Veit_Stoss_altarpiece_in_Kraków
Veit Stoss altarpiece in Kraków
Altarpiece in St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków.
The Altarpiece by Veit Stoss (Polish: Ołtarz Wita Stwosza), also St. Mary's Altar (Ołtarz Mariacki), is a large Gothic altarpiece and a national treasure of Poland.[1] It is located behind the high altar of St. Mary's Basilica in the city of Kraków. The altarpiece was carved between 1477 and 1489 by the German-born sculptor Veit Stoss (known in Polish as Wit Stwosz) who lived and worked in the city for over 20 years.
In 1941, during the German occupation, the dismantled altarpiece was shipped to the Third Reich on the order of Hans Frank – the Governor-General of that part of occupied Poland. It was recovered in 1946 in Bavaria, hidden in the basement of the heavily bombed Nuremberg Castle. The High Altar underwent major restoration work in Poland and was put back in its place at the Basilica 10 years later.[2]