Mårup Church
Encyclopedia
Mårup Church was a Romanesque
church located in Vendsyssel
in Denmark's northern Jutland
. The church was built on Lønstrup Klint, a cliff on the North Sea
near the town of Lønstrup
in the Hjørring municipality. The area is noted for its windswept landscape, constantly shifting sands and eroding coastline. After hundreds of years of erosion brought the North Sea dangerously close, the church was partially dismantled in 2008 to prevent its falling into the sea. The walls remain at the site, along with the anchor of a British frigate
that sank off the coast in 1808.
and choir. A tower existing in the 18th century was demolished and a free-standing bell tower was erected of wood. The church had arched pilaster
s, some of which can still be seen.
On December 6, 1808, HMS Crescent, a British frigate on its way to Gothenburg
, Sweden, sank while bringing supplies to the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars
. More than 200 sailors were buried in a common grave; seven officers and 55 seamen survived. Two additional British ships sank off Denmark's west coast and the British installed a tablet to honor the dead in 1895.
The church was built in the middle of the parish, about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) from the coast. It was used until 1926, when a new church was built in nearby Lønstrup. The old building was maintained by the Danish National Museum
, which took possession of the church in 1952. In 1998, extensive archaeological work was undertaken on the site. The church had preservation status until 2005, when it was terminated so that the building could be dismantled. The final church service was held Easter 2008.
Lønstrup Klint is geologically unique and has lost on average 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) to erosion per year for the past 300 years. While erosion continued to threaten the church, shifting sands have been burying the Rubjerg Knude lighthouse
a short distance to the south. The lighthouse operated for just a few decades, while adjacent buildings were turned into a museum about the shifting sands. A few years later, it was abandoned.
Heavy storms in the late 20th century and early 21st so harmed the coast that one corner of the church was damaged and by the mid-2000s, the sea was just 9 metres (29.5 ft) from the church. There were heated debates over what to do, whether to let nature take its course, or to take action and try to save church. Danish firms tried to protect the coast and prevent sand erosion,. In August 2007, after four years of discussion, the Danish National Museum, in view of the considerable cost and local public resistance, decided to relocate the church to an open-air museum. At the end of November 2007, the authorities responsible for culture and land protection decided to dismantle the church. In autumn 2008, the roof and interior of the church were removed and put in storage; the walls were left behind, where they will stay until they fall into the sea. As of September 2011, it has not yet been decided when or where the church will be rebuilt.
, based on the book by Isak Dinesen. The 1987 film by Gabriel Axel
was the first Danish film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
. The story takes place in Norway, but Axel preferred the dramatic landscape around Mårup Church.
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church located in Vendsyssel
Vendsyssel
Vendsyssel is the northernmost traditional district of Denmark and of Jutland. Being divided from mainland Jutland by the Limfjord, it is technically a part of the North Jutlandic Island. Vendsyssel is part of the North Denmark Region....
in Denmark's northern Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
. The church was built on Lønstrup Klint, a cliff on the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
near the town of Lønstrup
Lønstrup
Lønstrup is a small town in northern Denmark, in Vendsyssel on the coast of Skagerrak. It is located in north Jutland, Hjørring Municipality and is an old fishing village, with a population of 545...
in the Hjørring municipality. The area is noted for its windswept landscape, constantly shifting sands and eroding coastline. After hundreds of years of erosion brought the North Sea dangerously close, the church was partially dismantled in 2008 to prevent its falling into the sea. The walls remain at the site, along with the anchor of a British frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
that sank off the coast in 1808.
The church and nature
Mårup Church was built around 1250 in the late Romanesque style. It was a simple brick structure typical of Jutland village churches, consisting of naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and choir. A tower existing in the 18th century was demolished and a free-standing bell tower was erected of wood. The church had arched pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s, some of which can still be seen.
On December 6, 1808, HMS Crescent, a British frigate on its way to Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden, sank while bringing supplies to the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. More than 200 sailors were buried in a common grave; seven officers and 55 seamen survived. Two additional British ships sank off Denmark's west coast and the British installed a tablet to honor the dead in 1895.
The church was built in the middle of the parish, about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) from the coast. It was used until 1926, when a new church was built in nearby Lønstrup. The old building was maintained by the Danish National Museum
National Museum of Denmark
The National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen is Denmark’s largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main domicile is located a short distance from Strøget at the center of Copenhagen. It contains exhibits from around the world,...
, which took possession of the church in 1952. In 1998, extensive archaeological work was undertaken on the site. The church had preservation status until 2005, when it was terminated so that the building could be dismantled. The final church service was held Easter 2008.
Lønstrup Klint is geologically unique and has lost on average 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) to erosion per year for the past 300 years. While erosion continued to threaten the church, shifting sands have been burying the Rubjerg Knude lighthouse
Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse
Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse is located on the coast of the North Sea in Rubjerg, in the Jutland municipality of Hjørring in northern Denmark. It was first lit on December 27, 1900. Construction of the lighthouse began in 1899....
a short distance to the south. The lighthouse operated for just a few decades, while adjacent buildings were turned into a museum about the shifting sands. A few years later, it was abandoned.
Heavy storms in the late 20th century and early 21st so harmed the coast that one corner of the church was damaged and by the mid-2000s, the sea was just 9 metres (29.5 ft) from the church. There were heated debates over what to do, whether to let nature take its course, or to take action and try to save church. Danish firms tried to protect the coast and prevent sand erosion,. In August 2007, after four years of discussion, the Danish National Museum, in view of the considerable cost and local public resistance, decided to relocate the church to an open-air museum. At the end of November 2007, the authorities responsible for culture and land protection decided to dismantle the church. In autumn 2008, the roof and interior of the church were removed and put in storage; the walls were left behind, where they will stay until they fall into the sea. As of September 2011, it has not yet been decided when or where the church will be rebuilt.
Dramatic location
In its windy setting on the North Sea, the church received some 300,000 visitors a year from around Denmark and other countries. Mårup Church was chosen as a location for the film Babette's FeastBabette's Feast
Babette's Feast is a 1987 Danish film directed by Gabriel Axel. The film's screenplay was written by Axel based on the story by Isak Dinesen , who also wrote the story which inspired the 1985 Academy Award winning film Out of Africa...
, based on the book by Isak Dinesen. The 1987 film by Gabriel Axel
Gabriel Axel
Gabriel Axel is an Oscar winning Danish film director, actor, writer and producer, best known for the Oscar-winning Babette's Feast , which he wrote and directed....
was the first Danish film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. The story takes place in Norway, but Axel preferred the dramatic landscape around Mårup Church.
External links
- "The final days of Mårup church" Aalborg Calling (August 7, 2008). Retrieved September 8, 2011