is probably connected with a donation by Hasso Von Wedel from 1305. At present, reconstruction works are taking place. Next to the church and inside it, it is possible to see an exhibition of objects that were extracted from the ground as well as to take pictures of them and see how the archeologists' place of work looks like. As far as farm buildings are concerned, only the ruins of the big gothic building have survived. It is assumed that these are the ruins of brewery.
Contact:
Klasztor Pocysterski w Bierzwniku
ul. Cystersów 1
73-240 Bierzwnik
Today of the abbey
Post-Cistercian objects in Zemsko and Bledzew have not survived until these days. In 1842 the church and the cloister were sold and then pulled down. At present, in the place were the cloister stood, there are residential buildings, farm buildings, gardens, fields and meadows.
Numerous souvenirs after the Cistercians from Bledzew can be found in St. Catherine parish church and a church and museum of Mother of Jesus Sanctuary in Rokitno. Original farm buildings have not survived. Objects that belonged to the Cistercians and have survived are: summer residence of the abbots in Stary Dworek, a church in Rokitno with rich equipment of the house and a painting of Matka Boskia Cierpliwie Słuchająca.