Skagen Kirke
The Skagen Kirke is the church in the northernmost Danish city of Skagen and the successor to the silted up church . The church planned by Christian Frederik Hansen was consecrated in 1841. In 1910 it was expanded by Ulrik Plesner and Thorvald Bindesbøll , while maintaining the strict symmetry of the building. The building belongs to the diocese of Aalborg, the Evangelical Lutheran People's Church in Denmark .
history
Silted up church
As early as the 13th century, Skagen received a church, which was south of today's city. The exact date of construction is not known, but it was mentioned in a source from 1387. It was consecrated to St. Lawrence . At that time Skagen was a big place due to fishing and agriculture, so that the church with a length of 45 meters was the largest church in Vendsyssel . After a sand storm in 1775, the church could not be entered at first. The church had to be stripped of sand regularly for twenty years before it was shut down in 1795. The surrounding cemetery was used until 1810, while large parts of the church were reused as building materials. Due to its height of 22 meters, the tower was whitewashed and used as a navigation mark. Today it is a tourist attraction, but church services are held there again in the summer months.
From 1795 the parish had no church, so two small chapels were used. Several collections took place in order to be able to erect a new church building.
The church building from 1841
A church building was commissioned from the architect Christian Frederik Hansen , which was completed in 1841. It was built in a strictly symmetrical neo-classical style. It was very bright inside through large windows. On the other hand, its exterior was inconspicuous as it was painted a gray shade. In addition, the church did not have a tower. A small wooden belfry had been set up next to the church.
As a result of the revival movement, the number of people attending church services increased sharply, so that from 1896 not all churchgoers could find a place on Sundays. A parish hall was built opposite the church. The church organ originally belonged to Queen Caroline Amalie. After the church was expanded in 1910, the small organ was installed in the parish hall.
The expansion of 1910
Although there was a need for a significantly larger church building, the congregation only wanted Christian Frederik Hansen to expand the existing building for financial reasons . The architects Ulrik Plesner and Thorvald Bindesbøll were commissioned with the expansion so that the church can accommodate 800 visitors in the future. The church was expanded to the east. A 36 meter high tower was erected in the west. The floor of the church was moved further down, so that the interior was larger. The church previously stood on a hill about one meter high, now the terrain is flat. A gallery was installed on three sides of the church, which offers additional seats on the north and south sides. The organ was later placed on the west gallery. Under the galleries there are white hollows on the windows, which direct the daylight from the windows into the interior of the church. As a result, the church still looks very bright despite the galleries in front of the windows, and the windows have also been extended downwards.
inventory
Altar, pulpit and baptismal font
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What is striking about the church in Skagen is the unusual position of the pulpit in the middle in front of the altar. The architects wanted to keep the symmetry of the space here too. The pulpit is made of dark wood with bronze decorations. Due to the unusual position, the preacher can also be easily seen from the galleries.
Behind the pulpit, five steps lead to the altar in the east-facing choir. This is flanked by two marble columns. The altarpiece shows the scene of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem . The oil painting is by Joakim Skovgaard . The large candlesticks on the altar are still from the silted up church . The front of the altar table is decorated with three square oil paintings by the artist Arne Hansen (1921–2009). These symbolize the Via Dolorosa, Golgotha and the Resurrection.
The baptismal font is also located in the central axis of the room between the first benches and the pulpit. The pool can be moved for different events.
Bells
The church has three bells with automatic chimes. The smallest bell dates from the 14th century. A carillon with 25 bells was attached above the bell, which can be operated from a console behind the organ.
organ
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Today's organ was made in 1962 by the organ builder Marcussen & Søn . The organ case was made in a modern style from light oak in a symmetrical construction, as in the Frederikshavn Kirke . Christen Jutesen provided the designs for this . In 2010 the organ was expanded by four to 31 registers , playable on three manuals and pedal .
Web links
Coordinates: 57 ° 43 ′ 17 ″ N , 10 ° 35 ′ 5 ″ E