Nuuk Cathedral ( kl, Annaassisitta Oqaluffia) or Church of Our Saviour ( da, Vor Frelser Kirke) is a wooden
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
in the
Old Nuuk
Old Nuuk may refer to several neighborhoods of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.
The Lutheran mission was originally based on Hope Island at the head of the fjord but was moved to the mainland and christened Godthaab by the royal governor Claus Paa ...
neighborhood of
Nuuk
Nuuk (; da, Nuuk, formerly ) is the capital and largest city of Greenland, a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the country's largest cultural and economic centre. The major cities from other coun ...
, the capital of
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 i ...
. It was established in 1849. The red building with its spire is a prominent site on the landscape. During National Day celebrations, large crowds usually gather around the church.
History
The church was built from 1848 to 1849, and was
consecrated on April 6, 1849. It was paid for in full by ''Karen Ørsted’s Fund''. When it was consecrated it became the church of Nuuk congregation, replacing the responsibilities of many older Nuuk churches, the oldest of which was from 1758.
Until May 6, 1993, the Cathedral of Copenhagen was also the Cathedral of Greenland, but when the Law of Greenland's Church and School became effective on May 6, 1993, the church officially became the Cathedral of Greenland. The first
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 ...
of Greenland in 616 years was Kristian Mørk who was ordained in 1994, the previous bishop of Greenland was
Álfur Last-Bishop in 1378. Mørk vacated the seat the next year, and 39-year-old Greenland native
Sofie Petersen
Sofie Petersen (born 1955) is a Greenlandic Lutheran bishop.
She was born on 23 November 1955 in Maniitsoq, Greenland, Kingdom of Denmark. She studied theology and graduated from the University of Copenhagen in 1986. On 28 May 1995, at the age o ...
became bishop of Greenland. Petersen is the second woman to become a bishop in the
Church of Denmark
The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark ( da, Folkekirken, literally: "The People's Church" or unofficially da, Den danske folkekirke, literally: "The Danish People's Church"; kl, ...
.
The annex building next to the cathedral is the actual seat of the bishop of Greenland, the cathedral itself does not hold the seat.
Construction
Originally the church was constructed with so called half timbering, a
timber framing
Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
for soapstone and talc. Later the building was externally paneled with red wood panels. In conjunction with the outside paneling, the interior was paneled as well, the inside panels are painted white. The wooden church tower is a later add-on, it was erected in 1928. The church got electric power in 1949. In 2008 the tower clock underwent a 14-day restoration and the mechanical
movement was replaced by a digital one.
The two big brass candelabras at the altar are a gift from the
Church of Norway.
The organ of the church is an 11-rank 1970 Marcussen & Søn.
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]
Landmarks
The
Statue of Hans Egede is located on the hill above the church. The statue is a 1921 copy of the statue in front of the Marble Church in Copenhagen. In front of the cathedral is a bronze bust of the celebrated
organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...
. Petersen was a well-known writer of
psalm
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived f ...
s, as well as a gifted organist.
Gallery
File:Annaassisitta-Oqaluffia-old-nuuk.jpg, View of the church
File:Egede nuuk.JPG, Statue of Hans Egede
References
{{Authority control
Lutheran cathedrals in Greenland
Buildings and structures in Nuuk
Churches completed in 1849
1849 establishments in Greenland
Churches in the Diocese of Greenland