Johann Christoph Glaubitz

Who was Johann Christoph Glaubitz?

Johann Christoph Glaubitz was an architect of German descent who is generally considered to be the most prominent Baroque architect in the lands of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Glaubitz was born in Schweidnitz, Silesia, and spent the first 37 years of his life there. After a devastating fires occurred in 1737 in Vilnius, he was called to rebuilt Lutheran St. Johns' Church, which in 1555 had been funded by German merchants.

Glaubitz, who was among the leaders of the Lutheran community of Vilnius, is credited for developing a distinct Lithuanian school of Baroque architecture, known as Vilnian Baroque, which is best reflected in the cityscape of the Old Town of Vilnius. This has contributed to the widespread naming of Old Vilnius as the "City of Baroque".

There are at least four churches in Vilnius reconstructed by Glaubitz, namely the Church of St. Catherine, the Church of the Ascension, the Church of St. John, the monastery gate and the towers of the Church of the Holy Trinity. The magnificent and dynamic Baroque facade of the formerly Gothic Church of St. Johns is mentioned among his best works. Many church interiors including the one of the Great Synagogue of Vilna were reconstructed by Glaubitz as well as the Town Hall in 1769.