Hedared stave church
The Stave Church Hedared ( Swed. Hedareds stavkyrka ) is the only condition in their original location at heart historic stave church outside of Norway . It is in the small Swedish town of Hedared , about 16 km northwest of Borås . It was built in the early 16th century and is a simple structure with a floor area of 35 m².
history
For a long time, like most stave churches, Hedared stave church was dated between 1100 and 1300. However, later dendrochronological investigations showed that the current building does not date from the Middle Ages, but dates from around 1500. The year 1506 is considered likely, when the construction of the church was mentioned in a letter from the then bishop. However, some older components indicate that a similar church that was built here in the 12th century was integrated into the new building.
At the time of its construction, the church was still extremely simple and consisted only of the walls made of oak wood, the roof and the firmly rammed earth. Only later was it equipped with a wooden floor, pulpit, and benches, and windows. In 1830, the Hedaredern was informed by a royal letter that they should no longer receive the church, which had been classified as dilapidated, but that they should build a new church together with the neighboring community of Sandhult . However, the villagers opposed this order and received the stave church in addition to the newly built Sandhulter Church.
External repairs were also carried out in 1901 on the initiative of the villagers, and the interior was also restored in 1934–35. The church was then consecrated and used regularly again. The cost of the restoration in 1901 was borne by the Hedareder through the delivery of wood and labor , the restoration in 1934 was financed through donations.
Restoration 1995–1997
The construction technology of the stave church causes poor protection against moisture. In this climate, rot in thresholds, corner beams and wall boards made a thorough renovation inevitable, despite individual repairs in previous years. Before the restoration, the church was surrounded by a tarpaulin tent in autumn 1995 . In order to dismantle damaged thresholds and board walls, the church was raised 60 cm. New sleepers were made from hewn oak and around 30 wall boards were replaced. The repair of the shoring took almost a year. In autumn 1996 the church was lowered again and the shingle roofs were renewed with the same type of chipboard that the Hedareder had used a century earlier. The outside of the church was given a board cladding, which it also had before, and the vestibule was renewed. The appearance of the stave church now corresponds almost exactly to that from the middle of the 18th century to the turn of the century 1900. On May 11, 1997, the church was reopened by Bishop Lars-Göran Lönnermark.
Furnishing
Despite its simplicity, the church has some valuable items, but not all of them are kept in the building.
painting
When the interior of the church was renovated in 1934-35, the medieval altarpiece painted on the outer wall was discovered. It probably dates from the late 14th century and depicts the coronation of the Virgin Mary . When the church was painted in 1735, the choir wall was paneled to cover the altarpiece. The resulting altarpiece shows Jesus on the cross , with Moses on the left and Aron on the right . During the renovation, the picture was divided into four wings that can be opened to reveal the old altarpiece.
The picture on the left wall of the choir shows Jesus in Gethsemane , on the opposite wall the Entombment and on the choir ceiling the baptism of Jesus. The painting of the nave roof with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the four evangelists in medallions . The parapet of the gallery and the pulpit are decorated with images of the apostles .
inventory
A statue of the Madonna stands above the restored side altar , probably the work of a foreign master from the 13th to 14th centuries. The relief of Francis next to the pulpit may come from another medieval side altar. Under a pane of glass on the main altar lies a cloth with a dragon motif - a medieval monastery work in fillet with bobbin lace. On the altar is a French processional cross from the 12th century. A censer in the choir arch is a reminder of the Catholic mass . The gilded silver chalice from the 13th century and the medieval stone baptismal font are still in use.
Next to the pulpit there is a push rod with which the sexton could wake up asleep churchgoers and two spirally carved pile rods with a broad head. Such mourning rods - provided with a mourning ribbon - were worn on the funeral procession at magnificent funerals.
The use of a heavily worn piece of wood with an embedded stone made of green diabasporphyry has not been clarified; it was probably used as a travel or field altar. The piece was found during the restoration in 1901 behind board cladding under the pulpit.
There is also a Bible dedicated by Jesper Swedberg , a wax candle (perhaps from the Middle Ages) and a jingle bag with a bell from 1722. A red antependium and a black chasuble with gold ribbons are believed to date from the same period .
The church also owns a letter of indulgence from Bishop Vinzentius von Skara from 1506. According to the letter, all those who visited the church in Hedared to hold or have a mass were given money for the maintenance of the church or otherwise stated in the letter Practiced devotional practice, freed from imposed penance .
Bell tower
The bell tower next to the church was originally open, but was provided with board cladding as early as the 19th century, which received its present form in the 20th century. The bell was cast in 1814, the age of the previous one is unknown.
See also
Web links
- Hedared stave church. Svenska Kyrkan, accessed November 3, 2014 .
Coordinates: 57 ° 48 ′ 31.9 ″ N , 12 ° 44 ′ 47 ″ E