Explore Shrines & Crosses of Poland

  • Thread starter Borek
  • Start date
In summary, Poland is a country with a majority of Christians, as evidenced by the numerous shrines and crosses present throughout the country. These shrines and crosses come in various sizes, shapes, and materials, and are often found in highly visible or frequently visited locations. Some may mark significant events or accidents, while others are simply meant to guard a certain area. While some may see them as kitschy, others view them as important cultural and historical symbols.
  • #1
Borek
Mentor
28,934
4,219
As you all know Poland is a country where about 95% people declares to be Christians. If you look around practice seems to be not supporting these declarations, but that's not what this post will be about :wink:

If you will ever happen to visit Poland, you will see lots of shrines and crosses. They are everywhere - on the crossroads, fields, roadsides, trees and so on. This year we took pictures of about 70 shrines/crosses. Aftear heated debate we selected 20. Some old, some new, some wooden ones, some metal ones, some high, some low, some small, some large... Here they go:

Large shrine, on the crossroads, center of a large village:
IMG_1204.jpg


Roadside:
IMG_1240.jpg


Roadside again, different shape:
aIMG_0188.jpg


An old one, freshly refurbished:
aIMG_0375.jpg


Most likely completely new:
IMG_0979.jpg


We have a picture where there are two shrines and two crosses in one place, two shrines side by side are nothing surprising, especially east of Warsaw, on Podlachia:
IMG_1244.jpg


Very small one, on the tree trunk:
IMG_1319.jpg


Similar one, but with a fence:
aIMG_0199.jpg


And a larger one of the same type:
aIMG_0381.jpg


Just a wooden cross:
IMG_1245.jpg


Three crosses here, but the small white spot right to them is another shrine:
IMG_1251.jpg


A metal cross:
aIMG_0181.jpg


And another metal cross, this one called Grunwald cross as it was raised in the 400th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald
kapliczka12.jpg


Old wooden cross that may not survive long, and a new shrine that already stands in the same place:
aIMG_0320.jpg


Most likely concrete, I have heard some of these are cut from stone:
aIMG_0322.jpg


In and old oak tree trunk, we were told oak was put down by a violent storm last year:
kapliczka6.jpg


And several others, just to show you how many variants exist:
kapliczka2.jpg


kapliczka4.jpg


kapliczka9.jpg


aIMG_0387.jpg


Edit: important note. This is a mix of pictures taken by Marzena and me. Occasionally we were exchanging cameras, so it is not always possible to say who took the picture.
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Nice pictures! I saw some small chapels when I visited Sofiya many years ago.

Once in a while, I see crosses and shrines along the road side in our area and others, but that usually is done to mark the death or deaths of people in automobile accidents.
 
  • #3
Very nice, Borek, thanks.

Are the roadside shrines there for any particular reason? Here in the States, roadside shrines often mark the spot of a fatal accident. Often the name of the person who died there is written on a cross.
 
  • #4
Wonderful pictures borek! It seems so natural, for some reason, to accept these religious shrines in eastern European countries.
 
  • #5
As for localisations: some mark places were something happened, but from what I know some are just put in more or less random places - or perhaps not random, but selected as well visible, or often visited (that will work for crossroads for example). Some are erected to 'guard' the place (that may work for crossroads as well).

I think we have pictures of one or two that marked places of road accidents. These are quite popular as well, I remember two not far from home, but I am sure there is more, I just can't remember their localizations right now.
 
  • #6
I've been in homes and businesses in the US where I have seen shrines. Some were Catholic, and others were of eastern religions.
 
  • #7
I have not mentioned - we have pictures of shrines that stand on the yard, close to road, but behind the fence. But they always face the outside.
 
Last edited:
  • #8
Borek said:
As for localisations: some mark places were something happened, but from what I know some are just put in more or less random places - or perhaps not random, but selected as well visible, or often visited (that will work for crossroads for example). Some are erected to 'guard' the place (that may work for crossroads as well).

I think we have pictures of one or two that marked places of road accidents. These are quite popular as well, I remember two not far from home, but I am sure there is more, I just can't remember their localizations right now.
Crosses at accident sites seems to be an American thing and not related to shrines and crosses in older countries. They aren't meant to be anything other than a rememberance of the person that crashed there, they aren't meant to have religious significance.
 
