St. Jacob’s church

The Gothic church of St. Jacob the Apostle was built in the years of 1309–1421 by the Teutonic Order. From the beginning it served as a parish church for the residents of the New Town (Nowe Miasto). At the same time it also served as the main church for the Knights living in the nearby castle, just at the Wisła (Vistula) bank. In fact, from the very beginning the church was under the care of the Teutonic Order. In 1345 it was turned over by the Grand Master of the Knights to the care of sisters of the Cistercian Monastery. Since 1425 the church was under the patronage of the nuns from the Benedictines, until 1456 when the City Council of the unified Old and New Towns took over its protective care.

In 1557 it became a protestant church, therefore some changes of the interior required by the Lutheran liturgy were introduced (and only recently, in 2021, was it brought back to its original Gothic beauty). After 110 years of Lutheran denomination, again it was under the care of Benedictines, and the nuns were there until dissolution of the order in 1832. This was the year when the church was dedicated to St. Jacob the Apostle and became the Catholic parish for the New Town.

What is the history of this massive building in this magnificent Gothic brick style?

By 1340 the three-nave construction was finished, and the tower was completed at the height of 49 meters in 1350. The two-fold roof on the tower was constructed after a fire in 1455. This is in fact the only medieval church in Toruń that is constructed in the style of a basilica, which means that the main nave is higher than the side ones. In addition, as typical for this style, there are windows in the main body of the building that are above the side naves. The main nave is 20.65 meters high; the height of the side naves is 9.40 meters and the church is 53 meters long and 28.8 meters wide.

In the church there are three bells and one turret bell: a bell from the turn of 14 th and 15 th centuries (1.05 meters), one from 1770 (0.77 meter), a bell from 1847 (0.96 meter) and the turret bell from the turn of 19 th and 20 th centuries (0.30 meter).

Cathedral of St. Johns

The Cathedral, as a parish church of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, was under construction from around 1260 until the end of 15 th century. This building was the center of life of town until 1518, and even the election to the City Council was held there, not to mention visits of members of nobility and distinguished royal guests. In 1530 the church, initially Catholic, was taken over by the Protestants, but after 53 years they allowed the Catholics celebrate in the church their own liturgy. In 1596 the Jesuits took over the church, and it was Catholic again without any restrictions or limitations. This association lasted until the dissolution of the Jesuit Order in 1773 when the church became the main parish for the residents living in the Old Town of Toruń. In 1992 the St. Johns’ Church was elevated to the rank of cathedral for the newly established Toruń Diocese.

The Cathedral is a massive building of a hall-type construction, with three naves, lower presbytery and side chapels. One of these chapels is devoted to Nicolaus Copernicus where there is a baptismal font from 13 th century at which perhaps astronomer was baptized. Since the construction of the church its size has not been changed: its length is 53 meters, the naves with the chapels are 32.20 meters wide, and their height is 27.30 meters, while the height of the presbytery is only 17 meters. These measurements show from which height Toruń was photographed in 2010. This is even more impressive, realizing that the four-side tower, from which actually the photographs were taken, is 52 meters high, and indeed it is the highest observation point in the Old Town of Toruń. The tower was erected in the years of 1407–1433, and its walls are four meters thick; perhaps this is why it is still standing straight! In 1500, on the highest level of the tower the Tuba Dei was installed, the historical bell (diameter 2.27 meters and weight of 7238 kilograms) that is responsible for the Angel’s patronage of Toruń, as a legend proclaims. It is the largest Medieval bell in Poland, and it is still installed on the original wooden beams.

In the same tower there are other bells: Funeral bell (0.95 meter) from 1412 and Lame bell (1.22 meters) from 1766.

