Katarina Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Katarina kyrka |
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January 2013 view of Katarina kyrka from outside
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Church of Sweden |
| Rite | Protestant |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Parish church |
| Year consecrated | 1724 |
| Location | |
| Location | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural style | Baroque |
| Groundbreaking | 1656 |
| Completed | 1695 |
Katarina kyrka (Church of Catherine) is one of the major churches in central Stockholm, Sweden. The original building was constructed 1656–1695. It has been rebuilt twice after being destroyed by fires, the second time during the 1990s. The Katarina-Sofia borough is named after the parish and the neighbouring parish of Sofia.
History
Construction of the church started during the reign of Charles X of Sweden, and the church is named after Princess Catherine, mother of the king, wife of John Casimir, Palsgrave of Pfalz-Zweibrücken and half-sister of Gustavus Adolphus. The original architect was Jean de la Vallée. The construction was severely delayed due to shortage of funds.
In 1723 the church, together with half of the buildings in the parish, was completely destroyed in a major fire. Rebuilding started almost immediately, under supervision of Göran Josua Adelcrantz, the city architect, who designed a larger, octagonal tower.
May 17, 1990, the church burned down again. Almost nothing but the external walls remained. Architect Ove Hidemark was responsible for rebuilding the church, which was reopened in 1995. The new organ was built by J. L. van den Heuvel Orgelbouw in the Netherlands.
Several famous Swedes are buried in the cemetery surrounding the church, most notably the assassinated Foreign Minister Anna Lindh. Nationally popular Dutch-Swedish singer Cornelis Vreeswijk is another example, as well as the former football player Sven Bergqvist. Also buried here are Sten Sture the Elder.
Notable Architectural Features
Karl XII's Stair is the double staircase that leads from the cemetery up to the southern entrance of the church and is so named because of its ornate railing. It was built sometime between 1712 and 1715 and was dedicated in 1715 as indicated by the date on the portion on the stair's landing. The stair's namesake is Charles XII of Sweden who was king at the time, and his royal monogram appears above the dedication date. The railing was made by the Blacksmith Benjamin Roth and renovated by his son, Carl Roth, in 1776. On the pillars on either side of the stair is engraved a poem about Karl XII.
