Nexø Church is the parish church of
Nexø
Nexø, sometimes spelled Neksø, is a town on the east coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. With a population of 3,657 (as of 1 January 2025), it is the second largest town, as well as the largest fishing port on the island. Fishing ...
, a port on the eastern coast of the Danish island of
Bornholm
Bornholm () is a List of islands of Denmark, 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. I ...
.
"Nexø Sogn"
''Nexø Kirke''. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
History
In the absence of records, it is difficult to date the building precisely, although it appears to have been established at the end of the Middle Ages, initially as a chapel for seafarers. Indeed, it was dedicated to St Nicholas
Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...
, the patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
of sailors. The church consists of a rectangular Late Gothic nave and a Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
tower. The porch on the north side dates from 1745. In 1760, the nave was extended with a northern wing. The southern porch was rebuilt in 1777 and in 1800, a sacristy
A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
The sacristy is us ...
was added at the eastern end of the nave. The walls of the nave were heightened by some 2 metres in 1731.[Otto Norn, C. G. Schultz, Erik Skov, "Nexø Kirke"]
Bornholms Nørre Herred, Danmarks Kirker, Bornholm, Nationalmuseet, Gad, 1954, pp. 363–381.
Architecture
The nave is built of 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 ...
, the walls now reaching a height of 5.10 metres. The original windows no longer exist. The more recent straight-edged windows over the porches are probably designed as gallery windows. The other large wooden-framed Empire windows were added around 1850.[
The three lower storeys of the tower were built in the 16th century in the same material as the nave. The rather low tower room which opens into the church probably used to reach up to the top of the first floor. It has a curved window to the south and one with straight edges to the west. The eastern side of the tower's first floor is only closed off by the organ casing. The third storey is half-timbered on the eastern side. The bell storey is of half-timbered oak. The roof which was tiled in 1855 has a copper spire from 1910.][
The northern sandstone wing was completed in 1760 as attested by the date on the crowned monogram of Frederik V. The wood-framed windows date from 1832.][ The chancel section of the nave and the altar were renewed in 1985 as part of general renovation work throughout the building.]["Nexø Kirke"]
''Kirkenhistorie.dk''. . Retrieved 27 September 2012.
Interior and furnishings
The font
In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a ''typeface'', defined as the set of fonts that share an overall design.
For instance, the typeface Bauer Bodoni (shown in the figure) includes fonts " Roman" (or "regul ...
from 1784 is sculpted in Nexø sandstone.[
The many decorations on the north gallery include ]Elijah
Elijah ( ) or Elias was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible.
In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worsh ...
in a chariot of fire, Job
Work, labor (labour in Commonwealth English), occupation or job is the intentional activity people perform to support the needs and desires of themselves, other people, or organizations. In the context of economics, work can be seen as the huma ...
and his friends, Moses
In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...
with the tablets of law Jesus walking on the water, and Paul
Paul may refer to:
People
* Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people
* Paul (surname), a list of people
* Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament
* Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...
's shipwreck. The latter is particularly appropriate for the fishing port of Nexø where the dangers of the sea are well known. The pulpit and the gilded cross above it are from the 17th century. In 1995, Bodil Kaalund completed her 27 scenes from the Old and New Testaments which decorate the pulpit and the gallery.[
The two large brass candlesticks on the altar were a gift from the crown prince and his wife in 1946 after repairs to the church had been completed after suffering bomb damage in May 1945.][
]
See also
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nexo Church
Churches in Bornholm
Romanesque architecture in Denmark
Lutheran churches converted from Roman Catholicism