Cities in Poland – Poznań, 2 zl

The twelfth commemorative 2-zloty coin from the Poland Cities series with an image of the Franciscan monastery in Poznań.

Obverse:
The image of the eagle established as the state emblem of the Republic of Poland. At the sides of the eagle the year of issue: 20-11, under the eagle an inscription: ZŁ 2 ZŁ. Along the rim an inscription: RZECZPOSPOLITA POLSKA (REPUBLIC OF POLAND), preceded and followed by six pearls. Under the eagle, on the right-hand side, the symbol of the mint: M/W.

Reverse:
In the center, a stylized image of a fragment of the church and monastery of the Franciscans in Poznań. At the top, in semicircle, an inscription: KLASZTOR FRANCISZKANÓW (FRANCISCAN MONASTERY). At the bottom a semicircular inscription: POZNAŃ. On the edge: eight inscriptions: NBP, every second one reversed by 180 degrees, separated by stars.
Obverse designer: Ewa Tyc-Karpińska
Reverse designer: Andrzej Nowakowski

The Franciscan monastery in Poznań
The Franciscans arrived in Poznań around 1640. On 22 August 1643, King Władysław IV issued a special document in which he allowed the friars to settle on a hillside near the duke’s castle and construct a church and a monastery. In the following year, the Poznań bishop agreed to the foundation of a Franciscan monastery. At first, however, the monks settled at the so-called “Grobla”, outside the city walls. After the fire of the wooden church and monastery during a Swedish campaign against the city, construction of a masonry temple and religious house was started on the basis of a royal decree. On 24 may 1668, the foundation stone of the temple was consecrated and the church has survived to this very day. The new church, dedicated to Saint Antoni Padewski, was built in the Baroque style.

From the very beginning, the Franciscans were given the special task of dissimulating the glory of the Virgin Mary. In the period of the Swedish “deluge”, friar Tomasz Dybowski started his activity here. He was a Poznań quaestor at the time of the great poverty. In 1666, with the consent of this superiors, he bought a small painting of the Virgin Mary. He walked around with the painting on his breast, bringing solace to the suffering, joy and trust in Her protection. After several years, the church authorities became aware of the rumors about miracles related to the painting witnessed by the faithful. Several committees were established to examine the extraordinary occurrences and healings.

On 19 April 1669, the Poznań bishop issued a decree on the miraculous character of the painting of the Virgin Mary and allowed the painting to be worshipped in the church of the Franciscans on the castle hill in Poznań. In 1670, the painting of the Miraculous Virgin Mary was solemnly placed in the new temple. From now on the Franciscan church has become the most important sanctuary of the city, and the Virgin Mary presented in the painting – the Lady of Poznań.

On 29 June 1968, the painting of the Miraculous Virgin Mary – the Lady of Poznań was crowned with Papal crowns by prelate Stefan Wyszyński, cardinal Karol Wojtyła and archbishop Antoni Baraniak.

Recently, the church has been renovated. It is one of the most important churches in Poznań – as a place where the Mother of God is worshipped and due to its architecture and interior decoration, which is the work of Adam Swach, and unique acoustic qualities of the central nave where numerous concerts are organized. Around the monastery, numerous religious and cultural events take place; one of the most important ones if the day of the Lady of Poznań – the annual fair of the Mysterious Virgin Mary organized on 12 September.

Friar Manswet Wardyn Source: prospectus of the National Bank of Poland