Church of the Holy Cross in Żagań

On the edge of the Princely Park in Żagań, by a bend of the Bóbr river, stands the neo-Gothic Church of the Holy Cross — once the mausoleum of the Dukes of Żagań. The story reaches back to the 13th century, when a chapel of St. Lawrence stood outside the town walls by a leper hospital, tended by Augustinians.

From leper chapel to church

In 1334–1335 Duchess Matilda, wife of Henry IV, Duke of Głogów and Żagań, founded a Gothic church here. According to tradition, a flood of the Bóbr then uncovered a great wooden cross, which was placed in the church as a relic — hence the present dedication. In the 17th century the church passed to Protestants, and a century later it was in such poor condition that ruin threatened.

Duchess Dorothea's foundation

The turning point came in 1845–1849, when Duchess Dorothea de Talleyrand-Périgord had the church rebuilt in neo-Gothic style as a family tomb. The design by Leonhard Dorst von Schatzberg earned the architect an order from the King of Prussia; the interiors were decorated by painter Karl Joseph Begas, sculptor Bernhard Afinger and stained-glass artist Carl Samuel Scheinert, and around 100 craftsmen from Żagań and its surroundings were employed.

Sarcophagi and visits

In the nave stand the marble sarcophagi of Duchess Dorothea and her son Napoleon Louis. The church is a branch of the parish of St. Joseph, and the interior can be visited by prior telephone arrangement. The ducal palace lies nearby — both monuments are best combined in one walk through the park.