Poland – March 2025 – From February 28 to March 2 the Training Program for the Salesian Animators of the Piła Province (PLN) gathered approximately 130 young leaders of the Salesian Youth Movement for an enriching formation experience Friday evening was dedicated to community-building and the traditional “Salesian Goodnight” message delivered by Sr participants engaged in sessions tailored to different age groups: Younger participants explored animation through sports and the Preventive System First-level Animators focused on relationships and responsibility Experienced Animators deepened their knowledge of liturgy The evening featured silent adoration and the missionary testimony of Milena Kowalik Sunday brought a moment of reflection and the Eucharistic celebration at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul The next Salesian Animators Training session will take place in Piła during the Province Feast ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007 This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve World Heritage partnerships for conservation Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in today’s complex world where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development Our Partners Donate Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information The wooden churches of southern Little Poland represent outstanding examples of the different aspects of medieval church-building traditions in Roman Catholic culture common in eastern and northern Europe since the Middle Ages these churches were sponsored by noble families and became status symbols They offered an alternative to the stone structures erected in urban centres Les églises en bois du sud de la Petite Pologne représentent des exemples exceptionnels des différents aspects des traditions de construction des églises médiévales dans la culture catholique romaine Utilisant la technique des rondins de bois disposés horizontalement répandue en Europe du Nord et de l’Est depuis le Moyen Âge ces églises étaient construites par les familles nobles et devinrent également un signe de prestige Elles offraient une solution de rechange intéressante aux constructions de maçonnerie pratiquées dans les centres urbains تشكل الكنائس الخشبية في جنوب بولندا الصغيرة الامثلة البارزة للمظاهر المختلفة لتقاليد بناء الكنائس القروسطية في الثقافة الكاثوليكية الرومانية وتم استعمال تقنية الحطبات المدوّرة الخشبية الموضوعة بشكل أفقي والتي كانت شائعة في أوروبا الشمالية والشرقية منذ القرون الوسطى فهذه الكنائس شيّدتها العائلات النبيلة وأصبحت ايضًا علامة للفخامة كما توفر حلاً ذكيًا لتحول عملية تشييد المباني الممارسة في المراكز المدنيّة 南部小波兰木质教堂反映了中世纪教堂建筑的不同侧面，是罗马天主教传统文化的典型代表。建筑手法采用水平伐木技术，这种技术自中世纪时就在北欧和东欧盛行。这类教堂由贵族家庭赞助修建，后来成为地位的象征。对于石质结构来说，这种木制建筑物构成了市中心的另一建筑特征。 Деревянные церкви на юге Малой Польши – яркая иллюстрация того что в средневековом церковном строительстве в римско-католической культуре могли проявляться самые различные тенденции Построенные с использованием методов горизонтальной укладки бревен характерных для Восточной и Северной Европы со Средних веков эти церкви были заказаны знатными родами и приобрели символическое значение Они составили альтернативу каменным сооружениям Estas iglesias son ejemplos excepcionales de los diversos medios tradicionalmente utilizados para la construcción de los lugares de culto católicos romanos en la Edad Media Para edificarlas se utilizó una técnica muy extendida en Europa Septentrional y Oriental desde los tiempos medievales que consiste en la colocación horizontal de cilindros de madera La construcción de estos templos era costeada por familias nobles y llegaron a convertirse en un símbolo de prestigio social Desde el punto de vista arquitectónico ofrecieron una alternativa interesante a las construcciones realizadas con materiales de albañilería en los centros urbanos The Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska constitute a serial inscription of the six best preserved and oldest wooden Gothic churches that are characteristic of this region They are located in the towns and villages of Blizne which lie within the historic region of Małopolska in southern and south-eastern Poland encompassing the Carpathian foothills of the northern part of the Western Carpathians The churches represent a unique example of the tradition of medieval timber-built churches in Roman Catholic culture They were built using the horizontal log technique which was commonplace in Northern and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages The range of idiosyncratic structural solutions employed in their construction The functional spatial layout of these buildings arose from liturgical requirements adopted from the West The churches have an extensive spatial structure which initially consisted of two elements: a rectangular nave; and a narrower chancel to the east chambered towers of post-and-beam construction were added at the west end (the church in Lipnica Murowana being an exception) and the main body of the churches was circumscribed by arcades known as soboty Thanks to the use of high-quality structural joinery solutions such as the system of roof trusses binding the log structures of the nave and chancel they took on a characteristic