Olden Church ( no, Olden kyrkje) 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 Stryn Municipality in

Vestland Vestland is a county in Norway established on 1 January 2020. The county is located in Western Norway and it is centred around the city of Bergen, Norway's second largest city. The administrative centre of the county is the city of Bergen, where t ...

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 Olden on the north end of the Oldedalen valley. It is the church for the Olden

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 Nordfjord prosti ( deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The red, wooden church was built in a long church design in 1934 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 ...

Daniel J. Muri. The church seats about 500 people.

History

For centuries, the Old Olden Church (then known simply as the Olden Church) was the church for the Oldedalen valley. By the 20th century, the old church had been deemed to be too small for the parish. Discussions were held on whether or not to renovate, expand, or replace the old church. The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage and the

Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments ( no, Fortidsminneforeningen) is an organization focused on conservation preservation in Norway. The Society was founded in 1844. The founders were painters, historians, art historians ...

both participated in the debate on the matter. In 1933, it was decided to build a new church on a nearby site and to keep the old church as a museum. The

Daniel J. Muri was hired to design the new building. The new church was to be built on a site about to the south of the old church. Construction began in the spring of 1934 and lasted for about six months. The new church was consecrated on 19 December 1934 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 ...

Andreas Fleischer Andreas Fleischer (5 November 1878–23 November 1957) was a Norwegian theologian, missionary to China, and Lutheran Bishop. He was born in Hegra, Norway, and was a brother to General Carl Gustav Fleischer. He was Bishop of the Diocese of Bjørg ...

. In 1985, the main entry area was enlarged as well as the addition of bathroom facilities.

Media gallery

Olden Church Sogn og Fjordane 2015-04-28.JPG Olden kyrkje, Stryn, Northeast view 20150603 2.jpg Olden kyrkje, Stryn, West view 20150603 1.jpg Olden kyrkje.jpg Olden nye kirke.jpeg Olden kirke inngang.jpeg Olden Church Sogn og Fjordane interior01 2015-04-28.JPG Altar Olden nye kirke.jpeg Olden Church Sogn og Fjordane interior02 2015-04-28.jpg Glassmalerier i Olden nye kirke.jpeg Døypefont Olden nye kirke.jpeg Preikestol Olden nye kirke.jpeg

References

{{use dmy dates, date=August 2021 Stryn Churches in Vestland Long churches in Norway Wooden churches in Norway 20th-century Church of Norway church buildings Churches completed in 1934 1934 establishments in Norway

History

Media gallery

See also

References