Janik of Gryfitów, the parish priest of Gniezno, in the middle of the 12th century decided to bring the Cistercian monks to Brzeźnica (probably the place of residence of his family-now Jędrzejów). He got the permission from Radost, the Bishop of Kraków.
At the end of the 40s of the 12th century (after 1147) the monks came to Brzeźnica from Morimond. Apart from Brzeźnica and the church the newly come monks got villages and tithes that belonged to the church of Brzeżnica. These grants were confirmed by Janik in 1153 with a foundation document.
At the formal reunion due to the reconsecration of church, the order was given new properties and tithes. At the end of the 12th century the order had over 20 villages and tithes from 45 villages, immunity, market in Jędrzejów and rich salt mines.
A new cloistral complex was started. Its first elements, a platform and consecration, were built in 1210 by the Bishop of Kraków, Wincenty. Somewhere in the middle of the 13th century a wing of a chapterhouse was built. The remaining wings of this complex were built in the 2nd half of the 15th century.
One of the most important moments in abbeys economy was the incorporation of Jędrzejów. In 1271 Prince Bolesław Wstydliwy gave the settlement grant. The nearby monastic manor of Chołoszyn and the new town of Jędrzejów were included in this foundation town.
Until the end of this century the cloister had the protection of both regional princes, and after the unification, the Polish kings. It reflected itself in numerous grants and privileges.
In the 13th century the abbey was economically strong enough and the staff was sufficient thus it could take up branching activities to Ludźmierz-Szczyrzyce (1235-1245) and Woszczyce-Rudy (1238-1254/55). Both abbots of Jędrzejów were also inspectors and arbitrators on behalf of the General Cistercian Capitulary.
That is why, the order starter the modern times in a good economic standing.
The end of the 16th century brought very dangerous for its economy and organization the phenomenon of command. Despite the imposed command, the economic situation of the abbey did not change much. Just before the suppression, the cloister of Jędrzejów belonged to the richest of this observance on the Polish lands.
The 17th and 18th centuries were the strove for the canonization of the master Wincenty called Kadłubek. His relics were put on the altar on 19th August 1633. On 18th February 1764 Pope Klemens XIII officially confirmed his public cult.
In modern times the cloistral objects were baroquised. In 1734 the church and the priory burnt down, and their reconstruction was finished in 1754. In 1800 the next fire destroyed a greater part of the church and the cloistral buildings. By the end of 1914 the destroyed wing of the chapterhouse was finally pulled down.
In 1819, April 14th the abbey in Jędrzejów was suppressed. As a result of this suppression the properties of the abbey were seized (including library with 605 volumes, mostly works of theology and liturgy), next, it was handed over to the monks in a one year lease.
On 24th February 1829 the last abbot Wawrzyniec Drzewiecki died and in 1855 the last Cistercian monk Wilhelm Ulawski also died. Until 1870 the ministerial duties in the church were taken over by the fathers from the Order of Reformers.
In 1872-1886 the Teachers' Training College was crated by the order of czarist authorities.
In 1913 the Bishop of Kielce Augustyn Łosiński created an independent parish under the invocation of St. Wincenty called Kadłubek. The Cistercians again took over the cloister in Jędrzejów on 23rd September 1945. In 1989 the cloister in Jędrzejów regained the title of the abbey.

↑ Top

The abbey today

The Cistercians came back to Jędrzejów in 1945. In 1989 the abbey of Jędrzejów revived. Since 1992 on the premises of cloistral and church buildings archeological works have been taking place and the following items have been unveiled: relics of eastern, roman wing of the cloister and a basement of the medieval refectory under the southern wing.

THE CLOISTER

Until these days there have survived three, five-storey wings of the cloister from the medieval times, from the 13th and 14th centuries. The fourth one was pulled down at the beginning of the 20th century. Only some traces of refectory can be seen. Some of them are in the cloistral lapidarium and in the National Museum of Przypkowcy.
The walls of galleries are covered with a wonderful baroque polychromy made by Andrzej Radwański in 1734-39 which includes scenes from the lives of saints and popes of the Cistercians, Mother of Jesus adoration and scenes showing Cistercians' activity all round the world and finally the history of the Order.

POST-CISTERCIAN CHURCH

The post-Cistercian church of Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Wojciech and Blessed Wincenty Kadłubek comes from the 13th century. In 1960 the church was classified as a sanctuary belonging to Kielce Diocese- a Sanctuary in honour of Blessed Wincenty Kadłubel (Krakow's bishop, historiographer, master, chronicler of the Polish).
Its roman architecture was rebuilt in the 15th century, but the most important changes took place after the fire in 1725 and the temple became baroque in its style. The inside is composed of architectonical elements from various periods. The oldest are from the end of the 12th century (e.g. cantilevers covered with a decorative floristic bas-relief). In the southern chapel there are preserved, however illegible, fragments of polychromy from the 13th or 14th century.
Inside there is:
* a high altar from 1731 with relics of Blessed Wincenty Kadłubek's. Sculptures that decorate the altar show the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary
* tabernacle - an outstanding goldsmithery work by Kasper Ksawery Stipeldey in Augsburg about 1766
* the Chapel of Blessed Wincenty Kadłubek - the walls are decorated with a polychromy showing scenes from his life
* late-baroque pulpit with a bas-relief of John the Baptist
* baroque stalls from 1731
* organs which constitute the most important monument of organ art joining the elements of late-baroque period and rococo built in 1745-1754 by the master of organs Józef Sitarski
* gothic figurative gravestone of Kraków's castellan Pakosław of Mstyczów (died in 1319)
On the walls there are numerous baroque epitaphs of the abbots of Jędrzejów, among others Bartłomiej Powsiński's (died in 1622), Adam Makowski's (died in 1623) and Józef Bernard Zebrzydowski's (died in 1710)
Contact:
Opactwo Ojców Cystersów
ul. Klasztorna 20
28-300 Jędrzejów
Tel. 0048 041 386 23 08

↑ Top

↑ Top