Aarhus Cathedral
Aarhus Cathedral | ||
---|---|---|
St Clement's Church | ||
Aarhus Domkirke ( Style Gothic | | |
Years built | 1190–1500 | |
Completed | 1500 | |
Specifications | ||
Nave length | 305 ft | |
Number of towers | 1 | |
Tower height | 315 ft | |
Materials | Brick | |
Administration | ||
Diocese | Diocese of Aarhus | |
Clergy | ||
Bishop(s) | Henrik Wigh-Poulsen | |
Provost | Poul Henning Bartholin |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/%C3%85rhus_Domkirke_indgang.jpg/220px-%C3%85rhus_Domkirke_indgang.jpg)
Aarhus Cathedral (Danish: Århus Domkirke) is a cathedral in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the longest and tallest church in the country, at 93 m (305 ft) in length and 96 m (315 ft) in height.
The construction of Aarhus Cathedral began in the 12th century and it is the main edifice of the
Aarhus Cathedral is a listed building and was designated 1 February 2012.[2]
History
The early churches of Aarhus
It is unknown exactly when people first settled near the mouth of the Aarhus River on the east coast of Jutland. Certainly in the 700s there was a
Aarhus' first church, Holy Trinity Church, a
St. Nikolai's church was the first
This timber church was the center of the local veneration of St.
Aarhus Cathedral
The construction of Aarhus Cathedral began in the decade after year 1190, by Bishop
However, in 1330, the cathedral and much of the town burned down, and the church was abandoned until 1449. By then the
The
In 1533
The tower is the tallest in Denmark at 96 meters. It received its present form in 1931. In 1642 lightning struck the tower and set it ablaze, destroying some of the historic bells, but damage to the interior of the church was minimal.
Interior
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Kalkmaleri2.jpg/220px-Kalkmaleri2.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Skt._Georg_og_dragen.jpg/220px-Skt._Georg_og_dragen.jpg)
The fresco paintings and the stained glass window
Aarhus Cathedral has a number of
The paintings of
St Clements only has one
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Altertavle-domkirken.jpg/220px-Altertavle-domkirken.jpg)
The altar
The cathedral has a wonderful altarpiece (pictured, left) carved by the famous
The pulpit was carved in oak by sculptor Mikkel van Groningen and dedicated in 1588. It shows scenes from the Old and New Testaments.[14]
The baptismal font
The
The font has four scenes, carved in relief, from the life of
For the first hundred years, the font was open and the priest dipped the child three times; later there were added a brass top and a silver tray used for the baptism of children, which is now over 300 years old.[1]
Golden gates, the bells and the model ship
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Aarhus_Cathedral_golden_gate.jpg/220px-Aarhus_Cathedral_golden_gate.jpg)
The "Golden Door" is one of five wrought iron gates that separate the nave from the choir, a reminder of the separation between the clergy and public in Catholic times. The gates were made by German-born artist Caspar Fincke (1584–1655).[16]
In the huge bell tower hang eight bells. In 1642 lightning struck the tower and set it ablaze and damaged some of the bells. The oldest (dating from the mid-13th century is the "Martinus"; "pl" is cast in 1493, Per Tidichsøn's bell is of 1505, Caspar Kønig's is cast in 1746, the M. C. Troschell bell is cast in 1762, and a pair of L. Andersen's bells are from 1893, and lastly came the 1894 S. Frichs bell.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Aarhus_Domkirke_ship.jpg/220px-Aarhus_Domkirke_ship.jpg)
As is the custom in many parts of Denmark, a ship hangs at the crossing as a reminder of those lost at sea and of Denmark's close connection to the sea (pictured, left). The cathedral's ship (dated 1720) is named Enigheden (lit. English Unity) and it might have been built in Holland: the Russian tsar Peter the Great ordered warships from shipbuilders in Holland; instead of sketches, he was offered a model of the upcoming ship, which was sent by sea to Russia. A storm sank the transport by Skagen, and the model made it to shore almost intact. Some fishermen from Aarhus bought the model and subsequently offered it as a votive gift to the Aarhus Domkirke.
With the model ship's length of 2.65 metres (8 ft 8 in) and height of 3.50 metres (11.5 ft), it is the largest church ship in any Danish church, and it is thought of as a symbol of man's sail from
Tombs and memorials
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Aarhus_Cathedral_tomb.jpg/220px-Aarhus_Cathedral_tomb.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Aarhus_Cathedral_donation.jpg/220px-Aarhus_Cathedral_donation.jpg)
The crypt of the cathedral houses the remains of thousands of people of all ranks. The church has several chapels and
The organ
The main pipe organ was built by the organ builder Lambert Daniel Kastens (c. 1690–1744) in 1730. He was a student of one of Europe's best-known organ makers, Arp Schnitger (1648–1719) of Hamburg. It has been restored, enlarged, and updated several times, but the baroque facade has been maintained. The majority of voices in the current organ are built by the organ builders Th. Frobenius & Sons between 1928 and 2001. The most recent restoration took place between 2018 and 2020 by Danish organ builders Marcussen & Søn[18] With 89 organ stop it is now Denmark's largest church organ.[19] In 1885, pianist, composer and conductor Robert William Otto Allen (1852–1888) became the organist.[20][21]
Organ specifications
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|
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Manual compass = C–c4, Pedal compass = C–g1.
In addition to the main organ, the cathedral also houses a smaller 2-manual organ with 23 stops, built in 1970 by Danish organ builders Bruno Christensen & Sønner, as well as a movable 4-stop positive organ.[18]
See also
- List of Churches in Aarhus
References
- ^ a b c "Historie". Archived from the original on 2008-12-26. Retrieved 2009-01-04. The Domkirkens historie section on the Aarhus Domkirke official website. In Danish. Last accessed 4 January 2009.
- ^ "FBB - Bygning". www.kulturarv.dk. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
- ISBN 87-87334-63-1.
- ^ Kevin Knight. "Ancient See of Aarhus in Denmark". New Advent. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Reginbrand er navnet på Århus´ første biskop". vikingemuseet. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ Chapman, Henry Palmer (1908). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. .
- ^ "Hellig Niels". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Peder Vognsen". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Hans Tausen". Den Store Danske, Gyldendal. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Ove Bille". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ Nils Messel. "Emanuel Vigeland". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ Flemming Lundgreen-Nielsen. "Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig". Gyldendal Leksikon. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Bernt Notke". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Mikkel van Groningen". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Lange, Jens Iversen, –1482, Biskop". Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Caspar Fincke". Salmonsens konversationsleksikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Thomas Quellinus". kulturarv.dk. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ a b Aarhus Domkirke. "Aarhus Domkirkes orgler". Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Arp Schnitger". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Allen, Robert William Otto, 1852-88". Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Official website (in Danish and English)