architectural form featuring tall shingled roofs covering both the nave and the chancel and thus reinforcing the entire building The churches boast particularly valuable décors and fittings that exhibit diverse techniques and styles of workmanship They also provide an illustration of the stylistic changes in the decoration of ecclesiastical interiors All elements of the rich interior décors are harmoniously interrelated and complement one another perfectly in terms of their content The churches constitute an example of dominant landmarks within rural settings which determine their unique present-day landscape qualities – most of them are situated in picturesque mountain valleys which were founded by noble families as symbols of their prestige all serve their original purpose as venues for traditional celebrations and religious ceremonies; in some of them religious images renowned for securing divine favour are still revered The total area of the serial inscription amounts to 8.26 ha and the total area of the buffer zones amounts to 242 ha Criterion (iii): The wooden churches of Southern Małopolska bear important testimony to medieval church building traditions associated with the liturgical and cult functions of the Roman Catholic Church in this relatively isolated region of Central Europe Criterion (iv): The churches are the most representative examples of surviving Gothic churches built using the horizontal log technique; they are particularly impressive in their artistic and technical execution and were sponsored by noble families and rulers as symbols of social and political prestige Within the boundaries of the property are located all the elements that sustain the Outstanding Universal Value of the Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska Even though they do not constitute an architectural complex in a territorial sense the Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska belong to a compact and distinctive group of ecclesiastical buildings integrally interrelated with regard to their date of construction The property is therefore of adequate size to ensure the complete representation of the features and processes that convey its significance and it does not suffer from adverse effects of development and/or neglect The integrity of the wooden churches is also evident in the close connection between their architectural features and their interior décor and fittings historical and artistic interrelations are revealed which not only reflect local traditions in both carpentry and art but also provide evidence of religious and social relations during the medieval period in this region All of the Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska constitute rural landmarks serving as integrating factors between the cultural and natural values of the local landscape The appearance of new building development that disrupts the scale of these churches and the way they are perceived in their historic setting may pose a threat to their integrity All of the Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska are Gothic buildings that have survived in their historic form Their authenticity is manifest in their locations and settings the structural solutions that were used in their construction (the horizontal log technique the system of roof trusses binding the structures of the nave and chancel defined principally by a characteristic tripartite ground plan (except for the towerless church in Lipnica Murowana) The Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska are also characterised by an authenticity of function since they still serve as venues for traditional celebrations and religious ceremonies including (in some instances) reverence of original benevolent images Important attributes further evidencing the wooden churches’ authenticity are their décor and interior fittings primarily comprising polychrome painted decoration on the walls and ceilings showcasing various techniques and styles as well as providing examples of local patronage The specific nature of this sponsored painting (extant in some of the churches) is also a characteristic feature of this type of wooden church The wooden churches are examples of the tradition and technologies developed by the medieval guilds The enduring continuity of workshop traditions ensures the consistent use of the same techniques and materials thus preventing the loss of the property’s original character The Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska are protected by law under the regulations determining the protection of historic monuments implemented by the national monument protection services The legal obligation to maintain these properties in good condition lies with the Roman Catholic parishes in Blizne Responsibility for carrying out conservation programmes falls directly on the parishes or on specially appointed plenipotentiaries under the professional supervision of the relevant Provincial Conservator of Monuments with the participation of diocesan conservators from the diocesan curiae In order to better protect and preserve the Outstanding Universal Value cooperation between the parishes (administrators) and the local authorities and communities should be