Ribe Cathedral or Our Lady Maria Cathedral ( da, Ribe Domkirke or ''Vor Frue Maria Domkirke'') is located in the ancient city of
Ribe
Ribe () is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,257 (2022). It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe covering southwestern Jutland. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It ...
, on the west coast of southern
Jutland
Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
. It was founded in the
Viking Era
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...
as the first Christian church in Denmark by
Ansgar
Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" b ...
, a missionary monk from Hamburg, under permission of the pagan King
Horik I
Horik I or Hårik (died 854) was a king of the Danes. He was co-ruler from 813, and sole king from c. 828 until his violent death in 854. His long and eventful reign was marked by Danish raids on the Carolingian Empire of Louis the Pious, son a ...
. The cathedral has experienced several damaging events throughout its long history and has been restored, expanded and decorated repeatedly. As it stands today, Ribe Cathedral is the best preserved
Romanesque building in Denmark, but reflects a plethora of different architectural styles and artistic traditions. It ranks among the most popular tourist attractions in Denmark and has been awarded two stars in the
Michelin guide
The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of ...
.
History
Ribe is Denmark's oldest surviving city. Ribe began as an open trading market on the north bank of the Ribe River where it runs into the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...
. Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, Germans,
Frisians, English and other cultures occasionally brought exchange goods here from all parts of northwestern Europe. The landscape around Ribe is flat, wind-blown and sandy, without any particular natural harbour, but in former times, boats could enter the river from the sea and reach the town. By the late
Medieval period
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, the natural
sedimentation
Sedimentation is the deposition of sediments. It takes place when particles in suspension settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to the ...
processes of the
Wadden Sea had closed that option. Ribe Market was sanctioned by either King
Angantyr
Angantyr was the name of three male characters from the same line in Norse mythology, and who appear in '' Hervarar saga'', ''Gesta Danorum'', and Faroese ballads.
The last generation named Angantyr also appears to be mentioned as ''Incgentheo ...
(Ongendus) or King
Harald Hildetand
Harald Wartooth or ''Harold Hiltertooth'' (Old Norse: Haraldr hilditǫnn; Modern Swedish and Danish: Harald Hildetand; Modern Norwegian: ''Harald Hildetann''; flourished 8th century) was a legendary king of Denmark who is mentioned in several tra ...
as early as 705. In the
Viking Era
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...
, Ribe was a bustling international trade center, making it an ideal starting point for Christian missionaries from
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
to initiate the process of the
Christianization of Scandinavia
The Christianization of Scandinavia, as well as other Nordic countries and the Baltic countries, took place between the 8th and the 12th centuries. The realms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden established their own Archdioceses, responsible direc ...
.
Harald Klak
Harald 'Klak' Halfdansson (c. 785 – c. 852) was a king in Jutland (and possibly other parts of Denmark) around 812–814 and again from 819–827."Carolingian Chronicles: Royal Frankish Annals and Nithard's Histories" (1970), translation by Bernh ...
, king in Jutland, was forced in to exile by his King,
Horik I
Horik I or Hårik (died 854) was a king of the Danes. He was co-ruler from 813, and sole king from c. 828 until his violent death in 854. His long and eventful reign was marked by Danish raids on the Carolingian Empire of Louis the Pious, son a ...
and fled to Germany to get help from
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqui ...
, King of the Franks. Louis the Pious put off Harald's request and offered him the Dukedom of Frisia as a consolation prize, if he would become Christian. Harald agreed and was baptized along with his wife, family and "four hundred Danes" in his company. Harald returned to Denmark in 826 in an attempt to reclaim his former lands and brought the missionary monk
Ansgar
Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" b ...
with him in order to continue the Christianization of the Danes. Harald's quarrelsome nature soon asserted itself and he fled back to
Frisia and Ansgar was forced to leave Denmark.
The first church in Ribe was founded in 860 by
Ansgar
Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" b ...
, who later became Archbishop of Hamburg. It was a timber church, built with the permission of King
Horik I
Horik I or Hårik (died 854) was a king of the Danes. He was co-ruler from 813, and sole king from c. 828 until his violent death in 854. His long and eventful reign was marked by Danish raids on the Carolingian Empire of Louis the Pious, son a ...
on the south side of the river, across the market. Ansgar won the confidence of the king, who had burned Hamburg in 845, Ansgar's home town. But the Danes in
Hedeby
Hedeby (, Old Norse ''Heiðabýr'', German ''Haithabu'') was an important Danish Viking Age (8th to the 11th centuries) trading settlement near the southern end of the Jutland Peninsula, now in the Schleswig-Flensburg district of Schleswig-Holst ...
and Ribe soon complained about the church bells, which they feared might scare away the
land sprites (Danish: ''landvætter''). So in reaction to the increased success of Ansgar and his companions, Young King
Horik II
Horik II (died after 864), also known as Hårik or, in late sources, Erik Barn (Danish: "Erik the Child"), was King of the Danes from the fall of Horik I in 854 to an unknown date between 864 and 873. During his reign the Danish kingdom showed ...
closed the church in Hedeby. Eventually Ansgar also won Horik the Younger's friendship, and the church was later reopened.
