Co „czas ochronił, a wieki i zdarzenia gwałtowne oszczędziły”. Refleksje nad dziejami Ołtarza Mariackiego

Abstract

WHAT “TIME HAS PROTECTED, AND CENTURIES AND VIOLENT EVENTS HAVE SPARED”. REFLECTIONS ON THE HISTORY OF ST MARY’S CHURCH ALTAR

The Wit Stwosz (Veit Stoss) altar has adorned the chancel of St Mary’s Church for over 530 years. It has not been destroyed by fires, the iconoclastic excesses of the 16th century, the warfare of the 20th century or the attempts of the Nazis and Stalinists to appropriate it. The altar has been treated kindly by time, otherwise destroying every material substance. In the modern era it has escaped the consequences of actions which were not destructive in their intent, but which threatened the integrity of its artistic form, iconographic message and function. This refers to the renovation of medieval retables by placing the figures or paintings in new architectural structures; the project of replacing the altarpiece with a new one (ca. 1760); and attempts to take it away and transform it into a group of museum exhibits (1939–1957). In the 19th century, the danger came from radical restoration projects designed for maximum profit, as well as inadequate restoration methods. We owe the fact that Wit Stwosz’s altar still exists and stands where it does to various people and institutions, starting with the German master himself, members of the Kraków City Council and clergymen serving in St Mary’s Church, thanks to whom a lasting and great work was created. Later, other clergymen and laymen of various classes and professions, who constantly took care of St. Mary’s altar, repeatedly restoring and conserving it, also made their contributions. An important role was played by the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, who made the city and the world aware of the importance of the masterpiece; the painter Piotr Michałowski, the author of the speech on the conservation of the altarpiece; the painter and art historian Władysław Łuszczkiewicz; and our great painter Jan Matejko, who in 1866–1871, together with others, carried out the first major conservation of the altar; as well as generations of their successors. Academic and local government institutions, the American military authorit- ies, committees for the protection of cultural heritage, Polish and European foundations financing and preserving monuments and research have also played an important role. We should mention the generations of Kraków’s inhabitants who did not forget about Stwosz’s altar during the years of Nazi occupation and Stalinism. Many of these people share a respect for tradition, history, culture and art. Wit Stwosz’s altar was close to them personally, and the duty to preserve and protect it had been ingrained in their consciousness for generations.