Swedish Chapel in Opava boasts frescos depicting The Apocalypse
The town of Opava has a unique octagonal chapel, called the Swedish Chapel, which boasts a rare find. Its walls are covered with fragments of 15th century frescoes depicting the Apocalypse.
The octagonal Chapel of the Holy Cross –commonly known as the Swedish Chapel -was built between 1390 and 1394 by Přemek I, Duke of Opava and is now one of the last remnants of Silesian Brick Gothic architecture in the area. The art-historical value of the chapel increased with the discovery of a cycle of 15 wall paintings depicting the Apocalypse. They are embellished with ornaments and have German captions. Art historian Eva Malousková points out some of the images.
“The cycle was painted sometime in the first half of the 15th century by an unknown artist. It was a rare find because portrayals of Judgment Day or The Apocalypse were very rare in Moravia-Silesia. One of the paintings shows the sea opening up and monsters coming out, another shows the Earth burning and fortifications and towns falling, and here we have some terrifying images of the dead arising from their graves and the living taking their place. We see images of mothers torn from their children, and men from their women. And there is one fragment here that art historians believe depicted the death of the duke’s wife. The chapel was built on his orders and the paintings were most likely commissioned by him as well. “
The reason why only fragments of some of the frescos were preserved is the turbulent period that followed. In the second quarter of the 17th century, Opava was not spared the hardships of the Thirty Years’ War. The town was occupied first by the Danes, and then the Swedish Army. The Swedes allegedly used the chapel for Protestant services, which gave the chapel its unofficial name – the Swedish Chapel.
In 1742 the building stood on the border between the Austrian and Prussian part of Silesia. In the 1780s during Emperor Joseph II’s reforms, the chapel was deconsecrated, and it then served as a storehouse and granary. In 1859 the chapel was ravaged by fire and the owners even considered tearing it down. But it escaped that fate when in 1907 the Silesians bought the chapel from its private owners and undertook its gradual restoration. In 1912 during one stage of the reconstruction the frescos were discovered. So far the last part of the restoration took place in 1996 when the chapel was entered on the list of national cultural heritage and opened to public.
Most of the frescos were irretrievably damaged, but a torso of three successive paintings on five walls of the octagonal chapel have been preserved. Despite the damage, the paintings represent one of the most valuable relics of the time. And as Eva Malousková concludes, the cycle of apocalyptic images ends with one final painting that is set apart from the others.
“The last painting depicts Jesus Christ surrounded by angels and there are sinners praying to him. That last painting was meant to be a final reassurance that after all the suffering Jesus Christ would save us all. “