  • #9
It seems a shame to see such an otherwise beautiful country scarred by such Kitsch :/
 
  • #10
junglebeast said:
It seems a shame to see such an otherwise beautiful country scarred by such Kitsch :/
Although I'm not religious, I think such things have a historic relevance and I have great respect for them. Similar to Celtic crosses found in Britain and Wats in Thailand, how can you not respect these as part of the historic culture, whether you believe in old religions or not?
 
  • #11
Evo said:
Although I'm not religious, I think such things have a historic relevance and I have great respect for them. Similar to Celtic crosses found in Britain and Wats in Thailand, how can you not respect these as part of the historic culture, whether you believe in old religions or not?

It's not the religious nature that bothers me. I adore many of the artistic byproducts of religion...but Porcelain figures of Jesus, plastic flowers, and the rest of this stuff just looks like litter to me. How can you compare this modern mass produced garbage to laboriously hand crafted churches and other historic artifacts? There is no artistry, and no pride, in this work...it is the exact kind of decorations that you see littered in every trailer park in my home town.
 
Last edited:
  • #12
Evo said:
Although I'm not religious, I think such things have a historic relevance and I have great respect for them. Similar to Celtic crosses found in Britain and Wats in Thailand, how can you not respect these as part of the historic culture, whether you believe in old religions or not?

I was about to post just before jungle but he beat me to it. Having taken Art History and being pretty into the arts I can say I respect and admire all the historic religious art. From cathedrals to the qu'ran to tugras to totem poles etc etc.

These though. I wouldn't respect them in the same way... nope.
 
  • #13
junglebeast said:
It's not the religious nature that bothers me. I adore many of the artistic byproducts of religion...but Porcelain figures of Jesus, plastic flowers, and the rest of this stuff just looks like litter to me. How can you compare this modern mass produced garbage to laboriously hand crafted churches and other historic artifacts? There is no artistry, and no pride, in this work...it is the exact kind of decorations that you see littered in every trailer park in my home town.
There is a distinction between historical sites and monuments and plastic flowers. If we had no way of making these distinctions, then we'd have no historical sites. Learning about a culture also helps us to understand what is acceptable in that culture. Byproducts of religion? What about billboards and street signs and other garbage that litters the landscape? Can you point out instances where religious advertising outstripes commercial advertising?
 
  • #14
Evo said:
There is a distinction between historical sites and monuments and plastic flowers. If we had no way of making these distinctions, then we'd have no historical sites.

What point are you trying to make? Clearly these shrines are not historical monuments...nor are they artistic...it is simply modern-day junk that was purchased at a store and arranged into a place to pray...

Learning about a culture also helps us to understand what is acceptable in that culture. Byproducts of religion? What about billboards and street signs and other garbage that litters the landscape? Can you point out instances where religious advertising outstripes commercial advertising?

Again, I have no idea what your point here is.

As for billboards, they don't bother me much for two reasons. First, they are located on the edges of highways which are already ugly places, so there's not really anything to spoil. Second, they are usually designed by graphic artists to attract our attention, and as a result the images can sometimes be humorous, pretty, or offer some visual distraction on a long road trip.

Earlier I said that I respect many artistic byproducts. Like Sorry said, this includes everything from cathedrals, to carved statues, to totem poles. It certainly does not include store-bought junk, even if they build a small "doghouse" around it, or embed it in an upturned bath-tub (as is even more common).
 
  • #15
junglebeast said:
What point are you trying to make? Clearly these shrines are not historical monuments...nor are they artistic...it is simply modern-day junk that was purchased at a store and arranged into a place to pray...

If it was your child who was killed there, you may feel different.

It's a sad fact that our society (I'm assuming you live in North America) has no way of signalling to the world that you are in a state of mourning. Let me give you an example.

About 7 years ago I had a death in the family. I took time off work...my close coworkers knew about it. But no one else at the plant did, and it led to some awkward explanations of my absence.

A few weeks later, a coworker had a death in his family. He came back to work wearing an armband. He said that in Chinese society, it signifies that he is in mourning. A person is allowed to be in that state for a year. I thought, wow, what a great idea! It avoids awkward conversations.