St. Mary’s Church is the post-Franciscan temple devoted to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The massive building was erected in several stages starting in 1343, and ending at the end of 14 th century. When the monks arrived in Toruń before 1239 and the Franciscan Monastery was established, they found the third version of a church that already existed in the same place. Thus, finally it is a red brick Gothic building in a hall style with three naves, asymmetric, with the length of 66 meters, the height of almost 27 meters, and with naves 25 meters wide. Following the rule of the mendicant order, instead of a tower, the church has octagonal turrets. In the beginning, each nave was covered by a separate roof, but at the end of 18 th century the whole construction of the church was covered by one common gable roof.

In 1557, during the era of Reformation, the care of the monastery church was given to the city, and it became the main Evangelic temple for the residents of the Old Town. Beginning in 1568 the monastery buildings were used as a home for newly created Protestant Toruń Gymnasium (introduced in the previous chapter).

After the so-called Tumult of Toruń in 1724, the religious conflict between the Protestants and the Catholic students of the Jesuit school, the monastery and also the church again were under the care of Catholics, the monks from the Bernadine Order. They were in charge of the whole complex until 1821, when the Order was dissolved, and all the buildings of monastery were given to the city and later demolished.

In 1852 a new and independent parish was created. Since 30 March 2001, in addition to the original devotion to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the church and the parish have been devoted also to Blessed Stefan Wincenty Frelichowski, a local priest who was killed by the Germans in a concentration camp during the Second World War.

In the church there is the bell St. Lawrence (1.06 meters) cast in 1386. Note that there is no tower at this church to climb in order to photograph the views as seen by Toruń Angels. Therefore, the pictures were taken from the scaffolding around the roof during its renovation and restoration in 2013.

Evangelic church

The Evangelic Church of St. Szczepan is of Neogothic style. It was built in the years 1903–1904, and it is placed on a buried moat which was originally surrounding the Old Town. The church has two naves 22 meters long and 11.5 meters wide, and what is important for this presentation – with a tower of 49.5 meters high! This is the second highest observation point in town, just after the cathedral tower of 52 meters. This ranking covers the high points within the Old City. Indeed, in the historical New Town there is the St. Jacob’s tower also of 49.5 meters, but beyond the city walls in a close vicinity there is a tower of the military church of St. Catherine which is 86 meters high. However, since it has the shape of a very sharp spire, it is impossible to climb it to photograph the views around.

The church was built for the Evangelic-Reformed congregation (Calvinist church) established in 1676. During the Second World War the church was devastated as perhaps a revenge for the aggression and occupation, since the Protestant religion in a general understanding was associated with Germans. Since the liberation in 1945 it has served as the Lutheran parish devoted to St. Szczepan.

City Hall

The City Hall stands in the very same place where in 1259 there was a building, although completely different, because it was built of wood! In 1385 its overall shape was modified with the tower raised to 40 meters. During the centuries it underwent several modifications of its architecture mainly to adjust it to the demands and expectations of modern trends that were changing over the years.

In 1393 on command of the Great Master of Teutonic Knights, Konrad Wallenrod, the building was completely destroyed. The new construction based on the quadrangle was completed before 1399. The next modification was during the years of 1602–1603 when its style was adjusted to the requirements of Dutch Renaissance and an additional level was added to the existing construction. The original tower was covered by a very majestic helmet with a spire and golden crown, the symbol of the independence of the city and also evidence of its granted royal privileges. During the Swedish invasion in 1703 and the heroic defense of the city, fire completely destroyed the building together with the art, library, documents and archives. At that time, the helmet with the crown was also burned. Only the observation terrace was left, in fact the same, from which it is now possible to see Toruń… from the position of its Angels!

The damaged construction by fire, except the tower, was repaired and rebuilt during the years 1722–1737.

Since 1958 the City Hall is a home of the District Museum. The basements and the ground floor of the building reflect the Gothic atmosphere of the city, while the first floor shows its Baroque influence.

Gothic to Touch

III. Gothic to Touch

Gothic to touch is a promotional slogan often used to encourage tourists to visit Copernicus’ City. It was an excellent opportunity to see the reality of this slogan when taking pictures of Toruń from above, from towers of churches in the Old City and from the observation platform of City Hall. The photographs taken from such positions show the elements of medieval art, which are not seen when walking down the streets and looking up to see the overwhelming size of all these buildings.

