Birkenes Church ( no, Birkenes kirke) is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

of the Church of Norway in Birkenes Municipality in

Agder Agder is a county (''fylke'') and traditional region in the southern part of Norway. The county was established on 1 January 2020, when the old Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder counties were merged. Since the early 1900s, the term Sørlandet ("south ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. It is located in the village of Mollestad, about southwest of the municipal centre of Birkeland. It is the church for the Birkenes

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

which is part of the Vest-Nedenes prosti ( deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, wooden church was built in a

cruciform Cruciform is a term for physical manifestations resembling a common cross or Christian cross. The label can be extended to architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly describe ...

design in 1858 using plans drawn up by the

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Christian Heinrich Grosch Christian Heinrich Grosch (21 January 1801 – 4 May 1865) was a Norwegian architect. He was a dominant figure in Norwegian architecture in the first half of the 1800s. Biography Christian Heinrich Grosch was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. ...

. The church seats about 650 people.

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1344, but the church was not new that year, it was likely built in the 1100s. The first church on this site was a stone building that had a rectangular

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

and a narrower, nearly square-shaped

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

. Over the years, a wooden tower was added on the west end of the building. From 1660 to 1662, a new entry was constructed for the church and repairs to the tower were undertaken. During the 1680s, the church was

whitewash Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a type of paint made from slaked lime (calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2) or chalk calcium carbonate, (CaCO3), sometimes known as "whiting". Various other additives are sometimes used. ...

ed on the inside and outside. From 1723 until 1762, the church was sold into private ownership. In 1820, the tower was taken down and rebuilt. A sacristy was built in 1841. In 1858, the old church was torn down and a new wooden church was built on the same site. Some of the stone from its walls was reused in the foundation of a new church and to build stone walls surrounding the church cemetery. The new wooden church was consecrated on 1 December 1858 by the

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

Jacob von der Lippe Jacob von der Lippe (27 September 1797–2 October 1878) was a Norwegian politician and priest who served as Bishop of the Diocese of Christianssand from 1841 to 1875. He was also a member of the Parliament of Norway for a total of eight ...

. In 1964, the zinc-covered tower was redone with a new copper roof. In 1987, the sacristy was enlarged to include a small kitchen.

Cemetery

The

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

surrounds the church and it has been expanded several times. In 1888-1889, the main gate was moved from the west side to the east side, opposite the sacristy. There is also a gate on the south side. Starting in 1965, work was done to create a mortuary room under the sacristy. After much back and forth, a separate mortuary was built in 1970 using drawings by the

Gabriel Tallaksen. In 1981, a tool house with a break room for cemetery workers was built as well.

Media gallery

Birkenes kirke, Aust-Agder - Riksantikvaren-T198 01 0001.jpg, Historic view of the church Birkenes kirke AA IMG 2316 KMID 83889.jpg, Entrance to the church Birkenes kirke AA IMG 2310 KMID 83889.jpg, Side view of the church Birkenes kirke AA IMG 2332 KMID 83889.jpg, Main doors of the church Grav Gunder Guttormsoen 1689 Birkenes kirke AA IMG 2321.jpg, Gravestone from 1689 found in the floor of the old church that was torn down in 1858.

References

{{use dmy dates, date=January 2021 Birkenes Churches in Agder Wooden churches in Norway Cruciform churches in Norway 19th-century Church of Norway church buildings Churches completed in 1858 12th-century establishments in Norway

History

Cemetery

Media gallery

See also

References