Toruń - Bazylika katedralna św. Jana Chrzciciela i św. Jana Ewangelisty

            Already in the 7th century, it was the location of a fortified Slavonic settlement, at a ford in the Vistula river. Thorn was established in 1231 under the administration of the Teutonic Order. The Teutonic Order had been called earlier by the Polish Duke Conrad of Mazovia to Christianize the pagan Baltic Pruzzes. However, the Order became active only after Emperor Frederick II granted it the right to rule over the land to be conquered in 1226. The foundation stone of the city of Thorn was laid in 1231  and soon after immigrants from Westphalia populated the town.

In the 14th century, Thorn joined the Hanseatic League. The Order's efforts to simultaneously expand its sovereignty and control trade led to warlike conflicts. The city was captured by Poland in 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War however, after the First Peace of Thorn was signed in 1411, the city fell back to the Teutonic Order. In the 1420s, Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło built the Dybów Castle, located in present-day left-bank Toruń.

In 1440, the gentry of Thorn co-founded the Prussian Confederation to further oppose the Knights' policies. The Confederation rose against the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights in 1454 and its delegation submitted a petition to Polish King Casimir IV Jagiellon asking him to regain power over the region as the rightful ruler.
These events led to the Thirteen Years' War. The citizens of the city conquered the Teutonic castle and dismantled the fortifications. In May 1454, a ceremony was held in Toruń, during which the nobility, knights, landowners, mayors, and local officials solemnly swore allegiance to the Polish King. During the war, Toruń financially supported the Polish Army. The Thirteen Years' War ended in 1466, with the Second Peace of Thorn, in which the Teutonic Order renounced any claims to the city and recognized it as part of Poland.

During the Great Northern War (Deluge), the city was besieged by Swedish troops.  In the second half of the 17th century, tensions between Catholics and Protestants grew. In the early 18th century about half of the population, especially the gentry and middle class, was German-speaking and Protestant, while the other half was Polish-speaking Roman Catholic.

The old town of Torun is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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The erection of the Toruń Cathedral (Church of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist) was started as a parish church of the old town in about 1270 in the form of a basilica. In 1351, a fire destroyed parts of the building, after which the nave was renewed, abandoning the basilical scheme in favor of a hall church. In 1406 the church tower collapsed, it was rebuilt from 1407 to 1433.

Since 1557 the church was evangelical. From 1583 to 1596 Protestants and Catholics used it together.

I am not sure to whom this very exotic altar is dedicated. The saint depicted was obviously a missionary "in the distance", where tall palm trees grow under which camels and giraffes walk.  The people are dark-skinned, some wear turbans or crowns. The name readable above is "Antonius". 

Since he is holding a child, I assume that it is Anthony of Padua (1195 - 1231), who for a while lived in Morocco to baptize the Muslims,  but fell seriously ill and left Northern Africa.

Taken in: Poland / Kujawsko-Pomorskie / Toruń / Stare Miasto (show map)

Taken on: September 1, 2021

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Toruń

Thorn

Baltic Pruzzes

Pruzzes

Teutonic Knights

Frederick II

Hanseatic League

Hanse

First Peace of Thorn

Dybów Castle

Prussian Confederation

Casimir IV Jagiellon

Thirteen Years' War

Second Peace of Thorn

Deluge

Prussia

UNESCO

Bazylika katedralna św. Jana Chrzciciela i św. Jana Ewangelisty

Toruń Cathedral

Dom St. Johannes

exotic

exotism

missionary

camel

giraffe

Anthony of Padua

Polen

Poland

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Sets appears in: • Polska, Poland, Polen

Groups appears in: • churchcrawling • Church sculptures more » • Poland for ever • Beautiful Poland / Piękna Polska 🌄 • 100 YEARS & OLDER « less

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