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Legend of the two towers of St Mary’s Church
The two towers of St Mary’s are of different height, which everyone can see. The bugle call is played from the taller tower – Hejnalica, while the church bell known as Półzygmunt hangs in the lower tower. There are however no architectural plans that would explain the difference heights of the towers. Ask for an explanation and you are likely to hear the following legend.
Under the reign of King Boleslaus the Modest (Bolesław Wstydliwy, 1243-1279) a decision was made to add two towers to the body of the church standing by the Main Square. Soon two brothers embarked on the task. When the elder realised that his tower was much shorter, he murdered his brother out of envy, and the construction stopped. One version speaks that secret forces completed the construction of the tower in the name of the murdered brother. Whatever came to pass, the murderer was wracked with remorse. On the day of the dedication of the temple he climbed the tower. Before gathered public eyes he plunged a knife into his heart, and then he threw himself from the top of the tower.
This knife, which was committed fratricide and suicide, was chained later to the Cloth Hall to reminded what jealousy and pride lead up to. Today people repeat the legend and to prove it they indicate in the Cloth Hall in the gate side of the church on the chained knife.
