The church and its surroundings create a unique atmosphere in Plac Pokoju (“Peace Square”). The necropolis of the church is one of the most valuable and one of only a few surviving evangelical cemetery layouts in Silesia.
The doors to the Church of Peace could be used as a metaphor for the entire life of an Evangelical: the Eastern door led to the chamber in which they were baptised, while in later life they would enter through the Southern door for confirmation and marriage ceremonies. Lastly, their bodies were carried through the Western doors to the cemetery after being given their last rites.
The cemetery itself fulfilled its function for the members of the parish for 250 years, from the moment the church was built until the end of the 19th century, when a new evangelical cemetery was founded in another part of Świdnica. The church necropolis is the burial site for both important personages of Świdnica and local pastors. Despite the cemetery being closed for over 100 years, in 1957 one last German pastor was buried there as an exception. The cemetery has also witnessed many historical events, such as the 1848 Spring of Nations, when the Evangelicals and Catholics were buried together.
The cemetery can also be held in high regard on the basis of the artistic class of its baroque and rococo epitaph stones, which were made of marble and sandstone. In addition, the cemetery bears several hundred granite tombstones guarded by art nouveau and modernist fences, chapels from wrought iron, stone and clinker brick, plus their underground crypts.
The tombstones and graves stretch along the damaged walls. Most of the tombstones are in poor condition having suffered from corrosion and deformation – the inscriptions have become increasingly Illegible after many years of neglect, theft, humidity, rainfall and wild vegetation. Only a few could be renovated, with those that remain damaged requiring immediate repair.
The revitalization will allow us to exhibit and describe the tombstones, clean the cemetery alleys, as well as reconstruct the old layout of the tombs and cemetery gates. We will not only bring back the original character of the site, but also create a space of unique visual value that is ideal for museum classes, educational field trips or other relevant events.