Some historical details are explained here in a short interview with the bell ringer of the famous Tuba Dei (the God’s Trumpet) in the Toruń Cathedral, Dr. Krzysztof Przegiętka. He is one of the bell ringers who is very close, just for a touch, to the history from centuries ago when the music of the bell was announcing special occasions for celebration. Dr. Przegiętka also identified the bells pictured in the photographs taken in the bell tower and is an author of the description of their history and fate during the past centuries.

– How did it happen that a physicist with a PhD became the bell ringer of the historical Tuba Dei, the largest medieval bell at Wisła (Vistula) bank? What must be earned in order to receive such a distinction and honor?

I do not remember an exact date, but I was still a student of primary school which means that it was before 1984. Thus, at that time my God father, Ryszard Grzywiński, the head and the organizer of the bell ringers team asked me to come up in the tower of the St. Johns’ Church to see and listen to the music of Tuba Dei. Obviously, I was not allowed to rock the bell right away, but at first I had to observe how it is done by the experienced ringers. At that time the bell tower was not accessible to visitors, as it is now. Its interior looked like the attic of a huge old house with many objects with historical roots but without orderly arrangement. For example, there were pieces of the clock mechanism of the so-called Rafters’ bells: a very large metal cage and a huge wooden drum with metal fittings. The conditions of the bell suspensions also were not in good shape. When walking there everything was creaking and cracking, and one had to be very careful not to fall down a hole or not to be hit in your head by something falling.

But the halo of the mystery obviously was unusually fascinating for a young boy. Besides the bell ringers and workers repairing the roof from time to time, nobody was climbing up there. On the highest point of the tower, however, without any problem and without any admiration of the history around, as if nothing had happened, a beautiful kestrel was living having a quiet life undisturbed by intruders.

– Tuba Dei has been ringing since 1500. Which feelings are dominant in the heart and mind of a bell ringer when he is realizing that these very tunes, this very same music could have been heard by Nicolaus Copernicus, who in fact as a child was living within a block of the church?

These special feelings are not reserved only for the bell ringers, they are experienced by everyone who is hearing the sound of the bell, and who is ready to devote a moment for the reflection that together with this music the real voice of the Past is coming forth. The city has changed dramatically during the centuries, but its original character has been preserved. Listening (not only hearing) to the music coming from the St. Johns’ bell tower it is possible to go back in time and imagine how it was here before, in the past. It is enough to use your own imagination. Even for a layman, not an experienced person in recognizing various bell tunes, it is easy to distinguish the music of Tuba Dei: low frequency of the tune, a dignified, calm and majestic rhythm; at once you feel that this music is coming from a medieval colossus.

Kestrel – the sole inhabitant of St. Johns’ bell tower, now from next generation but still it observes the continuity of the Tuba Dei bell ringers’ tradition (therefore not by accident this photograph, taken in 2010, is among the illustrations of this chapter)

This is true, the bell ringers are indeed in a special position also because their work is included in a long tradition of previous generations.

I know that every bell ringer is treating this service as a special distinction, honor, privilege and the chance to be close to the valuable monument of the past; unique, a huge and still working musical instrument, which at the same time, is the best example of the European foundry at its highest level of art. The privilege – yes, but also duty to keep the continuation of this tradition and convey it to the next generation together with the education about the bells and their importance in history. It should also be pointed out that Toruń bell ringers are proud to do this without any financial benefit.

– The position of a ringer of a historical bell is indeed an exceptional distinction and a special privilege to have access to all the secrets hidden in such historical places as this one in the bell tower of the Toruń Cathedral. Would you be willing to share with us some of them?

