Warsaw – National Museum in Warsaw (Polychrome Statue of Saint Barbara)

This polychrome wooden statue comes from St. Elizabeth’s Church in Wrocław (a church I’ve visited) and dates to the early fifteenth century. It’s in a good state of repair and represents Saint Barbara, who is usually presented with a tower or chains.

The church the statue is from is interesting as it was Catholic from when it was built in the fourteenth century until the Reformation in 1525, then Protestant until 1946 when it became Catholic again. History is full of quirks, if Hitler hadn’t started the Second World War then it’s likely that this statue would still be in the Silesian Museum of Fine Arts in Wrocław and the church from where it once came from would likely still be Protestant.