Here in the States, we have no way of telling the world that we are in mourning. Yet we feel the same feelings as any human, of course. I guess that our society expects us to "get over it" after it quickly after the funeral.

But we can't - people need time to mourn. I see these roadside monuments as an attempt at that...awkward, sure, maybe even "junk"...yet it's a sign that people are trying to work through their emotions without any scaffold provided by our culture.
 
  • #16
I'm not sure the point of many of these sorts of places is really to be artistic. Nor do I think they are on par with pink flamingos and lawn gnomes.

Perhaps Borek was interested in people would have this sort of reaction, I am unsure, but maybe we could be a bit more polite and respectful and not call what he chose to photograph and share with us "junk" and "garbage".


And thank you Borek. I especially like the tree shrines. That oak stump is rather neat though I find the decorations on it to be a bit garish.
 
  • #17
TheStatutoryApe said:
I'm not sure the point of many of these sorts of places is really to be artistic. Nor do I think they are on par with pink flamingos and lawn gnomes.

Perhaps Borek was interested in people would have this sort of reaction, I am unsure, but maybe we could be a bit more polite and respectful and not call what he chose to photograph and share with us "junk" and "garbage".


And thank you Borek. I especially like the tree shrines. That oak stump is rather neat though I find the decorations on it to be a bit garish.

I didn't mean any disrespect to Borek or to these shrines/monuments. Just that I found the way Evo compared them and made them out to be isn't appropriate because they are completely different.
 
  • #18
lisa,

I could be wrong, but I thought that most of these were not graves -- some of them certainly are..such as the gravestone and the small wooden cross, and these ones do not bother me as they are not covered in streamers and the like. Actually, I find the old wooden cross to be quite tasteful...and a nice photograph as well.

A few weeks later, a coworker had a death in his family. He came back to work wearing an armband. He said that in Chinese society, it signifies that he is in mourning. A person is allowed to be in that state for a year. I thought, wow, what a great idea! It avoids awkward conversations.

It seems that it would promote more awkward conversations...if you did not wear the armband, because the armband is a way of displaying this fact to everyone who sees you and some of them will either ask (out of ignorance) or out of sympathy. If he had not worn the band at all, nobody would be randomly asking about it.

It also does not seem a healthy way to deal with loss to me. People die...yes its sad, but we should not encourage depression in living people as a result. In a society where it is accepted (and perhaps expected...) for a person to wear this armband, that is going to constantly be a reminder to the person which makes them sad all the time!

While it may be that some people require a period of grief before they can rationalize moving on, I would not wish this excess sadness to be constantly reminded to someone having already experienced a tragic loss. It is only going to give them an excuse to sulk around in a depressive and unproductive state, and that's only making a bad situation worse. Some people probably do not want to be constantly reminded, but they would have to do it just because their relatives expect them to be grieving.
 
  • #19
junglebeast said:
It's not the religious nature that bothers me. I adore many of the artistic byproducts of religion...but Porcelain figures of Jesus, plastic flowers, and the rest of this stuff just looks like litter to me. How can you compare this modern mass produced garbage to laboriously hand crafted churches and other historic artifacts? There is no artistry, and no pride, in this work...it is the exact kind of decorations that you see littered in every trailer park in my home town.

I know where you are coming from. A bunch of $ 0.39ea roses and a plastic cross bought at WalMart placed on the road side does not constitute for a shrine.

No thought, no passion. No care.


Society is getting so shallow... :frown:




Edit: I appreciate and like the images Borek posted. I know what is behind it. I saw the likes every single day while I was living in Europe and I can relate and understand them very well. What frustrates me is how little effort and care people around here put into such "landmarks". Plastic doesn't do it for me, sorry...


Maybe its time for me to leave and go back to Europe... ? :confused:
 
Last edited:
  • #20
Comments time :wink:

Evo said:
Crosses at accident sites seems to be an American thing and not related to shrines and crosses in older countries.

Perhaps they are American thing, but they are not limited to America - they are here as well. As far as I am aware none of the pictures posted depict place of road accident or grave. I can be wrong. We can safely ignore this part of the discussion for now.

junglebeast said:
It seems a shame to see such an otherwise beautiful country scarred by such Kitsch :/

To large extent I agree. Several points to make:

1. Plastic flowers - these are new. 20 years ago these were fresh flowers, changed very often. Let's call it technological advance :grumpy:

2. Many of the metal crosses replaced older, wooden ones - and it was done quite recently. Also, most of the refurbishing took place lately. You may probably link it with the fact that Polish country becames a litlle bit more wealthy than it was. They do their best - sometimes that means covering walls of shrines with PCV siding. That unfortnately destroys the way they look, at the same time it is done with the best intentions.

