Saint Lawrence of Rome (Święty Wawrzyniec) - the patron of Karpacz

In the centuries-long history of the Karkonosze Mountains, the figure of Saint Lawrence of Rome (Święty Wawrzyniec) has appeared many times. The Christian deacon and martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD most probably came from Spain, from the Aragonese city of Huesca. In Rome, where he had arrived, Pope Sixtus II entrusted Lawrence with the administration of the goods and the care of the poor. When, during the next wave of persecution of Christians, the imperial officials demanded that Lawrence must hand over all the church treasures. He dismissed them and distributed the riches to the poor. After a few days, Lawrence gathered all the poor of Rome, declaring to the persecutors: "These are the treasures of the Church!" Tradition tells about the martyrdom death of Lawrence on August 10, 258 AD on the Via Tiburtina in Rome, stretched on a red-hot grate, which is its attribute in Christian iconography. During the torment, slowly roasted on fire, Lawrence said to the torturer: “I'm well done on this side. Turn me over!”.

Due to the unusual circumstances of the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, his cult spread rapidly from the end of ancient times. He was revered as the patron of the poor, administrators, librarians, students, beekeepers, bakers, cooks, brewers, distillers, innkeepers and vineyards. In the Karkonosze Mountains, he was especially worshiped by glass smelters, steelworker, miners and Walloon treasure hunters, who appeared in these areas in the mid-12th century. They came from Western Europe and traveled through the mountains in search of treasures, for example ores of precious metals. Iron ore mining was concentrated mainly in Kowary, not far from Karpacz, where, according to later, legendary accounts, it was to be discovered in 1148 by a mining master, a certain Laurentius Angelus (Wawrzyniec Anioł). He was to be one of the first seekers of minerals and precious stones who came to the Giant Mountains. Perhaps, the name of the miner- Laurentius was given later, to record his character in history, through the name of the saint, known in the Karkonosze tradition as the patron of miners, steelworkers and treasure hunters.

The development of mining and steel industry in these areas resulted in an increased demand for wood and charcoal for firing blast furnaces, and therefore a large part of the forests of the Karkonosze Mountains were cleared. Cattle began to graze in the meadows and shepherd's huts were built, which later became a refuge for hikers heading for Śnieżka. An example of this is Buda Hampla, currently the Strzecha Akademicka hut.

Thirty Years' War, at the beginning of 17th century, led to economic decline and the collapse of the mining steel industry, but paradoxically it also contributed to the settlement of Karkonosze. The population, fearing the unstable situation and counter-reformation repressions, moved from the lowlands to hard-to-reach mountains. The first mentions of collecting herbs in the Karkonosze Mountains and the production of medicines from them, come from these times. These were the beginnings of the so-called herbalists and ‘laborants’. The herbalists were collecting herbs in the mountain meadows which subsequently were delivered to the ‘laborants’ who made medicines from them. In the 18th century, they established their own guild in Karpacz. Medicines produced by the Karkonosze laboratories were sold to the markets of Saxony, Austria, the Czech Republic, and even Russia and England. At the end of the 18th century, doctors began to fight against ‘laborants’, which led to extinction of the profession. In 1884, the last member of the guild, August Zölfel, died in Karpacz.

The development of tourism in the Karkonosze Mountains was closely related to the development of the health resort in Cieplice Śląskie. The health resort patients initiated the first tourist expeditions to the mountains. The main destination of the trips was the highest peak of the Karkonosze Mountains- Śnieżka and Chojnik Castle. Wealthy people could afford to arrive there on horseback, others had to go up on foot.

In 1665, to document his rights, Christoph Leopold von Schaffgotsch began to build a chapel dedicated to St. Lawrence. The foundation of the chapel was also supposed to mean the final defeat of evil powers and the sealing of the Christian rule over the Karkonosze Mountains. It was supposed to happen through Saint Lawrence- the patron of people connected with the mountains. Construction works, managed by Bartłomiej Nantwig from Gryfów Śląski, were progressing slowly, despite the fact that up to 60 workers were working here periodically. Local residents believed that such a long construction time was caused by the fact that the evil spirits, inhabiting the top of Śnieżka, did not want to allow the chapel to be built. Despite numerous adversities, the construction was completed in 1681, when the chapel was solemnly consecrated on the day of St. Lawrence by Bernhard Ross, the famous abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Krzeszów. 10 priests and over 100 Christians assisted in the consecration of the chapel.

The chapel on Śnieżka was looked after by Cistercians from Cieplice Śląskie, belonging to the Schaffgotsch family. Slightly above today's Strzecha Akademicka hut, they built a shelter to protect travelers in case of bad weather, which was called the "Księże Shelter" and functioned in the years 1738-1824.

The construction of the chapel of Saint Lawrence on Śnieżka contributed to a significant increase in the number of pilgrimages to Śnieżka. Masses celebrated on Śnieżka were very popular. They were attended by tourists and pilgrims as well as the inhabitants of nearby shepherds' huts, located both on the Czech and Silesian side of the mountains. The Cistercians looked after the chapel until the dissolution of the monastery in Prussia in 1810. In the years 1824-1854 the former chapel served as a shelter. The baroque altar with a sculpture of St. Lawrence was relocated to the chapel of St. Anna above the village of Sosnówka.

Friedrich Sommer, the owner of the shelter on Śnieżka, undertook the renovation and restoration of the chapel's sacred functions. The chapel was reconsecrated in 1850 by Cardinal Henryk Forster from Wrocław.

In 1981, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the chapel at the top of Śnieżka, the member of the Administration of the Sudeten Guides Circle, Jerzy Pokój presented a proposal to establish the festival of Sudeten guides on August 10 (a day of indulgence in honor of St. Lawrence). The proposal was approved by the Management Board and the Chairman Leszek Krzeptowski. Over the years, the rescuers of the Mountain Volunteer Search and Rescue, officers of the Border Guard and the services of the Karkonosze National Park also began to identify with the indulgence and the festival. The day of the indulgence has thus become a common festival for the people of the mountains.

The Mass, which is traditionally celebrated on August 10 at noon, gathers around the chapel on Śnieżka nearly half a thousand people, the most numerous of whom are Poles and Czechs. The mass is conducted in three languages: Polish, Czech and German. The celebration ends with a prayer at the symbolic cemetery "Victims of the mountains".