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Østerlars Church (''Østerlars kirke'') is a historic building located just north of the village of Østerlars, south of
In Danish. Retrieved 3 December 2009.Østerlars kirke. From NaturBornholm
In Danish. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
Retrieved 3 December 2009. Originally there were small Romanesque windows but these were enlarged after the
The church's central column is decorated with frescos or kalkmalerier from 1350 showing biblical scenes from the Annunciation through to the Passion, ending with Day of Judgment where Jesus judges mankind. Many of the naked figures are sent to hell, symbolized by a huge dragon. They were probably painted some 140 years after the church was built.
The frescos, which had been hidden with limewash since the Reformation, were uncovered in 1882. They were first restored by
Østerlars Church (''Østerlars kirke'') is a historic building located just north of the village of Østerlars, south of Gudhjem
Gudhjem is a small town and fishing port on the northern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. Its population is 736 (1 January 2022).
Gudhjem is a popular venue for tourists who are attracted by its steep, picturesque streets, views ...
on the island of Bornholm
Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland.
Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...
, 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
...
. It is the largest and, possibly, the oldest of the island's four round church
A round church is a church construction with a completely circular plan. There are many Nordic round churches in Sweden and Denmark (notably the island of Bornholm); round churches were popular in Scandinavia in the 11th and early 12th centurie ...
es.Østerlars kirke. From Nordens kirker.In Danish. Retrieved 3 December 2009.Østerlars kirke. From NaturBornholm
In Danish. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
History
Built around 1160, it consists of an apse, an oval chancel, a large round nave and has three storeys. There is evidence the church was once fortified, the top storey serving as an open shooting gallery. The church is dedicated toSt Lawrence
Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman ...
(Latin: Laurentius, Danish: Lars).
The building is one of Denmark's oldest Romanesque churches. On the basis of coins dated 1157 found in the floor, the date of construction was probably around 1160.
The fieldstone
Fieldstone is a naturally occurring type of stone, which lies at or near the surface of the Earth. Fieldstone is a nuisance for farmers seeking to expand their land under cultivation, but at some point it began to be used as a construction mate ...
wall stands on foundations of Bornholm limestone. The double-arched apse bears similarities to that in Lund Cathedral
Lund Cathedral ( sv, Lunds domkyrka) is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Sweden in Lund, Scania, Sweden. It is the seat of the Bishop of Lund and the main church of the Diocese of Lund. It was built as the Catholic cathedral of the archiepi ...
. The round nave has an external diameter of 16 meters. In its centre there is a large round hollow column, six meters wide. An opening leads into a small room, known as the oven, inside the column.Østerlars Kirke from Home of our Fathers.Retrieved 3 December 2009. Originally there were small Romanesque windows but these were enlarged after 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 ...
. During the 16th century, a number of buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral (s ...
es were added to support the outer wall. The conical roof was replaced in the 17th century. The porch is from 1870.
The bell tower stands separately from the church in the churchyard; the tower was the original entrance and gate tower.
There are two runestone
A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition began in the 4th century and lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones da ...
s, one inside the porch (c. 1100) and another outside (c.1070).
Decorations and furnishings
The church's central column is decorated with frescos or kalkmalerier from 1350 showing biblical scenes from the Annunciation through to the Passion, ending with Day of Judgment where Jesus judges mankind. Many of the naked figures are sent to hell, symbolized by a huge dragon. They were probably painted some 140 years after the church was built.
The frescos, which had been hidden with limewash since the Reformation, were uncovered in 1882. They were first restored by Jacob Kornerup
Jacob Kornerup (19 November 1825 – 9 March 1913) was a Danish archeologist and painter who is remembered above all for discovering and restoring medieval frescos in Danish churches.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 ...
carried out further restoration work.
The pulpit is from 1595. The carved altarpiece is from c. 1600.
Bornholm's round churches
Bornholm is known for its four round churches built in the 12th and 13th centuries The other round churches on Bornholm are Nyker,Nylars
Nylars is a village in the southwest of the Danish island of Bornholm, 8 km east of Rønne and 8 km west of Aakirkeby. In January 2023 it had a population of 207. It is best known for Nylars Church, the island's second largest round c ...
and Olsker
Olsker is a small community in the north of Bornholm island, Denmark. It is situated in Olsker parish, some 3.5 km south of Allinge and 2.5 km from Tejn. As of 2009, it has 67 inhabitants.
20090817 Østerlars kirke Bornholm 39.JPG, Freestanding tower
Østerlars Kirche, Bornholm (2012-07-06), by KLugschnacker in Wikipedia (11).JPG, Baptismal
Oesterlarsfresco.jpg, Central column with frescos
See also
*Architecture of Denmark
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
*Church frescos in Denmark
Church frescos or church wall paintings ( Danish: ''kalkmalerier'') are to be found in some 600 churches across Denmark, no doubt representing the highest concentration of surviving church murals anywhere in the world. Most of them date back to ...
*Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda () is any building with a circular ground plan, and sometimes covered by a dome. It may also refer to a round room within a building (a famous example being the one below the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.). The ...
*List of churches on Bornholm
This is a list of churches on the island of Bornholm in eastern Denmark."Kirker på Bornholm"
, ''Bornholms Muse ...
, ''Bornholms Muse ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osterlars Church Round churches Buildings and structures completed in 1160 12th-century churches in Denmark Churches in Bornholm Romanesque architecture in Denmark Fortified church buildings Lutheran churches converted from Roman Catholicism