Saint Olav Church (Balestrand)

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St. Olav Church

The St. Olav Church (also called English Church ) is an Anglican church in the village of Balestrand in the municipality of Sogndal in Fylke Vestland in Norway . It was designed by architect Jens Zetlitz Kielland and built by master builder Anders Korsvold from Eivindvik . It was completed in 1897. The architecture is based on the medieval Norwegian stave churches . The church is dedicated to St. Olav II Haraldsson . He was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028 and was instrumental in the Christianization of Norway. He laid down the main features of the Norwegian church constitution.

The church seen from the fjord.
Photo of German tourists from 1925

history

In memory of Margaret Sophia Green Kvikne (1850–1894) , the construction of the church was commissioned by her husband Knut Kvikne , owner of the Kvikne's Hotell hotel in Balestrad. Margaret Sophia Green came to Norway as an English tourist in 1886 and stayed. In 1890 she married Knut Kvinke. In 1894 she died of tuberculosis . Her husband decided to build an English church shortly after her death. With the financial help of two wealthy American women, Knut Kvikne was able to build this monument.

The church belongs to the diocese in Europe of the Church of England .

Facility

The altar panel dates from 1897 by the German painter Emma Pastor Normann from Düsseldorf. It represents the Savior. A flag hangs in the choir and shows the church patron. Above the choir there are nine stained glass windows showing Saints Brigida of Kildare , Columban of Iona , Sunniva of Selje , Clement of Rome , the patron saint Olav II Haraldsson, Mary , the mother of Jesus, Swithin of Winchester, Saint George and the patron saint of Oslo, St. Hallvard . A portrait of Margaret Sophia Green Kvikne hangs by the entrance gate.

  • View into the nave towards the choir

  • Examples of windows with stained glass: v. l. No. Brigida of Kildare, Columban of Iona, Sunniva of Selje

  • Flag with the church patron

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d St. Olafs kyrkje in Fylkeslexikon (Norwegian), accessed January 16, 2010

Coordinates: 61 ° 12 '27.2 "  N , 6 ° 32' 3.7"  E