Linköping Cathedral () is an active Lutheran
church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
in the Swedish city of
Linköping
Linköping ( , ) is a city in southern Sweden, with around 167,000 inhabitants as of 2024. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linköping (Chu ...
, the episcopal seat of the
Diocese of Linköping
The Diocese of Linköping () is a diocese within the Church of Sweden administering the Östergötland County, the north eastern part of Jönköping County and the northern part of Kalmar County. It comprises nine deaneries subdivided into 176 ...
in the
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden () is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.5 million members at year end 2023, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sweden, the largest List ...
. One of the largest Gothic cathedrals in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
, it is situated opposite
Linköping Castle
Linköping Castle is situated at Linköping
Linköping ( , ) is a city in southern Sweden, with around 167,000 inhabitants as of 2024. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the ...
, on a site that has been in use as a church since the
11th century
The 11th century is the period from 1001 (represented by the Roman numerals MI) through 1100 (MC) in accordance with the Julian calendar, and the 1st century of the 2nd millennium.
In the history of Europe, this period is considered the early ...
.
History
Origins
The present building is about 800 years old. The church's recorded history on this site begins in the 11th century, with the construction of a wooden church. Later, around 1120, a stone church was built, a
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...
of about half the size of the present building. By around 1230 it became necessary to construct a larger church, as the basilica was no longer large enough to serve the developing needs of the community. The church was extended to the east, with the construction of a new
choir
A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
and
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
. These 13th-century parts remain as part of the present church. The current
altarpiece
An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...
is dated to the same period.
The next extension of the church was made following the coronation of
King Valdemar, in 1251. The main building was now constructed, and the church received its current length of 110 meters. The height of the tower is . At the beginning of the 15th century, between 1408 and 1420, the
Gothic chapels were constructed, with large windows and star-shaped vaults. The chapels were named after
Saint Andrew
Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus.
The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Church stems from the Gospel of Jo ...
(later renamed after
Saint Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
), Saint Nicolaus Hermanni (
Nils Hermansson
Nils is a Scandinavian given name, a chiefly Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Latvian variant of Niels, cognate to Nicholas.
People and animals with the given name
* Nils Elias Anckers (1858–1921), Swedish naval officer
* Nils Beckman (1902–19 ...
) and
Saint Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury fr ...
. The church in this period, having benefited since the early 14th century from the import of English and of German craftsmen, who undertook the rich programme of sculptural decoration that distinguishes the west end, has been characterised as "the only important centre for Gothic sculpture in the late 15th century".
The roof of the church was damaged by fire in 1546 and again in 1567. The tower was rebuilt between 1747 and 1758, and again, between 1877 and 1886, by
Helgo Zettervall. In 1967 the shape of the 17th-century roof was restored. It is covered with
copper
Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
sheeting, the corrosion of which has produced its distinctive green colour.
Interior
Early history
In 1320, a programme of interior decoration was undertaken, with the arcades of the nave embellished with carving and sculptural decorations; these bear stylistic hallmarks typical of the development of the English High Gothic; the carved roof bosses of the nave vaults, completed about the same time, and thought to be by the same sculptor, feature the
green man
The Green Man, also known as a foliate head, is a motif in architecture and art, of a face made of, or completely surrounded by, foliage, which normally spreads out from the centre of the face. Apart from a purely decorative function, the Green ...
common to the folklore of the British Isles. The presence of English coins contemporary with that period on the site indicate the involvement of English artists at work in the region. Further embellishment of the church took place in 1330, when the tympanum of the south portal was decorated with relief scenes from the ''Nativity'' and the ''Passion'', in a German style.
The present day
The cathedral has a significant 16th century altarpiece by Dutch
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...
painter
Maarten van Heemskerck
Maarten van Heemskerck (born Maerten Jacobsz van Veen; 1 June 1498 – 1 October 1574), also known as Marten Jacobsz Heemskerk van Veen, was a Dutch portrait and religious painter, who spent most of his career in Haarlem. He was a pupil of Jan ...
