swietokrzyskie region

1. The history of the Cistercian Monastery
in Jędrzejów.

2. The Cistercian Monastery was founded in the 12th century by the family of
Jaksa-Gryfita. The family decided to build a manor and the church of St.Albert. The
church was consecrated by the Cracow bishop Maurus and it was furnished by his
successor.

3. The manor and the church had probably been the residence of the Cracow
Canon Janik Jaksa-Gryfita. Thanks to the Canon Janik Jaksa-Gryfita and his
brother Klemens of Klimontów a first Cistercian monastery in Poland was
founded and in the foundation documents this place was called Brynsich,
Bryszyn, Brzeźnica.

4. In 1140 the monastery in Brzeźnica was
founded as the 21st daughter-abbey
of Morimond. Consequently, it was
given a name of Morimondus Minor.
Then the Cistercians founded a
settlement which they called
Jędrzejów – in Latin Andreovia.
In 1149 the monastery was transformed
into an abbey and it was given a
privilege - the monastery did not have
to pay ducal tributes and charges.
In 1271 the settlement became a town
thanks to the contemporary abbot
Jan III.
In 1447 Mikołaj Odrowąż made a
decision to transform the
Romanesque church into the Gothic
one.

5. The abbot hired well-known artists such as Wit Stwosz, the Cracow goldsmiths - Mikołaj Kregler and Mikołaj
Breimer. Thanks to the transformation the old church was changed into a new Gothic temple with the name
of the Holly Trinity.

6. The Convent was closed down in 1819. In 1831 its buildings were
used as a field hospital. In 1872 Russian authorities set up a
teaching seminary there. Finally, the Cistercians came back in
1945 and in 1989 it was again raised to the rank of an abbey.

7. Source of information contained in this
presentation is the Internet:
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archiopactwo_Cysters%C3
%B3w_w_J%C4%99drzejowie
Authors:
Arkadiusz Żelazko
and
Damian Piłat