Church of the Holy Ghost, Copenhagen
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Church of the Holy Spirit | |
---|---|
The Parish Church of the Holy Spirit | |
Helligåndskirken | |
Parish Church | |
Administration | |
Diocese | Copenhagen |
Clergy | |
Bishop(s) | Peter Skov-Jakobsen |
Vicar(s) | Leif G. Christensen |
Priest(s) | Jens Biegel-Fogh Niels Jørgen Cappelørn Jens-Kristian Kleist Agnete Holm |
Laity | |
Organist(s) | Hans Ole Thers Ørjan Horn Johansen |
Verger | Christel Birkemose Niels-Peter Jensen |
The Church of the Holy Spirit (Danish: Helligåndskirken) in Copenhagen, Denmark, is one of the city's oldest churches.
History
Background
The first
Hospital of the Holy Spirit
In 1296, a hospital was built by
The construction of the new building was to be paid for by the bishop and the citizens in equal shares. For its support, an annual ground rent was assessed all properties. Over the years, the hospital also received its own endowments, mainly of property, which provided income for its support. Next to the hospital a small church was built although it is not known exactly when it was added to the complex.
The abbey
In 1469, King Christian I transformed the hospital into an abbey. Later, on his journey to Rome in 1474, Pope Sixtus IV acknowledged it as an institution under the Order of the Holy Ghost, with Santo Spirito in Rome as inspiration and mother church.
The abbey consisted of four wings around a courtyard. Of these the present-day church has evolved from the south wing while the House of the Holy Ghost is the former west wing.
Originally the church did not have a tower. Construction of a tower was commenced in 1520 but before long the
The parish church 1537–1728
After the reformation the church was converted into a parish church. At the initiative of Christoffer Valkendorff, at that time Governor of Copenhagen, work on the tower was resumed in 1582. Brickwork was continued in another bond, making the transition between the old and the new part of the tower easily detectable. The tower was topped by a spire mounted in August 1594. It is attributed to Hans van Steenwinckel the Elder although no clear documentation exists.
The parish church 1529–1878
The church burned in the Copenhagen Fire of 1728.
References
- ^ a b "Historie". Helligåndskirken. Archived from the original on 2007-02-02. Retrieved 2010-01-29.