St. George’s Church – Chřibská

Historical Description of the Building

The first mention of the church dates back to 1352. In the years 1596–1605, the original Gothic church underwent a major Renaissance reconstruction, probably under the leadership of the builder Peter Patzenhauer from Česká Kamenice. A three-aisled hall with built-in side stands and a western tower were created, which was raised in 1649 by the builder Karl Schrötter from Pirna.

Further modifications took place in 1670 under the direction of Francesco Ceresola, who deliberately used elements reminiscent of Gothic, which was already considered outdated at that time. In 1899–1903, the builder Franz Herrmann modified the facade and unified the appearance of the church, including the adjacent chapels built to the south of the church.

Between 1999 and 2002, the church underwent a complete renovation thanks to the Roman Catholic Parish of Chřibská and with support from the town. Since 2011, the town has been funding repairs to the cloister.

Inside the church we find the main altar with a tabernacle and two opposite altars dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. Anthony of Padua. The pulpit from around 1670 is decorated with painted figures of Christ, St. George and the apostles. The late Baroque marble baptismal font with a tin lid dates from the 18th century. Two separate wings of the cloister from the 1760s have also been preserved.

Cultural uses

Since 1997, the church has hosted the Chřibské kulturný léto cultural festival, organized by the Tadeáš Haenke Association. This association also released the CD Johann Christoph Kridel: Concert Church Arias (2012).

Intangible Cultural Heritage

Since 1688, a choir (the so-called adjuvant choir) has been operating at the church, which accompanied the services with singing from the music gallery. In 1850, Carl Ferdinand Pohl, grandson of a famous glass harmonica manufacturer, composed Mass No. 2, which he dedicated to the town of Chřibská. Its renewed premiere was performed in 1991 by harpist Lýdia Härtelová-Henychová.

Points of Interest

The outer walls of the church are decorated with Renaissance tombstones of important citizens of the city from the 17th century. Other tombstones from the 19th century are located on the wall of the former cemetery. They include the tombstone of Anton Kittel, the owner of the local glass factory, one of the oldest in Europe (founded in 1414). However, this glassworks is no longer in operation. Its buildings have either been demolished or converted for other uses.

The church displays the painting Epitaph of the Metalworker Martin Friedrich from 1612, depicting his family praying to Christ. This painting is a cultural monument and is now part of the exhibition Church and City in the tower of the Church of St. James in Česká Kamenice.

Opposite house no. 262 towards Horní Chřibská stands the brick chapel of the Virgin Mary from 1832 with a gable roof. It was built by the merchant Gottfried Kinasst and is currently owned and maintained by the town of Chřibská.