,
''Crucifixion'',
a polyptych painted for Sint-Laurenskerk,
Alkmaar
Alkmaar () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland. Alkmaar is well known fo ...
. Begun in 1538 and completed in 1542, the artwork was first installed in the church in Alkmaar; the onset of the Reformation led to its removal and in 1581 it was sold.
In 2006,
British artist
Brian Clarke
Sir Brian Clarke (born 2 July 1953) is a British Painting, painter, architectural artist, designer and Printmaking, printmaker, known for his large-scale stained glass and mosaic projects, symbolist paintings, set designs, and collaborations w ...
was commissioned to design six stained glass windows for the north and south porches of the cathedral's transept: three lancets above the porch entrances on each side.
Funded by the Bernhard Risberg Donation Fund,
created in 1947 "for the beautification of Linköping Cathedral",
the windows were installed in September 2010.
In popular culture
The cathedral is featured on the cover of the album ''
Opus Eponymous
''Opus Eponymous'' is the debut studio album by the Swedish rock band Ghost. It was released on 18 October 2010, on the independent record label Rise Above. It was released in North America on 18 January 2011, and in Japan on 6 Ap ...
'' by
Ghost
In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
, whose founder,
Tobias Forge, is a native of Linköping.
File:Suecia 3-005 ; Linköping Templum Chathedrale.jpg, Linköping Cathedral from Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna
''Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna'' ("Ancient and Modern Sweden") is a collection of engravings collected by Erik Dahlbergh during the middle of the 17th century. ''Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna'' can be described as a grand vision of Sweden during its p ...
from around 1690–1710.
File:Lkpgdomkyrka-n.jpg, From the north
File:Linkoping (the cathedral).jpg, The interior with the pulpit and altar
File:Linköpings domkyrka glasfönster Brian Clarke 2010 north portal stained glass.jpg, Modern stained glass windows of the cathedral's north porch (''Andens fönster'') designed by artist Brian Clarke
Sir Brian Clarke (born 2 July 1953) is a British Painting, painter, architectural artist, designer and Printmaking, printmaker, known for his large-scale stained glass and mosaic projects, symbolist paintings, set designs, and collaborations w ...
File:Linkoping (the cathedral from outside).jpg, The cathedral from outside
File:Linköpings domkyrka inifrån.jpg, Interior from the west, 2003
File:Linkoping Altarpiece.jpg, Altarpiece.
File:Linkoping_Domkyrka_Main_entrance_portal.jpg, The mosaic above the portal
File:Linkoping (the cathedral, interior detail).jpg, Architectural detail
Burials
*
John, Duke of Östergötland
John of Sweden, Duke of Östergötland (; 18 April 1589 – 5 March 1618) was a Swedish royal dynast. He was titular Duke of Finland 1590–1606 and reigning Duke of Östergötland 1606–18.
His father was John III of Sweden and his m ...
*
Jon Jarl (disputed)
* Bishop
Kettil Karlsson Vasa, Regent of Sweden 1464–1465
*
Princess Maria Elizabeth of Sweden
Maria Elizabeth Vasa (10 March 1596 – 7 August 1618) was a Swedish princess, daughter of King Charles IX of Sweden and Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, and by marriage Duchess of Östergötland.
Biography
Maria Elizabeth was born in Örebro ...
* Bishop Nicolaus Hermanni
* Bishop
Samuel Enander Gyllenadler
* Count Ture Nilsson Bielke and his wife Margareta Svantesdotter Sture, by
Willem van den Blocke
References
Further reading
*Lindqvist, Gunnar. ''Förskönande av Linköpings domkyrka: Risbergska donationsfonden 60 år - Beautification of Linköping Cathedral'' (2005). Sweden: Linköpings domkyrkas förlag.
External links
Swedish National Heritage Board entry for Linköping CathedralLinköpings Domkyrka official siteLinköping Castle and Cathedral Museum official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Linkoping Cathedral
Gothic architecture in Sweden
Buildings and structures in Linköping
Lutheran cathedrals in Sweden
Roman Catholic cathedrals in pre-Reformation Sweden
Churches in the Diocese of Linköping
Churches in Östergötland County