History
Church of St. Anna in the village of Pełcznica (Pelcnica in 1193, Polsnica in the 13th century, then Polsnitz) near Świebodzice, was probably built in the second half of the fourteenth or fifteenth century. Certainly, in a stone form it was not erected in the 12th or 13th century, as some studies would suggest. Information about the church from the reign of Prince Henry I the Bearded from 1226, given as the oldest record, in fact concerned the church in the former village of Ciernie, located north-east of Świebodzice. Another mention from 1228, contrary to popular opinion, did not describe the defensive nature of the church, but only provided information about settlers from the west, exempted from the burdens of Polish law and receiving German law. According to tradition, the building was burned down by a lightning strike and has since fallen into disrepair. Most likely, however, the destruction of the church was caused by the Thirty Years’ War in the first half of the 17th century.
Architecture
The church was an aisleless building, erected in the Gothic style of erratic stones with bricks inserts, from which architectural details and vaults were created. The chancel was polygonally ended on the eastern side (five sides of an octagon). It is possible that the nave was originally wooden and was never rebuilt into stone one, although it was certainly planned, because toothing was left for its walls. A sacristy was added to the chancel from the north. The interior of the chancel was originally crowned with a vault, for this reason it was reinforced with numerous buttresses framing the walls from the outside. Cross-rib vaults were used, with ribs lowered on brick shafts. The nave was separated from the chancel by a rood arcade, probably pointed, made of stone ashlar.
Current state
The walls of the Gothic chancel have survived to modern times, with numerous holes and incomplete height, especially on the north side. Stone relics hardly visible on its western side are the remains of an early modern building erected on the site of the nave. Inside the chancel, the remains of brick shafts of the vault are visible. The monument is surrounded by a wire mesh, so entering its area may be difficult.
bibliography:
Biała karta ewidencyjna zabytków architektury i budownictwa, kościół św. Anny, E.Kica, nr 8666, Świebodzice 1993.
Grygiel D., Przewodnik po historii i zabytkach Gminy Kąty Wrocławskie, Kąty Wrocławskie [bdw].
Świebodzice. Zarys monografii miasta, red. K.Matwijowski, Wrocław – Świebodzice 2001.
Strona internetowa zamkidwory.forumoteka.pl, Świebodzice – kościół św. Anny.