Storkyrkan
Encyclopedia
Sankt Nikolai kyrka most commonly known as Storkyrkan (The Great Church) and Stockholms domkyrka (Stockholm Cathedral), is the oldest church in Gamla Stan
, the old town in central Stockholm
, Sweden
. It is an important example of Swedish Brick Gothic
. Situated next to the Royal Palace
, it forms the western end of Slottsbacken
, the major approach to the Royal Palace, while the streets Storkyrkobrinken
, Högvaktsterrassen
, and Trångsund passes north and west of it respectively. South of the church is the Stockholm Stock Exchange Building
facing the Stortorget
square and containing the Swedish Academy
, Nobel Library
, and Nobel Museum
.
, the founder of the city itself. For nearly four hundred years it was the only parish church in the city, the other churches of comparible antiquity originally built to serve the spiritual needs religious communities (e. g., Riddarholm Church). It became a Lutheran Protestant church in 1527. The parish church since the Middle Ages of the Nikolai parish, covering the whole island on which the Old Town stands, it has also been the cathedral of Stockholm
since the Diocese of Stockholm was created out of the Archdiocese of Uppsala
and the Diocese of Strängnäs
in 1942. Because of its convenient size and its proximity to the earlier royal castle
and the present royal palace
it has frequently been the site of major events in Swedish history, such as coronations, royal wedding and royal funerals. The last Swedish king to be crowned here was Oscar II
in 1873. Crown Princess Victoria, oldest daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, was married to Daniel Westling
on 19 June, 2010 at the Storkyrkan, the same date on which her parents were also married in Storkyrkan in 1976.
attributed to Bernt Notke
(1489). The statue, commissioned to commemorate the Battle of Brunkeberg
(1471), also serves as a reliquary
, containing relics supposedly of Saint George
and two other saints. A copy from the early 20th century is found on Österlånggatan
just south of the church.
The church also contains a copy of the oldest known image of Stockholm, the painting Vädersolstavlan
("The Sun Dog Painting"), a 1632 copy of a lost original from 1535. The painting was commissioned by the scholar and reformer Olaus Petri
, a 19th century statue of whom is found on the eastern side of the church. It depicts a halo
display, e.g. sun dog
s, which gives the painting its name and in the 16th century was interpreted as a presage.
The monumental pulpit
is the work of Burchard Precht in 1698-1702 and is in a French Baroque style and became the model for a number of other large pulpits in Sweden. From the rear of its lofty sounding board
issues widely billowing dragery, in front of which hover two large winged genii
on either side of a radiant sun bearing the Hebrew letters יהוה
. The relief on the front of the pulpit itself depicts the story of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:21-28). The door of the pulpit is adorned with a relief of Christ's head, while, its pediment
is crowned by a statue of Hope with putti on either side. Below the memorial are the arms of the Funck family who bore the greater cost of the pulpit. Beneath the pulpit and surrounded by an iron railing lies the worn gravestone of Olaus Petri
The view down the central aisle of the church is dominated on either side by the Royal Pews, one facing the other on either side of the central aisle. They were designed by the celebrated architect Nicodemus Tessin the Younger
and made by Butchard Precht.
Each consists of a large enclosed box with decorated sides and back. High above each of the Royal Pews is a large royal crown forming a canopy above it, supported by two genii
in flowing mantles, and from which billows sculptured hangings behind the royal seat, while above hover numerous putti. The royal seats are themselves upholdstered in blue velvet with rich applied embroidery.
The main altar--"The Silver Altar"--is a wooden triptych
with an ebony
veneer
with sculptured reliefs in silver in ascending order of the Last Supper
on the predella
; a large depiction of the Crucifixion of Christ between silver statues of Moses
and John the Baptist
in niche
s with small silver column
s on either side; of the Burial of Christ
(between silver statues of the evangelists Matthew
and Mark
; of Christ's Harrowing of Hell
(between statues of the evangelists John and Luke
and on the pediment
at top of the triptych, a silver statue of the Risen Christ
between two reclining soldiers.
