Rotsund Chapel ( no, Rotsund kapell) 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

Nordreisa Municipality Nordreisa ( se, Ráisa ; fkv, Raisi) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Storslett. Other villages include O ...

Troms og Finnmark Troms og Finnmark (; sme, Romsa ja Finnmárku ; fkv, Tromssa ja Finmarkku; fi, Tromssa ja Finnmark, lit. Troms and Finnmark in English), is a county in northern Norway that was established on 1 January 2020 as the result of a regional reform. ...

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

Rotsund Rotsund or Rotsundelv is a village in Nordreisa Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located along the Rotsundet strait, across from the island of Uløya. The village sits along the river Rotsundelva, along the Europe ...

. It is one of the two churches for the Nordreisa

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 Nord-Troms prosti ( deanery) in the

Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland Nord-Hålogaland ( no, Nord-Hålogaland bispedømme) is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers the Church of Norway churches in Troms og Finnmark county as well as in the territory of Svalbard. The diocese is seated in the city of Trom ...

. The red, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1932. The building cost a total of and it was designed by the

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

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 ...

Harald Sund. The church seats about 240 people.

History

A cemetery was built in Rotsund in 1860 so that people didn't have to travel so far to bury their dead. Almost immediately, there was a desire by the local population to build a church alongside the new cemetery. In 1887, the municipal council in

Skjervøy Skjervøy kommune ( sme, Skiervvá suohkan; fkv, Kieruan komuuni) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Skjervøy on the island of Skjervøya, where most of the in ...

, of which Rotsund was then a part, decided to build a church there. They petitioned the authorities to do so, but it was not until 1920 when a royal resolution authorized the construction of a chapel in Rotsund. Fundraising began for the chapel through collections and gifts as well as a grant from the government. Construction began in February 1932, and took only five months. The total cost of the chapel was . The new building was consecrated on 18 September 1932 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 ...

Eivind Berggrav Eivind Josef Berggrav (25 October 1884 – 14 January 1959) was a Norwegian Lutheran bishop. As primate of the Church of Norway (Norwegian: ''Preses i Bispemøtet i Den norske kirke''), Berggrav became known for his unyielding resistance a ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the chapel was requisitioned by German forces and used as a barracks. During that time the altarpiece was destroyed, but the rest of the building only had minor damages. After the war in 1946, a new altarpiece was installed. In 1999, the interior of the chapel was completely renovated.

Media gallery

Polarlicht-Reise 2013 - Tag09 - 14.jpg, Altertavle Rotsund.jpg, Orgelet i Rotsund kapell.jpg, Døpefont Rotsund.jpg, Rotsund kapell fra galleriet.jpg, Rotsund kapell inne.jpg, Rotsund kapell 14303.jpeg,

References

{{use dmy dates, date=February 2021 Churches in Troms Nordreisa Wooden churches in Norway 20th-century Church of Norway church buildings Churches completed in 1932 1932 establishments in Norway Long churches in Norway

History

Media gallery

See also

References