The capital of Denmark has many unique buildings of interest to tourists. One of them is a Lutheran church built in honor of the clergyman and philosopher Nikolai Grundtvig and named after him. The grandiose church of Grundtvig is located in one of the sparsely populated areas of the city. It is regularly visited by pilgrims from all over the world.
Nikolaus Grundtvig - famous Danish theologian
Outstanding educator, philosopher and public figure Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig played a big role in the history of Denmark. He was born in 1783, graduated from the University of Copenhagen, devoted his life to educational work. With his assistance, the People's Universities were opened in Denmark. Thanks to these institutions, the poorest segment of the population has the opportunity to receive an education.
Nikolai Grundtvig was engaged not only in educational work. He wrote books and scientific treatises, created more than one and a half thousand church hymns, as well as religious sermons. Many hymns are still sung in Lutheran churches in Denmark. The theologian Grundtvig was a member of theParliament of the country, and in 1861 he was awarded the title of Honorary Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Denmark.
Church construction history
To pay tribute to the famous person, the grateful people of Denmark decided to erect a monument and build the Grundtvig Church in his honor. In 1913, a competition was held in the country for the best design of the temple. The winner was the architect Peder Wilhelm Jensen Klint. His project was different from the religious buildings under construction in those years. There were not enough funds for the construction, but the people of Denmark really liked the design of the temple, and then a fundraising among the population was announced in the country.
The Bispebjerg district on the outskirts of Copenhagen, unpopular with the population, was chosen for the construction of the temple. In order to attract residents, it was decided to build inexpensive comfortable houses for workers next to the cathedral. So the city authorities tried to form a new residential area, the center of which was the church of Grundtvig. In September 1921, the builders laid the foundation stone for the future cathedral. For the construction of the church and residential buildings, yellow brick, popular in Denmark, was used. Residential buildings and the temple building formed a single architectural ensemble.
The Grundtvig Church in Copenhagen was built in 5 years. In 1926, the central part of the temple complex was erected, and in 1927 the first service was held. Despite the fact that the church began to function, the interior work was not completed. In 1930, Jensen Klint died, and then his son Kaare took up the decoration of the building. Only in1940 interior work was completed.
Grundtwig Cathedral - a synthesis of architectural styles
Grundtvig's Church is an expressionist temple, although elements of classical Gothic can be traced in its decoration. In general, it looks like medieval rural buildings in the Scandinavian version.
The height of the majestic western facade, together with the bell tower, reaches 49 meters, strict laconic forms resemble a church organ. The length of the temple, together with the porch and the choir, is 76 meters, and the width is 35 meters. 1440 people can be inside at the same time.
6 million bricks were used to build the church, some of them were carefully polished and used to decorate the outer walls. Sunlight reflects off them and gives the building a special magnificence. The high nave is decorated with stepped pediments reaching upwards 22 m high.
The interior of the temple
Grundtvig's church is as beautiful inside as it is outside. For decoration, handmade yellow Danish brick was used, which is tightly laid. All interior decoration is designed in a strict Gothic style. Only high columns and lancet vaults serve as decoration.
The room is divided into three parts. In the center is the main part - the "body" of the temple. Here is the pulpit, built of the same brick as the whole building. Her design was developed by the son of Jensen Klint. In the nave there are chairs made of natural beech for parishioners. The project provided for places in the sidegalleries, but are currently closed to the public.
The altar and two pewter candlesticks were designed by Kaare Klint. In his work, he used the sketches of his father. There is also a crucifix made by the architect's daughter. The font is carved from limestone. It consists of 8 bowls trimmed with brass. Each has Bible quotes.
The Church of Grundtvig (Denmark) is famous for its organs. The small organ was built in 1940, and the big one was installed 25 years later. It is the longest organ on the Scandinavian Peninsula. He has 4 registers and 55 voices, the length of the pipes is 11 meters. The outlines of a large organ follow the facade of the building. Periodically, organ concerts are held in the church.
