Churches

Sacred architecture was one of the most important material manifestations of the Dutch colonists' culture. During the initial period of village foundation, settlers erected the residential and farm buildings leaving the construction of the church for a later period when the cultivated land started to yield profits. Therefore, masses were held in private houses in rooms allocated for this purpose (e.g. in Nowy Troszyn or Wiączeminie Polskim), or in farm buildings adapted to sacred functions. The first sacred buildings were built at the end of the 16th century in Żuławy. They were characterized by a skeleton construction and simple appearance, which resembled that of farm buildings. Only at the beginning of the 17th century, did Mennonites residing in Poland develop a very characteristic type of sacred building, which did not occur in villages founded under other types of law (e.g. German law). Buildings of this type were being successfully built in the entire area included in this colonization. The buildings were made of wood and had a solid beam wall structure covered with a double-pitched roof. Application of this type of structure was a result of the influence of the Polish building tradition. The churches resembled large granaries or barns in their appearance, which was a result of limitations imposed on members of alternative faiths: their churches were not to have any indications of their sacred function. The region of Mazowsze has only two such buildings. Unfortunately, after the war they were adapted for residential purposes. The elder one dates from 1806 and is located in the village of Sady near Płock; unfortunately, the building is in poor condition. However, the other building, which is located in Nowy Kazuń near Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, is preserved in much better condition. It dates from 1892 and was completely adapted for housing purposes; luckily, its mass has remained unchanged since its erection.

A breakthrough in Mennonite sacred architecture took place around the middle of the 19th century. Economic improvement and the desire to participate in public life contributed to the opening of Mennonite communities. This resulted in revision of the current religious and social norms, and also caused departure from the traditional design of the house of prayer. The majority of buildings erected after the mid-19th century were based on the protestant church design, which was adapted to Mennonite needs by reducing the tower's height. At the time, towerless buildings designed according to the fashionable neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance architectural styles dominated the church style^[1]. Examples of this style can be found in Nowy Troszyn, Wiączeminie Polskim, Nowym Wymyślu, and Nowy Secymin.

A total of 6 such churches survived in the Mazowsze region. An Evangelical church in Nowy Secymin, which dates from 1924, is preserved in the best condition; it has undergone restoration in recent years.

^[1] M. Warchoł, Katalog domów modlitwy mennonitów na ziemiach polskich. Przyczynek do badań nad budownictwem sakralnym mennonitów, mpis in author's collections.