3. Most of these people are not aware that replacing 100 years old shrine with a new one they destroy something valuable, they rather think they are doing a good job. Others are aware of the loss, but they are in minority in the rural communities.

4. Finally, it is a regional thing. In the place where we spent our vacations we have not seen wooden crosses and old shrines have been mostly replaced. On Podlachia (where I have been alone for a day last week) wooden crosses still stand and shrines seem to be refurbished in a way that protects their original look. I must admit I liked shrines and crosses there much more.

5.
IMG_1303.jpg


IMG_1303a.jpg


Kitsh, or folk artist? No doubt about the best intentions, although effect is quite unusual.
 
Last edited:
  • #21
TheStatutoryApe said:
That oak stump is rather neat though I find the decorations on it to be a bit garish.

Decorations there are another story. At the time there was a holy painting (no idea how to say it English) carried through this part of the country. You see, in some churches there are paintings considered to be holy (like Black Madonna of Częstochowa) and sometimes they are taken out from the churches and there are processions moving them from a church to a church each day. Usually they make a several hundred kilometers loop during Summer and are brough back to the church of origin. Such pictures are always carried through decorated roads, and what you see is not just a shrine as it looks on average day, but rather part of a decoration:

IMG_1968.jpg
 
  • #22
Interesting thread Borek. I hadn't realized these were so widespread. I noticed a lot of them in the Canary Islands and a lot in rural Ireland, rather different in style but similar sorts of things. I am starting to wonder if the UK is the only country in Europe where they are absent.
 
  • #23
matthyaouw said:
I am starting to wonder if the UK is the only country in Europe where they are absent.

Throw Germany in the mix... ;-)
 
  • #24
junglebeast said:
It seems a shame to see such an otherwise beautiful country scarred by such Kitsch :/

Sorry! said:
I was about to post just before jungle but he beat me to it. Having taken Art History and being pretty into the arts I can say I respect and admire all the historic religious art. From cathedrals to the qu'ran to tugras to totem poles etc etc.

These though. I wouldn't respect them in the same way... nope.

What!I think most of them look wonderful and enhance the landscape.Still,beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
 
  • #25
Borek said:
Kitsh, or folk artist? No doubt about the best intentions, although effect is quite unusual.

I wouldn't classify that as kitschy, but that's culturally subjective. I think most of the ones you posted are charming.
 
  • #26
I've always wanted to hit up Krakow in Poland when I go to Europe at some point in my life.
 
  • #27
lisab said:
I wouldn't classify that as kitschy, but that's culturally subjective.

Redneck perhaps?

Christ figure is just naïve, but the pedestal, made of oil painted stones, makes it one of my favorites :wink:
 
  • #28
Wow, these are wonderful, thanks! I really enjoyed seeing the shrines, crosses and decorations.

(I also have a problem with Greenbergian derogatory, or opposing 'art', ideas of 'kitsch'. Here is some wiki background- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsch )
 
  • #29
There is an incredibly tacky cemetery near here. It's a "modern" cemetery and there aren't any headstones or monuments, there is a plate flush with the ground with your name on it and a big bouquet of garish plastic flowers. Plastic flowers on every grave, and that's all you see.
 
  • #30
I think Borek presented us with photographs of cultural interest, and as cultural things tend to, these involved aesthetics. Of course, the selection and photography also involved degrees of aesthetic judgement presented here for us, which I did find interesting. I don’t know the motives of the individuals that created and decorated the subject matter, but they look to be sincere expressions by people who seem to have enjoyed making those sites special, unconcerned about internet judgements, and that sincerity and perhaps joy, following a tradition, in this instance moves me.

I don’t necessarily agree with everything I’ve read of Dissanyanke http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Dissanayake
says, or even would like to take some of her thoughts further, but
if you were responding to me, evo, I don’t know from your explanation, but maybe you have stumbled upon an example of the bare minimums, the least care while conforming to some social expectation to give significance to a grave site, of making it special.