On either side of the Silver Altar is a sculpture holding a candle, one of St. Nicholas, (the patron of the church), and the other of St. Peter both designed by G. Torhamn and carved in oak by the sculptor Herbst in 1937. The rose window
above and behind the Silver Altar was made in Paris in the 1850's, the first of a series of modern stained windows in the church contributed by various donors. The Silver Altar and the rose window above it fill the wall space formerly occupied by the apse
of the medieval chancel
removed by Gustavus Vasa
when he expanded the fortifications of the Tre Kronor Castle
, while the statue of the Olaus Petri
monument at the back exterior of the church stands on the site of the medieval high altar.
Gamla stan
Gamla stan , until 1980 officially Staden mellan broarna , is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen. The surrounding islets Riddarholmen, Helgeandsholmen, and Strömsborg are officially part of, but not colloquially included in, Gamla stan...
, the old town in central 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 an important example of Swedish Brick Gothic
Brick Gothic
Brick Gothic is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northern Europe, especially in Northern Germany and the regions around the Baltic Sea that do not have natural rock resources. The buildings are essentially built from bricks...
. Situated next to the Royal Palace
Stockholm Palace
The Stockholm Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. . Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen , in Gamla Stan in the capital, Stockholm...
, it forms the western end of Slottsbacken
Slottsbacken
Slottsbacken is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.It stretches east from the Stockholm Cathedral and the Royal Palace down to the street Skeppsbron which passes along the eastern waterfront of the old town...
, the major approach to the Royal Palace, while the streets Storkyrkobrinken
Storkyrkobrinken
Storkyrkobrinken is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.Leading from Högvaktsterrassen near the Royal Palace down to Myntgatan and Riddarhustorget it forms a parallel street to Salviigränd and Stora Gråmunkegränd and is crossed by Trångsund, Prästgatan, and...
, Högvaktsterrassen
Högvaktsterrassen
Högvaktsterrassen is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden passing west of Yttre Borgården, the outer court of the Stockholm Palace....
, and Trångsund passes north and west of it respectively. South of the church is the Stockholm Stock Exchange Building
Stockholm Stock Exchange Building
The Stock Exchange Building is a building originally erected for, and is still owned by, the Swedish Academy, located on the north side of the square Stortorget in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden....
facing the Stortorget
Stortorget (Stockholm)
Stortorget is a small public square in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is the oldest square in Stockholm, the historical centre around which the medieval urban conglomeration gradually came into being...
square and containing the Swedish Academy
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...
, Nobel Library
Nobel Library
The Nobel Library is the public library of the Swedish academy instituted to assist the evaluation of Nobel laureates to the Prize in Literature and other awards granted by the academy...
, and Nobel Museum
Nobel Museum
The Nobel Museum is a museum devoted to circulate information on the Nobel Prize, Nobel laureates from 1901 to present, and the life of the founder of the prize, Alfred Nobel...
.
History
Storkyrkan was first mentioned in a written source dated 1279 and according to tradition was originally built by Birger JarlBirger jarl
, or Birger Magnusson, was a Swedish statesman, Jarl of Sweden and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, which established Swedish rule in Finland. Additionally, he is traditionally attributed to have...
, the founder of the city itself. For nearly four hundred years it was the only parish church in the city, the other churches of comparible antiquity originally built to serve the spiritual needs religious communities (e. g., Riddarholm Church). It became a Lutheran Protestant church in 1527. The parish church since the Middle Ages of the Nikolai parish, covering the whole island on which the Old Town stands, it has also been the cathedral of 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...
since the Diocese of Stockholm was created out of the Archdiocese of Uppsala
Archdiocese of Uppsala
The Archdiocese of Uppsala, Lutheran 'successor' to the former Roman Catholic Swedish province, is one of the thirteen dioceses of the Church of Sweden and the only one having the status of an archdiocese.-Lutheran archdiocese:...
and the Diocese of Strängnäs
Diocese of Strängnäs
The Diocese of Strängnäs is a part of the Church of Sweden and has its seat in Strängnäs Cathedral in Strängnäs, south of Lake Mälaren. The diocese is made up of the two provinces Närke and Södermanland .The diocese was first a suffragan of the Diocese of Lund, which in 1104 was elevated to...
in 1942. Because of its convenient size and its proximity to the earlier royal castle
Tre kronor (castle)
Tre Kronor or Three Crowns was a castle located in Stockholm, Sweden, on the site where Stockholm Palace is today. It is believed to have been a citadel that Birger Jarl built into a royal castle in the middle of the 13th century...
and the present royal palace
Stockholm Palace
The Stockholm Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. . Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen , in Gamla Stan in the capital, Stockholm...
it has frequently been the site of major events in Swedish history, such as coronations, royal wedding and royal funerals. The last Swedish king to be crowned here was Oscar II
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
in 1873. Crown Princess Victoria, oldest daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, was married to Daniel Westling
Daniel Westling
Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland is the husband of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. Prior to his marriage to the heiress apparent, Daniel was a personal trainer and gym owner and ran a company called Balance Training with three gyms in central Stockholm.-Early life:Daniel was born in Örebro ...
on 19 June, 2010 at the Storkyrkan, the same date on which her parents were also married in Storkyrkan in 1976.
