Church of Gunther of Bohemia, Catholic church in Dobrá Voda, Czech Republic.
The Church of Saint Gunther in Dobrá Voda is a Catholic parish church and cultural monument, the only church in the world dedicated to Saint Gunther. Its tower was added in 1777, and the interior holds a five-ton glass altar with Czech and Bavarian saints, plus fourteen glass Stations of the Cross.
Built between 1706 and 1734, this structure is the only religious building worldwide dedicated to Saint Gunther, a German hermit and diplomat from the 11th century. This singular dedication reflects both regional reverence and exceptional historical circumstances.
The church's glass works were made by Vladěna Tesařová, a glass artist and wife of a Protestant pastor who settled in Dobrá Voda in the 1990s. Her five-ton glass altar incorporates Czech and Bavarian saints, and she later added 14 glass Stations of the Cross, a life-size glass statue of Saint Gunther, a glass mensa, ambo and a two-ton Nativity scene.
The church stands in Dobrá Voda near Hartmanice in the Klatovy district, close to the Czech-Bavarian border. The Gunthersteig pilgrimage route from Niederalteich Abbey passes through this borderland, so sturdy footwear suits the hilly terrain. The church is a cultural monument of the Czech Republic, and the whole grounds, including the 1820 chapel over the spring and the wall with two gates, are protected.
The glass altars were created during the renovation phase and transform the interior space based on the time of day and sunlight patterns. This creates a rare experience in a church setting where the interior looks entirely different in morning light, midday brightness, and evening shadows.
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