St Gertrude's Church in Darłowo

St Gertrude's Church in Darłowo is a brick building on a plan close to a rotunda, standing inside an active cemetery in the former Słupsk Suburb, north of the Stone Gate. It was originally a cemetery chapel. It is distinguished by a hexagonal central part surrounded by a lower, twelve-sided ambulatory and a tented roof covered with oak shingles.

Where it came from and who built it

The chapel's documents were lost in the fire of Darłowo in 1722, so it is not known exactly when it was built or who founded it. Researchers date it differently: Franz Kugler to 1450-1460, Ludwik Böttger to the second half of the 14th century, Jerzy Łoziński to the first half of the 15th century. Andrzej Grzybkowski, on the basis of stylistic features, points to the second quarter or the middle of the 14th century and supposes that the founder was the town council. Construction was formerly attributed to Duke Eric of Pomerania, linking it with his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but historians do not agree on this.

There are also disputes about the models. Karl Rosenow and Iwona Strzelecka saw Nordic influences in the architecture, while Grzybkowski holds that neither Scandinavia nor the buildings of the southern Baltic coast could have been the model. In his view the inspiration may have been the early Gothic architecture of the English military orders.

The oldest surviving mention dates from 1497. According to tradition, in that year a wave called the “Sea Bear” struck Darłowo, and one of the ships was thrown onto the hill of Kopa not far from the present church. The legend says that on board was Princess Gertrude, who promised to found a chapel on the spot where she landed. This is only a legend, not confirmed by documents.

Interior

The centre of the church is covered by a star vault in the shape of a six-pointed star, and the ambulatory has six cross-rib vaults with alternately longer and shorter sides. Along the walls run richly decorated wooden galleries from the 17th and 18th centuries, and the pews are covered with paintings. Opposite the high altar stands a neo-Baroque organ case with an organ donated in 1860 by Eduard Hemptenmacher.

Behind the altar a polychrome from the turn of the 20th century, imitating marble columns and pilasters with garlands, was uncovered in 1961. During renovation in 1990 figural polychromes were discovered: a Madonna enthroned, a kneeling figure and a vine scroll.

After 1945

After the war the first masses for settlers were held in the chapel. When a parish was established in the nearby Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the chapel fell into ruin. In the 1960s it underwent a thorough renovation and again served as a cemetery chapel. The parish of St Gertrude was established on 26 July 1990, and since then the building has been called a church.

Nearby

The church lies outside the strict centre, but within about half a kilometre are the other monuments of Darłowo, among them the High Gate and St Mary's Church. Further on stands the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes, associated with Eric of Pomerania.

Practical information

• Address: Ojca Damiana Tynieckiego 20, Darłowo, on the cemetery grounds.
• The building is entered in the heritage register and serves as a parish church, and burials continue around it, so quiet and behaviour appropriate to a cemetery are expected.
• The parish website shows no content in its address field, so we do not give opening hours or mass times. Ask the parish before your visit.