Interior
The most famous of its treasures is the dramatic wooden statue of Saint George and the DragonSaint George and the Dragon
The episode of Saint George and the Dragon appended to the hagiography of Saint George was Eastern in origin, brought back with the Crusaders and retold with the courtly appurtenances belonging to the genre of Romance...
attributed to Bernt Notke
Bernt Notke
' was the most important German painter and sculptor in Northern Europe in his times....
(1489). The statue, commissioned to commemorate the Battle of Brunkeberg
Battle of Brunkeberg
The Battle of Brunkeberg was fought on October 10, 1471 between the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Elder and forces led by Danish king Christian I.-Background:...
(1471), also serves as a reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
, containing relics supposedly of Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
and two other saints. A copy from the early 20th century is found on Österlånggatan
Österlånggatan
Österlånggatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching southward from Slottsbacken to Järntorget, it forms a parallel street to Baggensgatan and Skeppsbron...
just south of the church.
The church also contains a copy of the oldest known image of Stockholm, the painting Vädersolstavlan
Vädersolstavlan
is an oil-on-panel painting depicting a halo display, an atmospheric optical phenomenon, observed over Stockholm on April 20, 1535. It is named after the sun dogs appearing on the upper right part of the painting...
("The Sun Dog Painting"), a 1632 copy of a lost original from 1535. The painting was commissioned by the scholar and reformer Olaus Petri
Olaus Petri
Olof Persson , better known under the Latin form of his name, Olaus Petri , was a clergyman, writer, and a major contributor to the Protestant Reformation in Sweden...
, a 19th century statue of whom is found on the eastern side of the church. It depicts a halo
Halo (optical phenomenon)
A halo from Greek ἅλως; also known as a nimbus, icebow or gloriole) is an optical phenomenon produced by ice crystals creating colored or white arcs and spots in the sky. Many are near the sun or moon but others are elsewhere and even in the opposite part of the sky...
display, e.g. sun dog
Sun dog
A sun dog or sundog, scientific name parhelion ; , also called a mock sun or a phantom sun, is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun.Sundogs may appear as a colored patch of light to the left or right of...
s, which gives the painting its name and in the 16th century was interpreted as a presage.
The monumental pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is the work of Burchard Precht in 1698-1702 and is in a French Baroque style and became the model for a number of other large pulpits in Sweden. From the rear of its lofty sounding board
Sounding board
A sound board, or soundboard, is the surface of a string instrument that the strings vibrate against, usually via some sort of bridge. The resonant properties of the sound board and the interior of the instrument greatly increase loudness over the string alone.The sound board operates by the...
issues widely billowing dragery, in front of which hover two large winged genii
Genius (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion, the genius was the individual instance of a general divine nature that is present in every individual person, place or thing.-Nature of the genius:...
on either side of a radiant sun bearing the Hebrew letters יהוה
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
. The relief on the front of the pulpit itself depicts the story of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:21-28). The door of the pulpit is adorned with a relief of Christ's head, while, its pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
is crowned by a statue of Hope with putti on either side. Below the memorial are the arms of the Funck family who bore the greater cost of the pulpit. Beneath the pulpit and surrounded by an iron railing lies the worn gravestone of Olaus Petri
Olaus Petri
Olof Persson , better known under the Latin form of his name, Olaus Petri , was a clergyman, writer, and a major contributor to the Protestant Reformation in Sweden...
The view down the central aisle of the church is dominated on either side by the Royal Pews, one facing the other on either side of the central aisle. They were designed by the celebrated architect Nicodemus Tessin the Younger
Nicodemus Tessin the Younger
Count Nicodemus Tessin the Younger was a Swedish Baroque architect, city planner, and administrator.The son of Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and the father of Carl Gustaf Tessin, Tessin the Younger was the middle-most generation of the brief Tessin dynasty, which have had a lasting influence on...
and made by Butchard Precht.