Well, the biggest secret is that… there is no secret! Instead there are quite a lot of legends and incredible stories, rather mysterious stories associated with the bell. One of them is the habit to touch the iron heart of Tuba Dei but in a particular place, the thicker point, exactly where it hits the bell wreath. This thickening of the clapper has the shape of a sphere, is round, and it is called a beater. Thus, touching the fresh scar on the beater gives the assurance for happiness and fulfillment of all dreams, but it has to be done with your left hand and just after ringing of the bell; when the place is new, fresh and therefore it is for sure that nobody else touched it before. This is obviously a myth, however such a brotherhood of hearts of men and bells is beautiful, isn’t it?

Before the Second World War another myth was spread around Toruń. It was proclaimed that Tuba Dei had a stationary heart, fixed and still. The origin of this information perhaps was found in the publication from 1933 (and again republished in 1967) by Marian Sydow “The most interesting singularities of Toruń from older years and newer times” where the author indeed described

“The God’s Trumpet” in such a way. Even in the eighties of twentieth century this false description, creating a myth, was supported by sparse photographs of bell as stationary and still, but the pictures were not taken during its ringing.

Such documentation gave a wrong impression. When the bell was not active, in order to relieve the weight from the leather belts on which previously the heart was hanging, a wooden support was put underneath to stabilize it. This technical protection could indeed give the impression that the heart is not moveable at all. From a physical point of view, obviously it would not be possible. This means that deep down at the origin of this description, there was a bit of truth, since there were such moments of stabilization when the bell was not ringing, but unfortunately this picture started to live by its own rights and such a story was repeated many times. It is possible that a similar situation is the origin of the other circulating legends, as for example this one about the founding of Tuba Dei and hoisting it to the highest level of the bell tower.

In the past Tuba Dei was moved in a generally known way, very standard and described in the iconography, literature and movies devoted to the so-called rocked bells in towers (western version of bell towers). It is known that this particular way of moving the bell is based on a rhythmic, alternating pulling of ropes attached to the ends of the beams placed in a perpendicular position with respect to the rocking axis, on both sides of a yoke of the bell where the crown of bell is immobilized. Due to the appropriate length of the beams the bell ringers are away from the space of the bell and its heart movement, but at the same time these beams play a role of leverage due to which it is much easier to rock even a very heavy bell. In addition, above the yoke of the bell there are extra beams that play the role of a counterweight.

In the middle of 19th century the mechanism of rocking the God’s Trumpet was changed and the traditional ropes were replaced by a movable platform thanks to which the force of legs of bell ringers is used instead of their arms. It is arranged in such a way that the bell ringers are climbing up above the bell (and not under as it has been before) to stand with one leg on the movable, swinging platform attached to the yoke of the bell, while the second leg is based on the stable immobile floor permanently connected with the structure of the tower. During such trampling-rocking one has to be very careful not to put a foot between the swinging platform and the stable, fixed floor.

In any case, this way of rocking the bell is more effective. This method became rather popular in Europe, especially in the case of the heaviest bells, also the historical ones; it was popular until the invention of the electric motor which replaced the human power. Currently a lot of bells, also those historical ones, are put in motion in an automatic way using electrical mechanisms.

I mentioned before the brotherhood of the hearts of people and a bell. These are not only empty words. To the list of duties of the bell ringers, in addition to rocking Tuba Dei, also care of the whole instrument and the condition of its work are included. In particular it is important to observe whether its heart is hitting the place within the bell wreath, the thickest point of the bell mantle. It is also important to control the strength of each hit, which has to be at a certain level since the bell cannot be swinging too much. It should be also mentioned that during the ringing special attention must be paid to the tune of the music in order to recognize possible deviations from the normal work but also to control the vibrations of elements of the construction. It requires a lot of experience because each ringing varies a little, and it depends not only on the activity of the bell ringers but also on the surrounding conditions. In the case of the cathedral tower, we – the bell ringers – are taking care of all the bells, which means in addition to Tuba Dei two other historical but smaller instruments which are rocked by the force of arms.

