Wang temple in Karpacz

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The Wang Church was built at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries in southern Norway, in the town of Vang, situated by Lake Vang—hence its name.

Lake Vang (Norwegian: Vangsmjøsi), located at 466 meters above sea level, is surrounded by high mountains. The most famous peak is Grindafjellet (1,724 m), where, in “ancient times,” the troll Tindull Grindo was said to dwell.

In the 19th century, the small Wang Church became too small and required costly repairs. It was decided to sell it to repay a loan taken out for a new church. Thanks to the efforts of Norwegian painter Prof. Johan Christian Dahl, who lived in Dresden, this precious Viking-era architectural gem was purchased for 427 marks by Prussian King Frederick William IV. After documentation by the royal architect, the church was dismantled and shipped in crates to Szczecin (Stettin) in 1841, then transported to the Royal Museum in Berlin.

However, the king abandoned plans to rebuild it on Peacock Island near Berlin and sought a location where it could serve as a place of worship. Through the efforts of Countess Friederike von Reden from Bukowiec, it was decided in spring 1842 to move the church to the Karkonosze Mountains, where it would serve the Protestant community of Karpacz and surrounding areas.

The construction site—a slope of Czarna Góra (Black Mountain, 885 m)—was donated by Count Christian Leopold von Schaffgotsch of Cieplice. It lies halfway between lower Karpacz and Mount Śnieżka.

On August 2, 1842, King Frederick William IV personally laid the cornerstone. Two years later, on July 28, 1844, the church was solemnly opened and consecrated in the presence of the king, his wife, Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, and other dignitaries.

The Wang Church follows the finest examples of Scandinavian wooden sacral architecture and is a priceless masterpiece of Nordic medieval art. Built from Norwegian pine, its resin-rich wood ensures exceptional durability.