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When I first set foot in this historic city of Cracow
many summers ago, I was so fascinated with the Church of the Virgin
Mary. There were two things that made this structure stand out. The
two uneven towers of the church, an architectural curiosity of the
city and the interesting story behind it.
In the 13th century, the burgers
of Cracow became a very powerful community in Poland. For the glory
of God, they decided to build a mighty church named after St. Mary
and situated it in the very center of the city. This idea soon
became very popular and the necessary funds were quickly collected,
as every citizen willingly donated money for that noble purpose.
Soon, the search for a proper
architect who would be able to design and build such a church began.
It was also important that his name should add to its splendor. By a
lucky coincidence, two brothers who were both architects had arrived
in Cracow. Both of them were famous for the majestic churches and
palaces they had erected in many countries. These edifices had made
people admire their arts and crafts. Thus without any hesitation,
the burghers gave them the commission to build the church of the
Virgin Mary and the two men began their work eagerly.
The building was to be a great
church built in Gothic style and its two slim sky-piercing towers
were to direct people’s eyes toward God’s firmament.
The problem began with an
instance of apparently innocent rivalry between the two brothers.
They divided their work in such a way that each of them was to build
one tower each. As they wanted to make sure that they would do their
best, they made a bet as to who would complete his tower first. At
the start, the plan seemed to work splendidly and every day, the
towers of St. Mary’s were growing taller and taller while the
hearts of the dwellers of Cracow were growing happier and happier.
However, the competition soon
generated mutual animosity between the brothers. A shared envy grew
between the two brothers until they fought their holy purpose. When
one of them added one new story more than the other’s tower, the
other tried to keep up with the other’s pace. Finally, the older
brother completed his task and to add to its magnificence, adorned
the spire with a golden crow.
In order to celebrate, he invited
his younger brother to an inn for a bottle of wine. They found it
difficult to speak to each other without losing their tempers. Soon,
harsh words were uttered and became louder and louder until finally,
a real quarrel began. Suddenly, the older brother took hold of a
knife lying on the table and like Cain with Abel, struck a
well-aimed blow piecing his brother’s heart.
After a public confession of his
crime, he committed suicide by leaping from a high window of his own
tower. Nothing could erase the memory of the terrible event so, for
a long time, Cracow was immersed in sorrow. As to the unfinished
tower with the stigma of blood and death looming over it, no
architect wanted to complete it. Therefore, the City Council decided
it would only be covered with a simple metal dome.
Thus with its two uneven towers,
St. Mary’s Church became an architectural curiosity in Cracow. The
memory of the quarrel between the two architect brothers survive
only in legend as their very names had been erased from all the
chronicles and annals. The knife, the fatal weapon, can still be
seen today in the Cloth Hall. Throughout the years, the rust on the
knife has been accumulating but some bloodstains can still be
discerned. The sight is a warning for all time, making people aware
of the disastrous consequences of disagreements, pride and envy,
even between loving relatives. In connection with the event, there
also emerged a custom that criminals sentenced to death spend their
last night before their execution in that same chapel of St. Mary.
Which is why it is also called capella captivorium—the chapel of
prisoners.
Good competition might give you
better incentive but I think the best motivation is the one you make
yourself.
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