Old Gimmestad Church

Old Gimmestad Church (Norwegian: Gimmestad gamle kyrkje) is a former (historic) parish church of the Church of Norway in Gloppen Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Sørstranda. It was once the church for the Gimmestad parish which is part of the Nordfjord prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin, but it now serves mostly as a museum. The red, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1692 by an unknown architect. The church seats about 80 people.[1][2]

Old Gimmestad Church
Gimmestad gamle kyrkje
View of the church
Old Gimmestad Church
Location of the church
Old Gimmestad Church
Old Gimmestad Church (Norway)
61.7725°N 6.14361°E / 61.7725; 6.14361
LocationGloppen Municipality,
Vestland
CountryNorway
DenominationChurch of Norway
ChurchmanshipEvangelical Lutheran
History
StatusParish church
Founded13th century
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architectural typeLong church
Completed1692
Specifications
Capacity80
MaterialsWood
Administration
ParishGimmestad
DeaneryNordfjord prosti
DioceseBjørgvin

The church was in regular use until 1910 when the new Gimmestad Church was completed. Since 1910, the church has been preserved as a historic site and is occasionally used for religious services or weddings.[3]

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1308, but it was not a new church at that time. The old medieval building was likely a stave church that stood until 1652 when it was replaced. In 1652, a new timber-framed building was constructed, but it was not a high quality building. In December of 1690, the church took on significant damage in a winter storm, with the wind severely damaging the building. It was torn down and replaced with the present building which was completed in 1692.[4]

The current church building is representative of typical Norwegian church architecture from the period after the Reformation. Although changes were made to its walls, the church has retained most of its original features. The most significant change was made around 1720, when the church was painted red and embellished with flower motifs. During that same renovation project the ceiling was painted blue and stars were drawn on it. At the back of the church building is a christening house or front house. In the old days, babies were christened in this room. It was the custom in those days to then carry the baby from this room to the altar.[4][5]

In the early 1900s, the church was too small for the congregation, so it was decided to build a new, larger church. The new Gimmestad Church was built about 0.6 kilometres (0.37 mi) to the east, closer to the fjord. After the new church was completed in 1910, it became the main church for the parish and the old church was taken out of regular use. It is now used mostly as a museum, but on special occasions it is still used as a church.[4]

  • The altarpiece of the Old Gimmestad Church
  • The unique personalized benches in the Old Gimmestad Church
  • A cod in the church, symbolizing Jonah and the whale

See also

References
  1. "Gimmestad gamle kyrkje". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  2. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  3. "Gimmestad gamle kyrkje" (in Norwegian). NRK Fylkesleksikon. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  4. "Gimmestad gamle kyrkjestad" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  5. "Old Gimmestad Church". Destination Stryn & Nordfjord. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
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