Architektura protestancka trzech miast Królewca (Stare Miasto, Knipawa i Lipnik) w okresie nowożytnym
The protestant architecture of three cities of Königsberg (Old Town, Knipau, Löbenicht) in early modern era

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses architecture and furnishing of the protestant churches in Królewiec/Königsberg. At the beginning, it introduces terms connected with Reformation and, later, the article familiarizes the reader with the creation of the new approach towards art in church’s interiors. At first, the attitude towards visual arts being present in the places of worship could be characterized with adjectives „prejudiced” and (rarely) „hostile”. The attitude changed abruptly when visual arts became didactic and served that purpose throughout the entire early modern period. Local medieval architecture, which still was used by Lutheran parish as the place of spiritual and parochial life, was also accepted. Furthermore, Königsberg Cathedral became the most important necropolis in Ducal Prussia. The longevity of Gothic architecture forms in Royal Prussia caused future churches in Königsberg to be heavily inspired and borrow from it, and, at the same time, allowed these churches to engage in a dialogue with German countries of Reich. For example, the castle chapel was inspired by castle chapels in Szczecin and Stuttgart. In the seventeenth century, Prussian elites came along with Calvinism and, only after that, in Königsberg and other towns around it many churches inspired by Calvinist Netherlands and (in the eighteenth century) Calvinist church in Charenton (France) were created. However, it did not have much of an impact on churcharchitecture in general – throughout the whole early modern period it remained faithful to the Gothic architecture tradition.

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