This in itself could give some insight into the priorities of those who created them. The cemetery near you would be quite a contrast to the cemetery I lived near once in China, with two busy fresh flower stalls on the roadside in front, well tended and hard to get past, especially on Ancestors Day ( or whatever the correct name is), when bus loads of people would spend what seemed a peaceful, friendly, day sweeping, cleaning, arranging…

Sorry this has become a bit morbid, but expanding on that, this is about Dissanyake’s writing on funerals, reflecting views that script has taken too great a priority -
‘But her emphasis on expression, adornment, decoration, and other aesthetically enhancing behavior also highlights a negative undercurrent to her discussion. Dissanayake describes attending the funeral in England of a friend where the mourners were herded into a chapel for an irrelevant hymn and a one-size-fits-all eulogy by a stranger who had not known the deceased. The coffin slid behind a polyester curtain and all had to vacate the chapel, for the assembled mourners for the next “ceremony” were milling about in the parking lot, just as Dissanayke and her fellows had been fifteen minutes before. She compares this empty occasion with a funeral she had attended in Sri Lanka, and writes, “I wonder whether others, like me, felt that we (and the deceased) had been shortchanged. Or like the music, books, entertainments, and arts that compose modern life, this was just one more experience to consume, hardly paying attention to or hudging it because we had to get on with the next thing?”’
http://denisdutton.com/dissanayake_review.htm
 
Last edited:
  • #31
Borek said:
Very small one, on the tree trunk:
IMG_1319.jpg

This looks almost exactly like the one my grandma has! The frame is made of wood, but it is starting to show signs of deterioration.
 
  • #32
fuzzyfelt said:
I don’t necessarily agree with everything I’ve read of Dissanyanke http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Dissanayake
says, or even would like to take some of her thoughts further, but
if you were responding to me, evo, I don’t know from your explanation, but maybe you have stumbled upon an example of the bare minimums, the least care while conforming to some social expectation to give significance to a grave site, of making it special.
No, I wasn't responding to your post, I was just thinking about what Borek had sais about the plastic flowers cropping up. I have to drive by that cemetery every day and I told my daughter NOT to bury me there. All you can see from the street is hundreds of plastic bouquets, like a Walmart threw up over the grounds. :eek:
 
  • #33
There are shrines here in Maine, though they tend to be concentrated in French-Canadian/Catholic neighborhoods. One trend that cropped up about 20-30 years ago was to bury the "business end" (spigot, drain, etc) of a cast-iron enameled bathtub in the lawn to create a rounded shelter for a statue of the Virgin Mary, then surround it with annual or perennial flowers. They always face the road, not the house at which the shrine was erected.
 

1. What is the purpose of exploring shrines and crosses in Poland?

The purpose of exploring shrines and crosses in Poland is to gain a deeper understanding of the country's rich religious and cultural history. These structures serve as important symbols of faith and tradition, and visiting them allows for a meaningful and educational experience.

2. How many shrines and crosses are there in Poland?

It is difficult to determine an exact number, as new shrines and crosses are constantly being built and existing ones may not be officially documented. However, it is estimated that there are tens of thousands of shrines and crosses scattered throughout Poland.

3. What are some notable shrines and crosses in Poland?

Some notable shrines and crosses in Poland include the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, which houses the famous Black Madonna icon, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń, which is home to the world's largest basilica, and the Cross Mountain in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, a popular pilgrimage site.

4. How old are the shrines and crosses in Poland?

The age of shrines and crosses in Poland varies greatly. Some may date back to the early Middle Ages, while others may have been built in more recent times. The oldest known shrine in Poland is the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Ołpiny, which was built in the 9th century.

5. Are there any special customs or traditions associated with visiting shrines and crosses in Poland?

Yes, there are several customs and traditions associated with visiting shrines and crosses in Poland. These may include lighting candles, leaving offerings, and participating in religious processions. It is also common for visitors to pray or attend mass at these sites.

Similar threads

  • General Discussion
Replies
9
Views
3K
Replies
9
Views
4K
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • General Discussion
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
11
Views
2K
  • Computing and Technology
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
59
Views
12K
  • Nuclear Engineering
Replies
3
Views
2K
Back
Top