intensified Developing detailed rules for monitoring the property and regulating the issues related to obtaining funds for conservation work is also recommended as this would facilitate the churches’ protection and maintenance In order to provide effective protection of the churches and their surroundings the development and implementation of an integrated Management Plan is essential who was put in the Auschwitz concentration camp because he defied Nazi orders not to teach young Poles Antoni Dobrowolski during a 2009 interview The Associated Press says Dobrowolski "died Sunday in the northwestern Polish town of Debno, according to Jaroslaw Mensfelt, a spokesman at the Auschwitz-Birkenau state museum After Germany invaded Poland in 1939, the Nazis outlawed teaching beyond elementary age. Dobrowolski, according to Polska Times became a leader of a secret organization that kept trying to educate young Poles especially about their country's culture and history In June 1942, he was arrested and sent to Auschwitz. The camp was "worse than Dante's hell," he said in a 2009 video interview Dobrowolski was "moved to the concentration camps of Gross-Rosen and Sachsenhausen where he worked as a Polish-language teacher and as principal at an elementary school and later at a high school for many years." "during Nazi Germany's World War II occupation of Poland the Nazis killed some 1.5 million people in Auschwitz Most of those killed were Jewish." Dobrowolski was not Jewish When Antoni Dobrowolski died, the Associated Press reported he was the oldest known survivor of the Auschwitz camp, and this post repeated that claim. In fact, Yisrael Kristal was born about a year before Dobrowolski. Kristal, also an Auschwitz survivor, is now 113 Become an NPR sponsor World's oldest survivor of Auschwitz dies at 108APWARSAW Poland (AP) — The oldest known survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp — a teacher who gave lessons in defiance of his native Poland's Nazi occupiers — has died at the age of 108 Antoni Dobrowolski died Sunday in the northwestern Polish town of Debno a spokesman at the Auschwitz-Birkenau state museum the Germans banned anything beyond four years of elementary education in a bid to crush Polish culture and the country's intelligentsia The Germans considered the Poles an inferior race and the education policy was part of a plan to use Poles as a "slave race." An underground effort by Poles to continue to teach children immediately emerged with those caught punished by being sent to concentration camps or prisons Dobrowolski was among the Poles engaged in the underground effort and he arrested by the Gestapo and sent to Auschwitz in 1942 was later moved to the concentration camps of Gross-Rosen and then Sachsenhausen where he was liberated in the spring of 1945 at the war's end according to information provided by the Auschwitz memorial museum in southern Poland At least 1.1 million people were killed by the Germans at Auschwitz-Birkenau (ANS - Toruń) - The School for Salesian Animators (SAS) at the Salesian Schools in Toruń."Thanks to the great variety of workshops we had the opportunity to exchange experiences and acquire useful knowledge to do a better job with young people" on the idea of the ​​SAS young people of the Poland-Piła Province (PLN) the organizers decided to articulate the program in a series of three formation meetings to be conducted during the school year Almost 90 young animators and educators from various groups and communities of Aleksandrów Kujawski Piła and Szczecin took part in the autumn meeting dedicated to workshops on play and recreational activities The meeting served above all to integrate young people with their peers from other Salesian houses as well as to acquire new skills in the animation of free time led by specialists from the "Fantazja" Animation Center in Człuchów and by the Salesians from Bydgoszcz encouraged young people to work creatively and to cooperate in groups the participants learned not only about games and recreational activities but they also invented new forms of recreation themselves They then had the opportunity to test themselves in preparing proposals for a cheerful evening and in conducting games "We really liked the short theatrical performances which we can use for evangelization or during Salesian 'good nights'," wrote the participants of one of the groups in their summary of the conference In the homily of the Eucharist that concluded the meeting referred to the figure of Christ the servant: "In our work being robbed by the boys who came to the oratory But his mother Margaret showed him the cross: “Then John Bosco understood that to serve others is to suffer We do not serve ourselves so much as Christ to reach the reward of eternal life,” continued Fr Okroj “The time spent here has been very useful for us and we will certainly use many of the games we learned in the future,” said one of the young participants While one of the Salesians present shared: “Surprise I'm not sure how to describe what I felt when I saw a group of animators who gathered in the school chapel for the night prayer .. A video summary of the meeting is available The next SAS appointment is scheduled in Piła for February 2022