St.
Rimbert Saint Rimbert (or Rembert) (''c.'' 830 - 11 June 888 in Bremen) was archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, in the northern part of the Kingdom of East Frankia from 865 until his death in 888. He most famously wrote the hagiography about the life Ansgar, t ...
(ca. 830–888) who succeeded Ansgar, died in 888. Following his death, the mission to the Danes collapsed, the missionaries moved on, and the church was burned down to eradicate any memory of the "foreign" religion.
Ribe was established as a diocese for St.
Leofdag, the first Bishop of Ribe, in 948 under the supervision of the Archbishop of Hamburg, who was authorized by the Roman Curia to proselytize the Danes. Leofdag was murdered that same year, when a
housecarl
A housecarl ( on, húskarl; oe, huscarl) was a non- servile manservant or household bodyguard in medieval Northern Europe.
The institution originated amongst the Norsemen of Scandinavia, and was brought to Anglo-Saxon England by the Danish con ...
skewered him with a spear, as he forded the river at Ribe. Although never canonized, Leofdag was revered as a local saint, until the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
. His remains would eventually end up in Ribe Cathedral.
The first stone cathedral, was begun by Bishop Thur in 1110 and stood completed in 1134.
Tufa
Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of water in unheated rivers or lakes. Geothermally heated hot springs sometimes produce similar (but less porous) carbonate deposits, which are known as travertin ...
stone was imported from Germany to build the permanent structure, as stone was a scarce resource around Ribe. The cathedral was built in the Romanesque style, with half-rounded arches supporting a flat timber ceiling, a typical basilica style building, patterned after churches in northern Germany.
King
Erik II of Denmark (Danish:''Erik Emune'') was murdered at the Urnehoved Assembly (Danish: ''Ting'') in July 1137 by Chief Sorte Plov in revenge for the execution of a relative. The king was buried inside the cathedral. King Erik's three-year reign, was a short pause in the unrelenting competition for the throne of Denmark. King Erik earned the nickname "Bloody Erik" for his execution of his own brother Harald and ten (or eleven) of Harald's twelve sons. Later historians have nevertheless called him "Erik Who ought to be Remembered" (Danish: ''Emune'') in their writings. The royal burial enhanced the Cathedral's reputation.
The Cathedral school and chapter, were founded by Bishop Elias in 1145. He also saw the cathedral's completion and consecration.
A terrible fire in 1176, ravaged the town and the new cathedral. Because it was not completely destroyed, Ribe Cathedral stands as Denmark's best preserved Romanesque building today. The remains of the old church was repaired and extended with new constructions in large red bricks - a new building material for the time. The church was enlarged, so that the nave was flanked by double aisles on each side. In parts of the church, the old flat ceilings, were raised and Gothic vaulting installed.
![Dom van Ribe (40056541730)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Dom_van_Ribe_%2840056541730%29.jpg)
Late in the 12th century, a magnificent main door way was carved for the cathedral. The relief above the door shows Jesus being taken down from the cross. About 50 years earlier, a triangular relief showing the Day of Judgement was placed above the main door. The door is called "the cat's head portal", because of the two lions at the base of the two columns flanking the doorway.
The triangular relief is considered one of the largest remaining romanesque granite reliefs.
About the same time as work on restoring the cathedral was underway, the citizens of Ribe built a second wall around the town. Ribe was without question Denmark's most important trade center of the time, and the wealth that flowed to the city and the cathedral, made such costly constructions possible.
In 1259 King
Christoffer I of Denmark was buried at Ribe Cathedral. King Christoffer was the son of
Valdemar II
Valdemar (28 June 1170 – 28 March 1241), later remembered as Valdemar the Victorious (), was the King of Denmark (being Valdemar II) from 1202 until his death in 1241.
Background
He was the second son of King Valdemar I of Denmark and Soph ...
and was elected King of Denmark after the death of his brother King Abel in 1282. He spent much of his energy maintaining control of the kingdom from his nephew in
Schleswig
The Duchy of Schleswig ( da, Hertugdømmet Slesvig; german: Herzogtum Schleswig; nds, Hartogdom Sleswig; frr, Härtochduum Slaswik) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km ...
