Örgryte New Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Örgryte New Church |
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Örgryte New Church in May 2011
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 Örgryte New Church
Location in Sweden
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| 57°42′10″N 12°00′19″E / 57.7029°N 12.0054°E | |
| Location | Gothenburg |
| Country | Sweden |
| Denomination | Church of Sweden |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 6 July 1890 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1888 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Diocese of Gothenburg |
Örgryte New Church (Swedish: Örgryte nya kyrka) is a beautiful church in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is built in the Gothic style. This means it has tall, pointed arches and large windows. The church is part of the Örgryte congregation (Swedish: Örgryte församling).
History of Örgryte New Church
Why a New Church Was Needed
Around 1870, the people of Örgryte realized their old church was too small. It could only hold about 400 people. The community was growing, so they needed a much bigger place to worship.
Planning and Building the Church
In 1885, a plan for a new church was suggested by Reverend Magnus Ekberg. People started donating money to help build it. The church also took out a loan to cover the costs. Many generous people helped, including merchants David Lundstrom, James Dickson, David Carnegie, and Oscar Ekman.
The new church was designed to hold over 1,000 people. This was more than double the size of the old church! It was built on a stable hill called Svalberget. A local brewer, JW Lyckholm, paid for two of the church bells. Captain Pontus Virgin paid for the altar, and Peter Hammarberg donated the beautiful stained glass windows.
Construction and Opening
The church was designed by Adrian C. Peterson, and F.O. Peterson was the builder. Construction started in the summer of 1888. The church was officially opened on July 6, 1890, by Bishop Edvard Rodhe. The total cost was about 226,000 Swedish Kronor. More than half of this amount came from donations.
The church was built using red bricks from Skåne. It did not have electricity until 1908. The outside of the church has detailed brick decorations and stone carvings.
Unique Design and Features
Because of the land it was built on, the church faces northeast to southwest. It has a cross shape with high ceilings and a tall bell tower. The bell tower stands almost 60 meters (197 feet) high.
In 1937, the church was restored, and the pulpit was moved. In 1952, some painted round windows were moved to different parts of the church. Other stained glass windows from 1889 are still there.
Church Organs
Örgryte New Church has two special organs.
The Willis Organ
This organ was first built around 1871 by Henry Willis. He was a very famous organ builder in England. This organ was originally in St. Stephen's Church in Hampstead, London. When that church closed in 1971, the organ was taken apart and sold.
In 1992, the Academy of Music in Gothenburg learned about the organ. In 1998, the Örgryte Assembly Organ Foundation bought it. This organ is the largest Victorian organ made by a British company in Sweden.
The North German Baroque Organ
The North German Baroque organ was built as part of a big research project. This project involved the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers. It was built at the GOArt (Göteborg Organ Art Center) workshop. Mats Arvidsson, Henk van Eeken, and Munetaka Yokota led the project.
This organ has four keyboards and a pedalboard, with 54 different sounds. The goal was to recreate an organ like those built by Arp Schnitger (1648–1719), a famous organ builder from North Germany.
The Church Bells
The church tower has two bells. Each bell has a special message carved into it.
The message on both bells says that they were made during the time of King Oscar II. It also mentions Bishop E.H. Rodhe and Dean J.M. Ekberg. The bells were cast at Eriksbergs Mech. Werkstad in 1899. J. W. Lyckholm, a factory owner, paid for them.
The Larger Bell's Message
The larger bell has a message that invites people to come to the church. It encourages them to thank and praise the Lord. It speaks of God's goodness and kindness.
The Smaller Bell's Message
The smaller bell's message talks about how good it is to thank the Lord. It says to sing praises to God's name. It also mentions proclaiming God's mercy in the morning and truth in the evening. The message ends by giving glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Altarpiece
In 1950, a church painter named Thor Fagerkvist (1884–1960) was asked to paint a new altarpiece. An altarpiece is a work of art placed behind the altar. This new altarpiece replaced an older sculpture from 1890.
The new altarpiece is a triptych. This means it has three panels. It has five oil paintings on canvas. Three paintings are usually visible, showing scenes related to Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. During Lent, the panels are closed. Then, two other paintings are shown, depicting a wagon and Gethsemane. The frame for the altarpiece was designed by architect Axel Forssén.
The Old Altar Sculpture
The original altar sculpture was made of carved oak wood in 1890 by Carl Johan Dyfverman. It showed Jesus on the cross with Mary Magdalene, another Mary, and the disciple John below. This sculpture was painted in 1923 and restored in 1969. In 1951, it was moved to its current spot in the transept (the cross-shaped part of the church).
Altar
On the altar, there is a crucifix made of ivory and ebony. A crucifix is a cross with a figure of Jesus on it. This one was made in 1952 by a sculptor from Gothenburg named Henry Johansson.
Font
The baptismal font was designed by architect Axel Forssén. A baptismal font is a basin used for baptisms. Dean Ekberg's successor, Reverend Magnus Nilman (1855–1927), donated this font and a copper basin to the new church in 1927.