– During religious celebrations of special significance, when Tuba Dei plays the music, you are on the third level of the cathedral tower, very close to Gothic to touch, in the immediate proximity of the bell. Has this environment full of history been an inspiration for you to write the monologue of Tuba Dei announcing the message addressed not only to all Toruń residents but also to all visiting tourists (poem presented on page 95)?

Awareness of the importance of Tuba Dei as a unique monument of the founding art and its role in keeping the tradition of bell ringing alive was developing inside me with time. In fact, this is a process which still goes on. One of its effects is the interest in history, especially the history of Toruń and Royal Prussia. I realized the depth of my Toruń roots during the year I spent on a research scholarship in a distant, beautiful and attractive Lisbon. As it is well known – from a distance very often everything is seen better. Thus, at that time the bell became for me a source of symbolic identification with the local history and tradition. This was the time when I realized that I belong to this particular place, and this is what I was trying to express in this poem.

– On 18 th of January 2020 we celebrated the jubilee of hundred years of return of Toruń and the whole of Pomerania to Motherland; Tuba Dei announced this anniversary with its music. How often are we able to hear its tunes?

As always in the case of celebrations that are not included in the liturgical calendar, the decision is made by the Church when Tuba Dei is to be rung. It should be pointed out that Tuba Dei belongs to the heritage of Toruń since the time of its greatest glory, when the city was one of the richest cities in Poland during the so-called golden age. Therefore, it is universally recognized as a symbol of prosperity of the town and the whole country. As the pride of Toruń residents, the bell is a unifying force of all people living here regardless of their political orientation and even professed religion. It is worthwhile to recall that Tuba Dei over the centuries was ringing for Catholics as well as for Protestants living in the Old City; similarly as the present Cathedral of St. Johns served in the past as a temple for both denominations.

The spiral staircase in the cathedral bell tower leading to the third floor where all the bells are now housed (bell chamber), including the famous Tuba Dei. Along the western wall there are two staircases – the southern and the northern. From the third level it is possible to climb higher, to the very top of the tower where the bells originally were hanging, directly under the gable roof (different shape from the present) with openings allowing the sounds of the bells to freely escape and reach all sides of the world. On this path up, there is only one stairway, along the southeastern edge of the tower, and on the way there is an entrance to the chamber with the mechanism of the Rafter’s clock

The oldest cathedral bell, cast in 1412, the so-called Funeral Bell, was also renovated in 2008, and among other repairs, a new heart (a new clapper) was installed. The name of this instrument comes from its ringing during funeral services. It is rocked in a traditional way by ropes pulled by the bell ringers. In the past these ropes used to be lowered through special openings down to the ground floor thus enabling ringing without the need to climb up to the bell chamber on the third level of the tower

Bell Tuba Dei seen from the northern side with the relief of St. Barbara. Inside the instrument, at the bottom edge (the so-called mouth of the bell) it is possible to see the mark made by impact of the original clapper (heart), a scar dated from 1500 to around 1898; it is rather large and is covered with a patina. There is also a newer mark, that appeared after 1900, which is smaller and brighter, since it is rather recent. The wooden construction that lifts the Tuba Dei is from the second half of the 16 th century, and it is a reused part taken from the younger (cast in 1589 in the foundry of Merten Schmidt) and smaller bell, which no longer exists (around 2.4 tons). At the beginning of 18 th century this particular part of the construction was reinforced to hold the heavier and larger Tuba Dei that during the Swedish war, was moved down to the third level from the higher bell chamber. At the turn of the 19 th and 20 th centuries the suspension of the heart of the bell (the clapper) was repaired and the whole body of the instrument was turned by 90 degrees. The next renovation was done in 2008 and this is why new boards of the rocking platform are seen above, at the level of yoke. On this platform the bell ringers stand and with the power of their legs they swing (rock) the bell. This way of ringing a bell originated in the middle of 19 th century; in this way for example the famous bell, Emanuel in the Notre Dame Cathedral, was rocking in the past. It is interesting to point out that on this photograph dark streaks on the beams are the traces of lubricants used to make the rocking easier. Since 2008 the rocking axis (the bell yoke) rests on modern closed bearings due to which the comfort of bell ringers work is made easier and the conditions are safer for the instrument

