"Foreign things you praise—your own you do not know…”
In September, we conducted an authorial project at the Jasna Góra Information Center aimed at youth from primary and secondary schools in Częstochowa and the surrounding region, titled "The Vienna Victory and Its Traces at Jasna Góra in the Context of Events in Poland, Austria, Sweden, and France in the 17th Century"—edition for the year 2024.
September 2024 brought another initiative from the Jasna Góra Information Center, this time directed at students from primary and secondary schools in Częstochowa and the surrounding areas. The goal of the project is to familiarize young people with the cultural and spiritual values that Jasna Góra embodies, as well as to raise awareness of its role in the history of Poland and Christian Europe. A significant element of the project is the figure of King Jan III Sobieski, who led the allied forces and defeated the Ottoman Empire at Vienna.
As part of last year’s “experiment” at Jasna Góra, students from Primary School No. 13 and the 1st High School named after J. Słowacki had the opportunity to tour Jasna Góra with a guide, “Following the Traces of the Vienna Rescue at Jasna Góra.” The youth were interested not only in the historical aspects but also in the spiritual dimension of their visit to a place so close to them yet often unknown and underappreciated.
The Częstochowa branch of the Polish-Austrian Society had organized traditional lectures on the history of the Vienna Rescue in schools for many years (annually in September). This year, they were replaced with a more active form: the tour of Jasna Góra. Thanks to this collaboration, students were able to fully understand the importance of Polish-Austrian connections in a historical context and their significance for shaping national identity.
This year's edition of the tour expanded the topic to encompass the entire 17th century, focusing on events from the second half of this period, including the defense of Jasna Góra in 1655 and the marriage of King Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki to Archduchess Eleonora Habsburg. Students from various schools had the opportunity to learn not only historical facts but also the cultural threads that connected Poland with Austria, Sweden, and France. Some stages of the “field lessons” were conducted in German, providing an additional educational aspect for classes with an extended language curriculum.
The project was carried out under the careful supervision of Sister Małgorzata Kierznowska, the director of the Jasna Góra Information Center, with assistance from Ms. Magdalena Cyngier-Baldowska and It met with great interest from the youth and their guardians, indicating a need to continue such initiatives in the future.
With hopes for further development of this and other projects, the Jasna Góra Information Center plans to introduce new attractions, including making part of the St. Roch Bastion available for tours, where memorabilia from the Vienna Rescue brought from Vienna are located. This will certainly encourage even more young people eager to delve into the history and culture of Jasna Góra.
Thanks to cooperation with the Polish-Austrian Society, the project gains even greater significance, connecting the history of Poland with its neighboring countries and creating cross-cultural bridges for youth from Częstochowa and the surrounding areas.
The idea and initiative for the project come from Ms. Bogumiła Kmieć, who, as a volunteer, guides groups at the Jasna Góra Sanctuary on a daily basis
Thematic Route: "Following the Traces of the Vienna Rescue at Jasna Góra"
Searching for votive offerings related to the 17th century, exploring the historical context of significant events of that time in Poland, Austria, Sweden, and France.
Presenting King Jan III Sobieski's stay at Jasna Góra on July 25-26, 1683, on his way to relieve the besieged Vienna, during which he received the sword of Grand Hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski—his great-grandfather—from the hands of the Paulines, as well as a copy of the Jasna Góra Icon.
In the Jasna Góra museums, also seeking votive offerings brought after the Vienna Victory and those presented by Queen Marysieńka and Prince Konstanty, the son of King Jan III.
The heroic defense of Jasna Góra during the siege by Swedish forces from November 18 to December 27, 1655, along with a mention of King Jan Kazimierz's vows in the Lviv Cathedral on April 1, 1656, immortalized in a painting by Jan Matejko in the Chapel of the Miraculous Image, along with a plaque containing the text of those vows in the Knights' Hall.
To emphasize Polish-Austrian connections in the 17th century, we pay special attention to the marriage of King Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki to Archduchess Eleonora Habsburg, which took place at Jasna Góra on February 27, 1670. We will discover the gifts offered on this occasion in the Jasna Góra Treasury.