. He had feud with the great churchman of his day,
Jacob Erlendsøn, Archbishop of Lund. The argument came down to whether the king had rights over the church and church officials. when the archbishop refused to acknowledge Christoffer's son, Erik V. The archbishop was imprisoned and when he was released, Erlendsen fled the country. King Christoffer died suddenly on 29 May 1259 after drinking poisoned communion wine which rumor said he received from Abbot Arnfast of
Ryd Abbey. He was buried in Ribe Cathedral.
![Ribe domkirke 0146](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Ribe_domkirke_0146.JPG)
Just before morning mass on Christmas Day 1283, the northwest tower collapsed into the church and unto the streets around the cathedral. Several people were killed. In its place, the much larger "Commoner's Tower" (Danish: ''Borgertårnet'') was erected with the idea that it would rise much higher than the former tower. The lower parts of the new tower was occupied by the church, while the upper floors found use as an archival storage of records for the city and as a watch tower. In the
Danish-Swedish Wars, eight cannons were hauled to the top to defend the city from attack. They actually fired at Swedish ships in 1644.
The Commoner's Tower was complete at 62 meters, capped by a copper "Rhenish helmet" including the narrow spire on the top in 1333.
Part of the cathedral burned in 1402 and again brick was used to restore and expand the auxiliary buildings surrounding the cathedral.
After King
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 – 24 September 1459) was the ruler of the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439, succeeding his grandaunt, Queen Margaret I. He is known as Eric III as King of Norway (1389–1442), Eric VII as King of Denmark (1 ...
was deposed in 1439, his nephew, Prince
Christoffer of Bavaria, was selected to become the regent of Denmark. Once things settled down, he was elected king by the Privy Council and proclaimed King of Denmark at the Viborg Assembly 9 April 1440. He went on to be elected King of Norway and then King of Sweden. His
coronation as King of Denmark took place January 1, 1443 at Ribe Cathedral.
In 1536 Denmark officially became a Lutheran nation. The cathedral was closed and the monks who had cared for and lived near the cathedral were turned out. The cathedral was subject to vandalism and neglect.
In 1542
Hans Tausen (1494–1561) becomes the Lutheran
Superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:
*Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank
*Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator
*Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
/Bishop of Ribe until his death in 1561. His contributions to the Reformation in Denmark are commemorated by a statue of him at the base of the Maria Tower. In 1560 the last of the Roman Catholic statues, artwork, altars, and decorations are removed and the medieval paintings were plastered over.
On 3 September 1580, the town center burned to the ground, but the cathedral was spared serious damage. Most of the houses remaining in Ribe town's center date from this period.
The Commoner's Tower partially collapsed in 1594. It was rebuilt but 10 meters lower than previously, but there was no money to add any kind of spire. It remained flat-topped. Between 1595-97, the church received a new pulpit carved by sculptor, Jens Asmussen from Odense.
In 1634, a violent storm surge on the night of 11–12 October flows into Ribe and the surrounding farm land. So many people and animals died in the storm, that it was nicknamed the "Great Drowning". 8,000 people reportedly drowned during that single night. The surge flooded the cathedral as high as the pulpit. Later that year, the cathedral was gifted a new organ to replace the old one.
In 1696, a new large clock was installed in the Commoners Tower.
In 1741, one of Ribe's best remembered bishop took office,
Hans Adolf Brorson (1694–1764). His name is familiar to many Danes as the creator of the first hymnbook for the Danish Lutheran Church. His collection of hymns included eighty-five of his own works. Many of them are included in the current hymnbook of the
Danish National Church
The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark ( da, Folkekirken, literally: "The People's Church" or unofficially da, Den danske folkekirke, literally: "The Danish People's Church"; kl, ...
(Danish: ''Folkekirken'').
In 1843, the church was restored at which time the floor was lowered by half a meter.
Between 1883-1904, the cathedral was completely restored. Each section was put back into its original style, as far as was possible.
To commemorate the restoration of 1904, three new doors including a new bronze door for the main entrance were created by artist and sculptor
Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen
Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen (born Anne Marie Brodersen; 21 June 1863 – 21 February 1945) was a Danish sculptor. Her preferred themes were domestic animals and people, with an intense, naturalistic portrayal of movements and sentiments. She al ...
(1863–1945).
Between 1983-1987, the apse was redecorated by
COBRA artist
Carl Henning Pedersen (1913–2007) . The re-decoration was a source of great controversy, even before it was carried out. This led to a public exhibition with the proposed artwork, involving both visitors and the citizens of Ribe to contribute their opinions. Half of the feedback (from 10.000 visitors) was in favor of the project and the re-decorations was eventually accepted by the local parish council and initiated. The whole incident proved to be a catalyst for a modernization of church decoration within Denmark and paved the way for artists including
Mogens Jørgensen,
Erik Heide,
Per Kirkeby,
Robert Jacobsen,
Hein Heinsen
Hein Olaf Heinsen (born July 23, 1935 in Grindsted, Denmark) is a Danish artist who has contributed to the Lutheran art
Lutheran art consists of all religious art produced for Lutherans and the Lutheran churches. This includes sculpture, painti ...
