Kanitz-Kyaw Mausoleum

A visit to the cemetery and the crypt chapel with its allegorical figures is worthwhile!

The local crypt in the cemetery area of the church in Hainewalde enjoys the greatest fame. It dates from 1715. The builder was Otto Ludwig von Kanitz, the owner of the local estate, who had it built for himself and his wife Viktoria. Apparently it took the place of a large estate that originally stood here. It is generally believed to be the work of an Italian Baroque artist who worked at the court of Augustus the Strong of Saxony, under whose rule Dresden and all of Saxony experienced an unprecedented prosperity. This was due on the one hand to August's possession of the Polish crown, but also to his efforts to approximate the unattainable French models. The sculptural decoration is attributed to Franz Biener from Deutsch Gabel (Jablonné v Podještědí), who also participated in the decoration of the well-known Loreto chapel in Rumburk and the basilica in Jablonné v Podještědí.

An important work of Baroque funerary art, the Kanitz-Kyaw crypt from 1715 (the sandstone mausoleum), restored in 2007, has served the community as a mortuary for several years. Inside is the tomb of the two donors, Otto Ludwig von Kanitz (1661-1724) and his wife Victoria Tugendreich née von Kyaw (1657-1716), made of structural marble. He is depicted kneeling with a high wig and in full armor. The Kanitz and Kyaw coats of arms are attached to the base. 17 sandstone statues are attached to the outside. They illustrate an allegorical program in the spirit of Pietism.