Saint Eric's Cathedral, Stockholm
Encyclopedia
Saint Eric's Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral
in Stockholm
, Sweden
. It is located on Södermalm
, the southern part of central Stockholm. It was built in 1892 and was raised to the status of a cathedral in 1953, when the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockholm
was created (still the only one in Sweden). The substantial increase in the number of Catholics in Stockholm and Sweden, mostly as a result of immigration
after World War II
, made the old church insufficient, and an extension, designed by architects Hans Westman
and Ylva Lenormand, was inaugurated in 1983, at the 200th anniversary of the re-establishment in 1783 of the Roman Catholic Church in Lutheran Sweden. The block where the cathedral is located also contains other functions serving the Roman Catholic Church in Sweden.
The church takes it name from Saint Eric, the 12th century king of Sweden who, having been slain by a Danish
prince, came to be regarded as a martyr and the patron saint
of Stockholm, depicted in the seal
and coat of arms
of the city.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. It is located on Södermalm
Södermalm
Södermalm, often shortened to "Söder", is a district in central Stockholm. It covers the large island formerly called "Åsön". With a population of 99,685, it is one of the most densely populated districts of Scandinavia...
, the southern part of central Stockholm. It was built in 1892 and was raised to the status of a cathedral in 1953, when the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockholm
Roman Catholic diocese of Stockholm
-External links:** at the Catholic-Hierarchy.org website....
was created (still the only one in Sweden). The substantial increase in the number of Catholics in Stockholm and Sweden, mostly as a result of immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, made the old church insufficient, and an extension, designed by architects Hans Westman
Hans Westman
Hans Gustaf Westman was a Swedish architect mainly active in Scania, Sweden's most Southern province. He performed approximately 120 works in the city of Lund inspired by works of Le Corbusier....
and Ylva Lenormand, was inaugurated in 1983, at the 200th anniversary of the re-establishment in 1783 of the Roman Catholic Church in Lutheran Sweden. The block where the cathedral is located also contains other functions serving the Roman Catholic Church in Sweden.
The church takes it name from Saint Eric, the 12th century king of Sweden who, having been slain by a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
prince, came to be regarded as a martyr and the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Stockholm, depicted in the seal
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
and coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the city.