Umeå City Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Umeå City Church |
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| Umeå stads kyrka | |
Umeå City Church in September 2010
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| 63°49′25″N 20°16′04″E / 63.82361°N 20.26778°E | |
| Location | Umeå |
| Country | Sweden |
| Denomination | Church of Sweden |
| Website | svenskakyrkan.se |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 2 December 1894 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Fredrik Olaus Lindström |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Luleå |
Umeå City Church (called Umeå stads kyrka in Swedish) is a beautiful church building. You can find it in the middle of Umeå, Sweden. It sits between a park called Vänortsparken and the north side of the Ume River. The church first opened its doors on December 2, 1894. That day was also the First Advent Sunday.
History of Umeå City Church
This church has a long and interesting history. It is actually the third church built in the same spot! The first church was destroyed in 1770 by the Russian Army. Later, in 1888, a big fire swept through Umeå. This fire destroyed most of the town, including the second church building.
The church you see today was designed by a city architect named Fredrik Olaus Lindström. It was built between 1892 and 1894. The church is made of brick and has a strong stone base. Over the years, the church has been fixed up and changed a few times. These changes have made it look a bit different from when it was first built.
First Big Fix-Up
In 1929, the church leaders decided it was time for a major repair. The roof was leaking, which was damaging the paintings on the ceiling. Other parts of the church were also getting old. People also wanted to update the church's look.
A special architect, Knut Nordenskjöld, was asked to check the church. He suggested many changes in 1930. After a lot of discussion, the church leaders agreed to his plans in 1935. Work started on January 17. During this fix-up, the area where the organ is and the choir section were made bigger. They also moved some air vents and added new doors at the main entrance. Part of the floor was replaced with smooth limestone. The inside walls were painted a soft white color. The church was ready again on the first Sunday of Advent in 1937. Bishop Olof Bergqvist from the Diocese of Luleå was there for the special service.
Building a Bridge and Discovering History
In 1971, a decision was made to build a new bridge, called Kyrkbron, across the Ume River. This bridge would extend a street called Östra Kyrkogatan. When construction began in 1972, workers found something unexpected: an old burial ground right next to the church!
Because of a law about old historical sites, the construction had to stop. Archaeologists came to dig and study the area. No one knew exactly where the old cemetery ended, and there were no maps. The archaeologists dug up about forty graves. These graves held around sixty skeletons. In one grave, they found a nameplate. It showed that it was the family grave of a governor named Pehr Adam Stromberg. No gravestones were found, probably because they were destroyed in the big Umeå fire of 1888. After the archaeologists studied the remains, they were carefully returned to the church. The remains were then reburied, though the exact spot was not recorded.
