St Mary's Church, Bergen
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church is a church in Bergen
, Norway
. The construction of the church is believed to have started in the 1130s or 40s and completed around 1180, making the church the oldest remaining building in Bergen.
as where the rebels of the Birkebein Party
sought refuge when attacked by a peasant army in 1183. St Mary's Church is likely to have been built by craftsmen from Scania
, then part of Denmark
. The church's style is remiscient of that of Lund Cathedral
in Scania.
St Mary's Church was significantly damaged in the town fire of 1198, caused by an attack on the city by the Bagli Party
, enemies of the Birkebein Party. The rebuilding resulted in several architectural changes. Bergen burned again in 1248, a fire which caused an even greater degree of destruction to the church than the earlier fire. As part of the reconstruction after this fire, the towers were heightened and the chancel
lengthened. The church was damaged in several later town fires, but never again destroyed to the same degree as in the fire of 1248.
Although having been built as a parish church for the Norwegian population of Bergen, St Mary's Church was taken over by the city's large German population in 1408 after which it was popularly called “the German church” (Tyskekirken). By belonging to the wealthy Germans, St Mary's is richly adorned and escaped the fate of being turned into a ruin, unlike several of the other churches in the city. Not until 1874, long after the German domination in the city had vanished, did it again become an ordinary parish church, even though sermons were held in German until after the First World War. The most recent restoration of St Mary's, led by architect Christian Christie (who would later supervise the restorations of Bergen Cathedral
and the Haakon's Hall), lasted from 1863–1876.
The church will be closed for restoration work, Jan 2010 until 2015
style church. The eastern part of the choir
shows some Gothic
influence reminiscent of the Haakon's Hall, likely caused by the reconstruction after the 1248 fire. The church is constructed mainly in soapstone
, the oldest parts being built of the highest quality soapstone. Shale
is used sporadically. At least three different types of soapstone is used, and it is likely that the stone comes from several different quarries in the district.
(doesn't work as of 7 feb 2011)
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The construction of the church is believed to have started in the 1130s or 40s and completed around 1180, making the church the oldest remaining building in Bergen.
History
St Mary's Church is the only remaining of twelve churches and three monasteries built in Bergen between its foundation during the reign of Olav Kyrre (1066–93, traditionally 1070) and the end of the twelfth century. Excavations have revealed the remains of an earlier stone church on the site, probably never completed. Commissioned jointly by the king and the citizens and merchants of Bergen, the construction of the church began in the 1130s or 40s. The exact year of completion is unknown, but the church is mentioned in Sverris sagaSverris saga
Sverris saga is one of the kings' sagas. Its subject is King Sverre Sigurdsson of Norway and it is the main source for this period of Norwegian history. As the foreword tells us, the saga in its final form consists of more than one part. Work first began in 1185 under the king’s direct supervision...
as where the rebels of the Birkebein Party
Birkebeiner
The Birkebein Party or Birkebeinar was the name for a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 around the pretender to the Norwegian throne, Eystein Meyla...
sought refuge when attacked by a peasant army in 1183. St Mary's Church is likely to have been built by craftsmen from Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
, then part of Denmark
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...
. The church's style is remiscient of that of Lund Cathedral
Lund Cathedral
The Lund Cathedral is the Lutheran cathedral in Lund, Scania, Sweden. It is the seat of the bishop of Lund of the Church of Sweden.- History :...
in Scania.
St Mary's Church was significantly damaged in the town fire of 1198, caused by an attack on the city by the Bagli Party
Bagler
The Bagli Party or Bagler was a faction or party during the Norwegian Civil Wars. The Bagler faction was made up principally of the Norwegian aristocracy, clergy and merchants....
, enemies of the Birkebein Party. The rebuilding resulted in several architectural changes. Bergen burned again in 1248, a fire which caused an even greater degree of destruction to the church than the earlier fire. As part of the reconstruction after this fire, the towers were heightened and the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
lengthened. The church was damaged in several later town fires, but never again destroyed to the same degree as in the fire of 1248.
Although having been built as a parish church for the Norwegian population of Bergen, St Mary's Church was taken over by the city's large German population in 1408 after which it was popularly called “the German church” (Tyskekirken). By belonging to the wealthy Germans, St Mary's is richly adorned and escaped the fate of being turned into a ruin, unlike several of the other churches in the city. Not until 1874, long after the German domination in the city had vanished, did it again become an ordinary parish church, even though sermons were held in German until after the First World War. The most recent restoration of St Mary's, led by architect Christian Christie (who would later supervise the restorations of Bergen Cathedral
Bergen Cathedral
Bergen Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Bjørgvin. Located in the city centre of Bergen, Norway, the first recorded reference to it is dated 1181. It retains its ancient dedication to St Olaf ....
and the Haakon's Hall), lasted from 1863–1876.
The church will be closed for restoration work, Jan 2010 until 2015
Structure
St Mary's Church is a two-towered, three-naved, mainly RomanesqueRomanesque 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,...
style church. The eastern part of the choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
shows some Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
influence reminiscent of the Haakon's Hall, likely caused by the reconstruction after the 1248 fire. The church is constructed mainly in soapstone
Soapstone
Soapstone is a metamorphic rock, a talc-schist. It is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich in magnesium. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occurs in the areas where tectonic plates are subducted, changing rocks by heat and pressure, with influx...
, the oldest parts being built of the highest quality soapstone. Shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
is used sporadically. At least three different types of soapstone is used, and it is likely that the stone comes from several different quarries in the district.
External links
(doesn't work as of 7 feb 2011)