The Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Lubin preserves a remarkable history of organ building dating back to the Renaissance period. Archival records confirm that already in 1595 the church possessed an organ with a Renaissance façade. Over the centuries the instrument was rebuilt several times, and in 1785 Martin Benjamin Liebeherr, the renowned organ builder from Góra Śląska (Guhrau), constructed a new organ that became a landmark example of the Silesian school of organ building. His instrument combined elegance of design with tonal richness and coherence. Liebeherr is known to have collaborated with Adam Horatio Engler, one of the most important organ builders of the region, and this connection provided valuable reference points during the later reconstruction. Subsequent rebuilds in the 19th and early 20th century altered the original concept considerably, introducing new windchests, extending the keyboard range, and eventually replacing the tracker action with tubular key and stop action. Much of the original pipework was replaced, and the stylistic unity between façade and interior was lost. After the devastation of the Second World War and decades of partial repairs, the organ eventually deteriorated to a state where only a thorough reconstruction could restore its former glory.
This work was undertaken by Johannes Klais Orgelbau of Bonn, in collaboration with Zych Zakłady Organowe, between 2020 and 2022. Using surviving historical elements, archival research, and stylistic analogies – including those drawn from Engler’s instruments – a new organ was created in the tradition of Liebeherr. The keyboards and pedal were given a slightly extended range, allowing the organ to serve not only in historical repertoire but also in wider liturgical and concert use. The richly decorated case with reconstructed carvings, restored façade pipes, and finely crafted details once again form a stylistically unified whole with the sound and mechanism. The instrument is praised by many organists for its colourful and balanced sound. Klais carried out an outstanding reconstruction of the organ, demonstrating exceptional skill and attention to detail.
The organ contains Sperrventile, which allow separate groups of stops to be switched off. On the original organ, the left-hand switches control the C side, while the right-hand switches control the C# side; in the sample set these have been linked for easier operation. The organ also possesses the historical Schiebekoppel, a manual coupler activated by sliding the upper keyboard over the lower one. In the sample set this function has been implemented as a virtual drawknob in the Console view. The keyboard compass was extended: in the pedal, from C-d1 (C2-D4) to C-f1 (C2-F4), and in the manuals, from C-d3 (C2-D6) to C-g3 (C2-G6).
Please note that the license for this sample set covers private use only – commercial use is not permitted.
This virtual instrument, based on the Martin Benjamin Lieberherr organ from the church of Our Lady of Częstochowa (Kościół Matki Bożej Częstochowskiej) in Lubin, was made possible thanks to the courtesy of The Polish National Wind Orchestra.
Listening perspectives
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Technical details
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Choose which version you want to order. If you want to try the demo first, use the Add to cart button close to Demo version label and proceed to the checkout to get the download link. The only limitation of demo versions is the number of available stops. Click Show demo version button under the stoplist to see the available stops.
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