Saint Ansgar's Cathedral () 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 ...

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 = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

is the principal church of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Copenhagen The Diocese of Copenhagen is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church named after its episcopal see, the Danish national capital, Copenhagen and covers all Denmark. As in neighbouring provinces, none of the pre- ...

, which encompasses all of Denmark, including the

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and

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

. It was consecrated in 1842 and became a cathedral in 1941.

History

The first Catholic congregations in Denmark after the

Protestant 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 ...

were centered on foreign

legations A legation was a diplomatic representative office of lower rank than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an ambassador, a legation was headed by a minister. Ambassadors outranked ministers and had precedence at official events. Legation ...

. Starting with the one formed by the

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diplomat (and poet) Count

Bernardino de Rebolledo Bernardino de Rebolledo y Villamizar, Earl of Rebolledo and Graf (Count) of the Holy Roman Empire was a Spanish poet, soldier and diplomat ( León, baptized May 31, 1597 - Madrid, March 27, 1676). He was a descendant of the 1st Count of Rebolledo, ...

, who served in Denmark between 1648 and 1659, continuous church registers were kept. From its original location at de Rebolledo's residence on Østergade the chapel moved around between various legation addresses, but in 1764 it settled at the present location on what is now Bredgade. For some time the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

legation had been the main supporter of the congregation, and the new chapel was financed by Empress

Maria Theresia Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position '' suo jure'' (in her own right) ...

. The present day church was designed by the German-born architect

Gustav Friedrich Hetsch Gustav Friedrich (von) Hetsch (28 September 1788 – 7 September 1864) was a Danish architect. Biography Hetsch was born in Stuttgart, he was the son of Philipp Friedrich von Hetsch (1758–1838). He studied at the University of Tübingen and i ...

.Sankt Ansgars Kirke
''

Den Store Danske Den may refer to: * Den (room), a small room in a house * Maternity den, a lair where an animal gives birth Media and entertainment * ''Den'' (album), 2012, by Kreidler * Den (''Battle Angel Alita''), a character in the ''Battle Angel Alita' ...

'', retrieved 15 August 2013 Construction began in 1840 and the church was consecrated on

All Saints' Day All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are know ...

, 1 November 1842. During 1988–1992 the church underwent extensive

restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

in collaboration with the

National Museum of Denmark The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) in Copenhagen is Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from Strøget ...

under the direction of the architect

Vilhelm Wohlert Vilhelm Wohlert (27 May 1920 – 10 May 2007) was a Danish architect. His most notable work was on the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark. Earlt life and education Wohlert was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He trained at the R ...

. The cathedral possesses a skull relic long believed to be of the early pope St. Lucius. However, the

Aarhus University Aarhus University ( da, Aarhus Universitet, abbreviated AU) is a public research university with its main campus located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra Gr ...

radiocarbon-dated the skull to 340-431 AD, eliminating the possibility of belonging to Lucius, who died in 254. Previously, the relic had been in

Roskilde Cathedral Roskilde Cathedral ( da, Roskilde Domkirke), in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheranism, Lutheran Church of Denmark. The cathedral is the most importan ...

which was originally dedicated to the saint.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ansgar's Cathedral Roman Catholic churches completed in 1842 Roman Catholic churches in Copenhagen Roman Catholic cathedrals in Denmark Gustav Friedrich Hetsch buildings Listed religious buildings and structures in Denmark Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Copenhagen 19th-century churches in Denmark