Each consists of a large enclosed box with decorated sides and back. High above each of the Royal Pews is a large royal crown forming a canopy above it, supported by two genii
Genius (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion, the genius was the individual instance of a general divine nature that is present in every individual person, place or thing.-Nature of the genius:...
in flowing mantles, and from which billows sculptured hangings behind the royal seat, while above hover numerous putti. The royal seats are themselves upholdstered in blue velvet with rich applied embroidery.
The main altar--"The Silver Altar"--is a wooden triptych
Triptych
A triptych , from tri-= "three" + ptysso= "to fold") is a work of art which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works...
with an ebony
Ebony
Ebony is a dense black wood, most commonly yielded by several species in the genus Diospyros, but ebony may also refer to other heavy, black woods from unrelated species. Ebony is dense enough to sink in water. Its fine texture, and very smooth finish when polished, make it valuable as an...
veneer
Veneer
A veneer is a thin covering over another surface. More specifically, it may refer to:* Wood veneer, a term used in architecture and woodworking...
with sculptured reliefs in silver in ascending order of the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
on the predella
Predella
A predella is the platform or step on which an altar stands . In painting, the predella is the painting or sculpture along the frame at the bottom of an altarpiece...
; a large depiction of the Crucifixion of Christ between silver statues of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
and John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
in niche
Niche
Niche may refer to:*Niche , an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size;*Niche , Colombian/Spanish football player, full name Víctor Manuel Micolta Armero*Niche , a British Thoroughbred racehorse...
s with small silver column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s on either side; of the Burial of Christ
Entombment of Christ
The Entombment redirects here. For other uses, The Entombment The Entombment of Christ, that is to say the burial of Jesus Christ, occurred after his death by crucifixion, when, according to the gospel accounts, he was placed in a new tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea.-Biblical account:All four...
(between silver statues of the evangelists Matthew
Matthew
Matthew may refer to:* Matthew , the given name* Matthew * Matthew , the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 from Bristol to North America* Matthew , an album by rapper Kool KeithIn Christianity:...
and Mark
Mark
Mark may refer to:* Mark , a male given name* Mark -Business:* Service mark, trademark used to identify a service rather than a product...
; of Christ's Harrowing of Hell
Harrowing of Hell
The Harrowing of Hell is a doctrine in Christian theology referenced in the Apostles' Creed and the Athanasian Creed that states that Jesus Christ "descended into Hell"...
(between statues of the evangelists John and Luke
Luke
Luke is a male given name, and less commonly, a surname.The name Luke is derived from the Latin name , from an Ancient Greek , meaning "man from Lucania". The earliest known recording of the name is from the Bible, The Gospel of Luke, which was written around AD 70 to 90, and it is from here...
and on the pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
at top of the triptych, a silver statue of the Risen Christ
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
between two reclining soldiers.
On either side of the Silver Altar is a sculpture holding a candle, one of St. Nicholas, (the patron of the church), and the other of St. Peter both designed by G. Torhamn and carved in oak by the sculptor Herbst in 1937. The rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
above and behind the Silver Altar was made in Paris in the 1850's, the first of a series of modern stained windows in the church contributed by various donors. The Silver Altar and the rose window above it fill the wall space formerly occupied by the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
of the medieval 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...
removed by Gustavus Vasa
Gustavus Vasa
Gustavus Vasa may refer to:* King Gustav I of Sweden* The play Gustavus Vasa by Henry Brooke, first English play to be banned under the Licensing Act 1737* Alternate name of Olaudah Equiano, African ex-slave living in 18th century Britain...
when he expanded the fortifications of the Tre Kronor Castle
Tre kronor (castle)
Tre Kronor or Three Crowns was a castle located in Stockholm, Sweden, on the site where Stockholm Palace is today. It is believed to have been a citadel that Birger Jarl built into a royal castle in the middle of the 13th century...
, while the statue of the Olaus Petri
Olaus Petri
Olof Persson , better known under the Latin form of his name, Olaus Petri , was a clergyman, writer, and a major contributor to the Protestant Reformation in Sweden...
monument at the back exterior of the church stands on the site of the medieval high altar.