New Gates Return to a Warsaw Landmark After Eight Decades
For the first time since before the Second World War, the main portico of All Saints' Church on Grzybowski Square in Warsaw is once again enclosed by gates. Three new grilles, designed by Professor Karol Badyna, were recently installed, completing a visual chapter that had been missing from the Neo-Renaissance façade for more than 80 years. The parish announced the milestone on social media, describing it as the restoration of something the church had long lacked.
Design That Bridges History and the Present
Prior to the war, the portico arcades were fitted with grilles of a more classical character. Badyna's new design acknowledges that tradition while moving in a different direction: rectangular frames hold vertical bars arranged in a pattern of small rectangles, and the overall finish is graphite. Against the cream-yellow façade, the dark metalwork creates a deliberate contrast. The bas-reliefs, name plaques, and side panels are rendered in turquoise, with a surface that evokes patinated metal. That colour choice is not arbitrary; it picks up the greenish tones already present in the tower finials, the roofline, the canopy above the lamppost, and the sculptural figures set high on the building. The gates close only the lower section of each arcade, so the vaulted ceilings, hanging lanterns, and original wooden doors remain fully visible from outside.
Six Blessed Figures Commemorated in Relief
Each of the three gates carries portraits of two individuals beatified by the Catholic Church, all with strong connections to Polish history. The central gate features Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, the Solidarity chaplain killed by state security officers, alongside Blessed Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, Primate of Poland and a prominent defender of the Church during the communist period. The left gate depicts Blessed Maria Teresa Kowalska, a Capuchin nun who died in the German camp at Działdowo, and Blessed Róża Czacka, who founded an institution providing care for the blind in Laski. The third gate honours Blessed Hanna Chrzanowska, a nurse who organised home care for the sick, and Blessed Marianna Biernacka, who volunteered to be executed in place of her pregnant daughter-in-law. Name inscriptions accompany each portrait, and the relief work emphasises facial features and the folds of clothing.
A Church Still Being Rebuilt
All Saints' Church was originally constructed in the second half of the 19th century to a design by Henryk Marconi. The war left it severely damaged, and reconstruction began as early as 1946. That process has continued in phases ever since. Recent work has addressed the arcades, the tower spires, the exterior walls, the interior spaces, and the decorative elements of the main façade, including its ornate capitals, floral garlands, and sculptural reliefs. The new gates are the latest addition to that ongoing effort.
Why It Matters for Hosts
Grzybowski Square sits in a part of central Warsaw that draws visitors interested in both Jewish heritage and Catholic history. The completion of this visible restoration milestone gives independent accommodation operators and tour guides in the area a concrete, dateable reason to update their local recommendations. Guests who walk past the church regularly, or who book stays in the neighbourhood specifically for its layered history, will notice the change. Hosts who mention the restored gates and the stories behind the six figures depicted can offer a richer, more current narrative about the square than most guidebooks currently carry.
The details in this post were first reported by WhiteMAD, written by Mateusz Markowski, and published on 8 September 2026. This post appears on the Qontaktly travel blog.
First reported by whitemad.pl.