Pipe organ

Thanks to the efforts of the superior abbot G. Engell (1718–1722), the royal organ builder Jan J. Mosengel from Königsberg constructed beautiful organs between 1719 and 1721. The instrument, perfectly suited to the location, was initially designed as an eighteen-stop organ with two manuals, but during construction, the order was expanded to include a third manual and pedal, totaling thirty-seven stops.

Like all instruments with a Baroque sound, the Święta Lipka organs had a mechanical action, and the air necessary for playing was pumped by four wedge-shaped bellows operated by foot by so-called calcants.

Jan Josue Mosengel placed great importance not only on the sound but also on the appearance of the instrument. The exquisitely crafted organ case in Święta Lipka, a work of the master’s workshop, is among the most beautiful of the Baroque era.

The case is decorated with gilded acanthus leaf ornaments, created by Krzysztof Peucker from Reszel. At the top, there are sculptures of angels playing musical instruments. On the two tallest towers stand the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel, forming the Annunciation group along with a dove. During the performance, the sculptures, stars, and bells on the towers are set in motion. The Archangel Gabriel bows deeply, Mary responds with a nod, the angel on the central tower plays the lute and turns its head adorned with rays, and four small angels ring bells. On the positive, angels playing trumpets rotate.

Thanks to the richly carved frame of the main instrument and the positive built into the choir balustrade with moving figures and the instrument’s sound, it was already considered among the best made by J. J. Mosengel. In 1721, convinced of its excellence, he wrote, acknowledging the final payment of his fee: “Gott erhalte das Werk bis an den Jüngsten Tag” (God preserve this work until the Last Day).