,
Maja Lise Engelhardt and
Peter Brandes. Several books and articles revolves around the redecoration project, including a recent diary from Carl-Henning Pedersen himself from 2007 and Ribe Cathedral has issued a pamphlet on the project.
Furnishings
The towers contain six bells; The oldest surviving bell was cast in 1456 by Hinrik Dobbran, Melchior Lucas bell, the largest in the tower, from 1599, the smallest bell from 1770 cast by J.N. Bieber, Jacobus Fr. Beseler from 1847, one from 1858 cast by P. P. Meilstrup the Elder, and one from 1869 by P.P. Meilstrup the Younger.
The organ facade is from the Johan Heide organ of 1635. Heide was a Flensburg organ maker from 1615-1641. He was an apprentice of the royal organ maker, Nicolaus, Maas. The organ has been expanded and updated many times. A new organ was built in 1973 by
Frobenius and enlarged by the same company in 1994. It has 50 voices.
The main altar piece was painted by Ebbe Jehn Petersen.
The ship which hangs at the crossing is a model of the ship ''Marie'' by Captain B. Cl. Jensen of Ribe.
In the restoration of the late 19th century the walls were complete cleared of the plaster layers. Unfortunately this destroyed many rich medieval fresco paintings that enlivened the walls of the cathedral before the Reformation. A painting of the Virgin and infant Jesus has been preserved in the nave and a pillar has paintings of Apostles Andrew and Bartholomew. St. George and the Dragon have been preserved in the north transept.
Several epitaphs from the past have been preserved in the cathedral. The oldest was raised by King Valdemar for his son in 1231. In the south transept is the chapel of Admiral Albert Skeel partially in sandstone and fine wood carvings.
The epitaph for Hans Tausen hangs in the church where he is buried. His grave stone was moved next to the entrance of the Commoner's Tower.
Other important gravestones have been preserved including the one for King Christoffer I from 1259. Iver Munk, last Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Ribe, can literally be seen as his grave stone is a portrait.
Hans Adolph Brorson (1694–1764) Bishop of Ribe, is buried in the cathedral as well.
Rued Langgaard
From 1939 to his death, the late-
Romantic music composer
Rued Langgaard
Rued Langgaard (; born Rud Immanuel Langgaard; 28 July 1893 – 10 July 1952) was a late-Romantic Danish composer and organist. His then-unconventional music was at odds with that of his Danish contemporaries but was recognized 16 years afte ...
(1893–1952) served as an organist in the cathedral. He had been unable to secure a post in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
due to the rejection of his work by the musical establishment. His then-unconventional musical compositions were at odds with that of his contemporaries and were not commonly recognized until after his death.
Gallery
File:Ribe Domkirke interior 2015-07-27-3.jpg, Ship model by Captain B. Cl. Jensen
File:Ribe Domkirke interior 2015-07-27-5.jpg, Pulpit by Jens Asmussen
File:Ribe Domkirke interior 2015-07-27-8.jpg, Apse by Carl Henning Pedersen
File:Ribe Domkirke baptismal font E.jpg, Bronze fountain from 1375
File:Ribe Domkirke organ.jpg, Cathedral Organ
File:Ribe domkirke - Epitaph Bischof 2a.jpg, Epitaph of Bishop Ivar Munk
File:Ribe Domkirke St Georg.jpg, St. George and the Dragon
References
Other Sources
* Danhostel Ribe
Ribe Cathedral Well-sourced info.
* Kevin Knight
New Advent
Ribe Domkirke Kirkeweb (English: Churchdesk). Official homepage for Ribe Cathedral.
* Danmarkshistorien.dk
Erik Emune ca. 1090-1137 Aarhus University
* Hans Nyholm (1996)
Kirkeklokker i Danmark Hikuin (Moesgård)
External links
* Danhostel Ribe
Ribe Cathedral A multimedia overview of the history of Ribe Cathedral.
Ribe DomkirkeNationalmuseet
KortTilKirken.dk
Ribe Domkirkedenstoredanske.dk
nordenskirker.dk
{{Authority control
Cathedrals in Denmark
Lutheran cathedrals in Denmark
Lutheran churches converted from Roman Catholicism
Pre-Reformation Roman Catholic cathedrals
Buildings and structures in Esbjerg Municipality
Churches in the Region of Southern Denmark
Coronation church buildings
Burial sites of the House of Estridsen
Churches in the diocese of Ribe
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...