The aim of this study is to examine intangible aspects of medieval church architecture from an art historical perspective, by using the theoretical frameworks of  the theologist Alf Härdelin’s theory on multidimensionality and the philosopher of languages  John Langshaw Austin’s the­ory on speech acts and performativity. It studies the relationship between church architecture and liturgy during the 15th century. This case study’s main material is the Upland parish church Ärentuna and the liturgical sources Missale Upsalense novum (1513) and the devotional book Siælinna thrøst (15th century). The interior of the church has been examined to understand how the church interior may have been furnished during the 15th century.  During the 15th century the church had many more altars and devotion pictures than what one can see in the current furnishings of the church. There is a narratological succession in the construction of the building, as well as the iconographical motifs, from West to East, thus the meaning of it becomes increasingly sacred. In that way, the construction of the building, as well as the wall paintings converses, with the liturgy – which has its core in the choir. When lay­people entered the sacred space of the church, they perceived things in a specific order, which creates a sense of order and cohesion within the liturgy. The study found that liturgy produces meaning in the church architecture by giving a visual expression to faith through images. Through performative speech acts found in the liturgy, a multidimensional experience is created by the (theological) fact of Christ's presence in the church. The nave's paintings enhance the visitor’s experience of the church interior as an eternal heavenly presence with motifs such as the Seven days of Creation, the Ten Commandments, the Passion of Christ and finally the Last Judgment.

In comparison with the art production at Nurnberg or at the cities of the so-called Danube School at the end of 15th century stands the simultaneous painting at Munich in the background. Therefore is sometimes forgotten, that there, in this period, a painter Jan Polack with his workshop was active. To his important customers/patrons belonged the dukes Sigmund and Albrecht of Wittelsbach and the Bavarian monasteries (Weihenstephan near Feising), for which he made few altars or portraits. A most of these altars were after that removed from the original sacral areas and today they are presented in the Bavarian National-museum at Munich or in other galleries. Only a few altars, for example three altars for the chapel in Blutenburg near Munich, have been staying on the original place in this small chapel. These Master thesis would like to compare his most representative pictures in the context with the others paintings, which were created in the middle or at the end of the 15th century in Bavaria (circle of Hans Pleydenwurff, Wolfgang Katzheimer etc.). This comparison can help to find the sources of the Polacks artistic expression. A special attention should be devoted his cooperation with Mair of Landshut, because few pictures of Polacks altar from the church of St. Peter in Munich have just been to Mair inscribed. It is also important to point to same compositional connections between the altar-pictures of Jan Polack and the graphics (Master E. S., Martin Schongauer) One highly-valued contribution of this thesis could be a capitol about the possible inspiration of the Polacks artistic expression for the artists, who came from Bohemia and who have been working here for a long times, but who could gain their training in the Bavaria (Munich). At the literature (Jaroslav Pešina) was one opinion expressed, that an altar in a church in Chudenitz concludes the formal features, which reveal a connection to the art at Munich in the middle of the 15th century. However, other authors (Roman Lavička) think that the painted boards of an original altar of Doudleby were inspired by Polacks artistic expression, although any concrete related features were not in the literature mentioned. It is appropriate too, point to the several compositional connections between the pictures of Jan Polack und a so-called Master of an altar from Litoměřice. This anonymous Bohemian painter, who is knowed only according to his most important commission, would be supposed to study in the Bavaria (an artistic circle of Rueland Frueauf at Passau) at the end of the 15th century. It is possible, that he could visit Munich und he could be inspired by the Polacks paintings.

This thesis is divided into two main parts. The First cultural-historical part is dedicated to introduction of cultural-historical context between Bohemian kingdom and Silesia. Historical development of Silesia and its joining into the union of Lands of Bohemian crown is also shortly discussed. The second art-historical chapter in first part brings the resume of literature dedicated to phenomenon of beautiful style. The second part brings resume of literature dedicated particularly to the Silesian centre of beautiful style. And the last part of this chapter consists of a catalogue of chosen works of beautiful style from Wroclaw. Those are Pietà of St. Elisabeth in Wroclaw, Pietà of Virgin Mary on Sand church in Wroclaw, Man of sorrows from Goldsmith's altar, Pietà from St. Stanislaw and Wenzel church in Sweidnitz, Pietà from St. Matthew church. For each of these works a detailed formal analysis is made and existing research outputs are summarized. As a conclusion of researches mentioned above an attempt is made to improve accuracy of dating and to answer some questions related to those works of art.

The thesis deals with European sacral architecture of the twentieth and the twenty-first century. Particularly, it refers to Judaic, Roman-Catholic and Islamic buildings. The second part puts into historical context the sacral constructions of individual religions including their function, characters and typology. In the third part of this thesis the representative sample of significant modern sacral constructions is selected, always under circumstances regarding their creation, the urban description and the setting in a specific location as well as the architectural layout, the interior arrangment and a possible use of special technological procedures at their construction. The mutual comparison and the evaluation of the modern European sacral architecture development are carried out in the fourth part. This section notices the function and the usage of light and presents some extraordinary buildings from this point of view. The final fifth part tries to answer the question, how a modern temple should look like.