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History and decor

Aula

History and decor

To fully understand the message behind the decor of the main building of the University of Wrocław and its rooms one has to remember that in its long history Silesia – with its capital in Wrocław – was the territory under the influence of the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and Poland, and the Leopoldine Hall – just as other historical buildings of Wrocław is the shared legacy of numerous nations.

The decor of the Leopoldine Hall, one of the best preserved baroque secular interiors in Silesia, implements the baroque idea of unity of arts – architecture, painting, sculpture and woodcarving. The main building of the University was erected between the years 1728–1740, with the Hall being one of its first fished interiors. The Hall is built on a trapezium plan, narrowing towards east (towards the dais). It is over 38 meters long and from 10 (at the dais) to 12 (near the entrance) meters wide. Thanks to this characteristic, which was due to the shape of the terrain on which the Hall was built, its interior appears longer than it really is. For the sake of functionality, the Hall is divided into three parts: the elevated dais, the auditorium with benches for students and a musical matroneum. Despite the division the Hall still has a coherent design.

The Leopoldine Hall, presents the University as the Temple of Wisdom, being its miniature, a symbolic representation of Solomon’s Temple. It is easiest to notice while looking at the sculpture of the founder of the University Leopold I Habsburg, seated, like Solomon, on the throne of wisdom. Such design choices show gratitude towards the emperor’s love for science, which became the reason for the creation of the Leopoldine foundation. The decorations of the Hall provide a lecture on academic theses of the times of Leopold I Habsburg. The composition and placement of the elements of decor in the three parts of the Hall underlines their hierarchy: the dais praise the imperial authority, the auditory glorifies the Divine Wisdom and the knowledge stemming from it, while the gallery constitutes praise for the local representatives of the imperial rule in Silesia.

The decor of the dais has a historical context and provides a conclusion for the idea behind the design of the Hall, based on the glorification of the Divine Wisdom and Habsburg’s rule. The walls of the dais form a triumphal arch, the axis off which are decorated by eight columns. On the center, under the cornice, there is a statue of the founder of the University, emperor Leopold I Habsburg, presented under a canopy, or, as some art historians claim after the discovery of other parts of decor of the Hall, in a commander of the army’s tent. The emperor’s motto: CONSILIO ET INDUSTRIA (by reason and industry) is represented by two figures on the sides of Habsburg’s statue – an elderly man with a mirror and a woman with a beehive. They are countered by two negative representations – of DISCORDIA (discord), with hair in disarray and STULTITIA (stupidity), with donkey’s ears. At the two sides of the dais there are sculptures of two sons and heirs of Leopold – Joseph I (on the south side) and Charles VI (on the north side). The scene painted on the ceiling portrays the moment of entrusting the University to the care of the Virgin Mary who is accompanied by saints: John the Baptist, (patron saint of the diocese and of Wrocław), saint Leopold (ancestor of the founder’s), saint Joseph (patron saint of the house of Habsburg), saint Jadwiga (patron saint of Silesia), as well as Jesuit saints – Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier. Within the dais, on a wooden platform there are a lectern, lodges for dignitaries and rector’s and chancellor’s lodges.

In the central part of the Hall – the auditorium – under the walls there are lodges for the professors and in the centre benches for students. Eight paintings placed over the backs of the professors’ lodges depict rulers and dignitaries from the history of the Jesuits, their arrival at Wrocław, and the foundation and construction of the University. The paintings are the only elements of decor which changed a few times before World War II mainly for political reasons. At first the eight frames contained depictions of 13 people. From the east and west sides they were church officials, of which only the portrait of pope Urban VIII remains to this day. Four portraits in the middle depicted – and still do nowadays – secular officials, therefore the frames are surmounted with crowns. In the window nooks there are oval monochromatic paintings of famous theologians and scholars, including figures from the Old Testament, researchers of the New Testament, metaphysicians and ancient scholars and artists.

The scene over the auditorium takes place on the background of the open sky, surrounded by illusory paintings of architecture, continued by real architecture of the walls of the Hall. In the middle a praise for the Divine Wisdom in the form of a dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It is worshipped by the four evangelists, Church Fathers, patron saints of theology (saint John the Evangelist and saint Thomas Aquinas) and philosophy (saint Matthew the Apostle and saint Catherine of Alexandria) as well as other saints, mostly Jesuit. Beneath them, on the background of illusory architecture there are paintings of personifications of twelve arts (seven liberal and five common) connected with the University, including: Arithmetics, Astronomy Dialectics, Pharmacy, Geometry, Grammar, Painting, Music, Poetry, Sculpture, and Typography. They are depicted as women carrying objects which allow the viewers to identify the arts they are representing.

The decor of the musical matroneum completes the decor of the dais, however, while the dais praise the Habsburgs, the matroneum relates to the imperial power over Silesia. A bust of count Johann Anton von Schaffgotsch, the emperor’s representative in Silesia, who overlooked the construction of the University in his name dominates the gallery. The decor over the matroneum is, according to some scholars, a praise for the Human Wisdom, represented by a winged figure of Athena, however it is more likely for the figure to be Michelangelo. The figure is accompanied by Silesia, Viadrus (a god of Oder) and Wratislavia (Wrocław), among others. An illusory door with the inscription C+M+B 1732, supposedly representing the symbolic date of the beginning of work on the painting of the Hall – 6 January 1732, the Three Kings’ Day.

While decoding the meaning of the Hall it is worthwhile to pay attention to the small oval paintings over the window nooks. They are so-called emblems, each of them accompanied by an inscription and constituting unique meanings.

The decor of the Leopoldine Hall was made in 1731-1732. The monumental paintings were painted by Johann Christoph Handke, and sculptures were made by Franz Joseph Mangoldt. Marble-like patterns were painted by Ignaz Provisore and the woodwork was made by Christoph Hollandt.

The grand opening and consecration of the Hall was held on 18 August 1732. On the same day 14 theologists were awarded the title of a doctor. Today in the Leopoldine Hall the most important events for the academic community of Wrocław are held, such as matriculation of new students, ceremonies of awarding the title of doctor, scientific sessions and lectures, chamber music concerts, as well as honoris causa doctorate ceremonies.

Aula
Aula Leopoldyńska w widoku na podium na fotografii z 1893 r. Fot. ze zbiorów Biblioteki Uniwersyteckiej we Wrocławiu

RESTORATION WORK IN THE PAST

Difficult and complicated history of the University, damage to the main building caused by the war effort and the short-term restoration work in the past have made the Leopoldine Hall, as well as other interiors of the building, appear less attractive. The Hall, used ofen since the beginning of its creation, has been fixed and restored numerous times.

  • 1788 – first restoration work conducted by Carl Gottlieb Heinrich,
  • 1908–1910 – restoration work conducted by the painter Joseph Langer,
  • 1926 – restoration work conducted by the painter Fey of Charlottenburg,
  • 1948 – salvage operation after the war damage done by prof. Marconi, re-attaching tha fallen off plaster,
  • 1949–1958 – restoration work conducted by prof. Antoni Michalak,
  • 1974–1976 – restoration work conducted by the Polish Studios for Conservation of Cultural Property of Wrocław and Toruń.

In the first decade of the 21th century a need arose for actions leading to thorough and comprehensive restoration work in order to stop the degradation process and restore the original character of the baroque masterwork.

Aula
View of the Leopoldin assembly hall with gallery on a photograph from 1893. Photograph from the collection of the University Library in Wrocław

The project “Integrated Program for the Development of the University of Wrocław 2018-2022” co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund

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