The Baroque bell called Lame was cast in 1766 by Mikołaj Petresilge. This bell hung on the south side, is also rocked by hand with ropes. The name of the bell is related to its characteristic, once asymmetrical way of tapping caused by the wear of its suspension (yoke of the bell), and as a consequence the heart of the bell (the clapper) did not tap on one side. In the foreground, there is a beam with characteristic cut grooves for the crown of a bell. In this particular place a large medieval bell (1437), called the Sister, was installed. This was a sister bell in relation to Tuba Dei, because it was hung almost at the same level of the tower, and also because of its size of about 3.5 tons. This second largest bell of St. Johns’ Cathedral, the Sister, was destroyed by the Nazis during the occupation of Toruń (it was sawn into pieces in the bell chamber, then transported down to be used as a raw material for the arms industry).

The fate of the Lame bell was similar but not so tragic. It was removed during the Nazi occupation and taken to Germany (requisition reference number: 2/4/11C), but luckily it was not destroyed and after the war it was returned to its original place in the St. Johns’ Cathedral

A fragment of the smallest and the youngest cathedral bell –Tubula Dei (2002). This is the only St. Johns’ Cathedral bell which is rocked by an automatic electric mechanism, and therefore it is used more often, on a daily basis

Decorative finials of church towers and city halls with a cross or small rooster on a gilded ball in which the documents were usually stored, for example with details about the construction of the building or with a description of some historical events

It is possible to experience Gothic to touch also when being high on the scaffolding during the renovation of the roof of St. Jacob’s or St. Mary’s Church. Below there are Gothic ornaments recorded during such occasions. The identification of separate architectural elements that are typical for the Gothic style, and their description have been authored by Dr. Lucyna Czyżniewska, a renowned architect of Toruń.

Tracery is a characteristic form of decoration of Gothic architecture – here as a painted white trefoil on a red background. Sometimes it is also on a black background and in various forms (for example, multi-leaf shape or shape of a fish-bladder), most of all made of stone as a filling of a lancet window, narrow with a pointed arch at the top

Characteristic of Gothic architecture spire-like pinnacles, often decorated with crockets, which are the ornaments carved as curled leaves or flowers equally distanced, and opened outwards in relation to the surface of their attachment. When made of profiled bricks these decorations give the impression of the lightness of the pinnacle

Blind lancet window of the turret-like pinnacle filled with painted tracery, which shows the division of the panel into two identical sections by the mullion, the vertical line with a sharp arch at the top. The pinnacles also played a constructive role, since they support the stability of the buttresses by counteracting the lateral thrust of the roof, as in the case of St. Jacob’s Church

Example of a tracery painted on a black background. Here as a decorative motif the shape of a fish bladder was used (collected in the form of triangles) and also the quatrefoil (as four overlapping semicircles)

Daylight and mysterious arch in the brick wall at the right side of stairway going up the bell tower; and for contrast, an electric light on the background of medieval wall and the historical wooden construction

Medieval bell (from the turn of 14 th and 15 th centuries) cast in an unknown foundry and its only decoration, a characteristic and intriguing ornament made of repetition of the letter “s”; similar decorations are also found in other medieval bells in this district (Chełmno Land). It is highly possible that this bell was founded to celebrate the end of the Thirteen Years’ War with the Teutonic Order

Bell cast in 1847 in the foundry of Frederic Schultz in Chełmno

Anchor plates that are the structural elements connecting parts for the stability of the building that are required to be joined together. They serve as decorative ornaments but also to strengthen the construction

Decorative finial (the summit of a steeple) as a cross above a ball in which there are probably secrets about the past, for example information about renovations and perhaps some other events important for the history of this church

…and down below, the city lives on in 2022…

Dedication