About this place
The Church of Saint Wenceslaus is a Baroque church in Broumov, in the Hradec Králové region, part of the renowned Broumov Group of Churches. Although the current building dates from the early 18th century, the story of this site reaches much further back, into one of the most dramatic chapters of Czech history — the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War.
How did the site's history begin?
In 1610, following Emperor Rudolf II's Letter of Majesty, which guaranteed religious freedom, a wooden Protestant church was built on this spot. The abbot of the Broumov Benedictine monastery, Wolfgang Selender, opposed its use, and by 1618 he had it closed and had eight local burghers imprisoned. This religious conflict in Broumov became one of the direct triggers of the Defenestration of Prague in May 1618, the event that set off the Thirty Years' War. The wooden church itself burned down during the fighting that followed.
What stood here before the present church?
In 1676, under Abbot Tomáš Sartorius, a chapel dedicated to Saint Wenceslaus was built on the ruins of the earlier church. It, too, was short-lived: fire destroyed it again in 1684. For decades afterward, the site waited for a permanent, stone-built replacement, which finally arrived in the following century.
Who designed the present-day church?
Abbot Otmar Zinke commissioned the current building, completed in 1729. It was designed by Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, one of the leading architects of Central European Baroque, and is one of ten churches that make up the Broumov Group of Churches. The building follows the plan of an elongated Greek cross with rounded corners and has no tower, setting it apart from many churches of the period. Its walls are built of rubble stone and irregular ashlar blocks, with architectural details carved from grey sandstone.
What can be seen inside?
The interior is decorated with 1784 frescoes by Felix Anton Scheffler, depicting the apotheosis of Saint Wenceslaus and a cycle of six scenes from his life. The main altar holds a 19th-century painting of Saint Wenceslaus and Saint John of Nepomuk by Wilhelm Kandler. The decoration is completed by two oval oil paintings of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, along with statues of saints produced in Tyrolean workshops.
What happened to the church in modern times?
Following the Josephine dissolution of the monastery in 1788, the church was put to various uses, and after 1950, during the communist era, it even served as a storage warehouse. Restoration work began only after 1989, and the church was reconsecrated on 28 September 1995, the feast day of its patron, Saint Wenceslaus. Since 1 July 2022, it has been protected as a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic.
Where exactly is the church located?
The church stands in Broumov, in the Náchod district of the Hradec Králové region, alongside the town's other landmarks — Broumov is known for its exceptional cluster of Baroque churches designed by the Dientzenhofer family.
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the Church of Saint Wenceslaus in Broumov? The present Baroque building was designed by Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer and completed in 1729 under Abbot Otmar Zinke.
Why is this site connected to the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War? The closure of an earlier wooden Protestant church here by Abbot Wolfgang Selender in 1618, and the imprisonment of eight burghers, became one of the direct triggers of the Defenestration of Prague, which set off the Thirty Years' War.
What can be seen inside the church? Frescoes by Felix Anton Scheffler from 1784 depicting the apotheosis of Saint Wenceslaus, an altar painting by Wilhelm Kandler, and statues carved in Tyrolean workshops.
Is the church a legally protected heritage site? Yes, since 1 July 2022 the church has held the status of a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic.
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