Europe Poland
Gdansk
Dominican churches
church of Saint Nicholas
church of Saint Hyacinth, Polish Jacek Odrowaz
 

For the early history of the Dominicans in Poland, click here.

A brief description.

'Gyddanyzc' first appears in the story of Adalbert, a bishop from Bohemia who hoped to tame the wild Prussian tribe living in the northern lands. They didn't take kindly to his Christianizing ways and martyred him brutally in 997.
The Polish king invited Teutonic Knights in 1226. They proved effective: instead of wasting time on gentler methods, they wiped out the Prussians. They also wiped out the Poles when they took over Gdansk in 1308. The city was then renamed 'Danzig', resettled with Germans, and redeveloped into a mercantile powerhouse, and joined the Hanseatic League.
Duke Swietopelk brought the Dominicans from Cracow to Gdansk in 1227. They received the church Saint Nicholas, near the Jacek-bastion, named after Jacek Odrowaz, c.q. Hyacinth of Poland. The church is built on the foundation of a roman basilica.
Around the feast day of Saint Dominic (4, now 8 August) the Dominican annual fair (Jarmark Dominikanski) is celebrated in the city.

Philately

On these telegrams with a view of Gdansk (Freie Stadt Danzig) at the top with number 2 the Dominican church of Saint Nicholas (since 1227) and with number 1 the tower of Saint Jacek Odrowaz, O.P. or of Hyacinth of Poland.

Telegrams 1937

            1   2                                                                                                     1    2

Gdanks with churches.
Among others the church of Saint Hyacinth,
or of Saint Odrowaz.

Poland 1964, Mi 873, Sc 690.

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