Sand-Covered Church

The silted St. Laurentii Church, in Danish: the Tilsandede kirke, is one of the major tourist attractions in northern Jutland in Denmark. It is located in the village of Gammel Skagen Skagen south of the city within the dunes east of the main road.

The tower was open late for visitors and could be climbed over a fairly adventurous, but short staircase. Since an investigation in 1994, the plan of the church is marked in the sand. A similar effect has the dune Rubjerg Knude to the eponymous lighthouse at Hjørring about 60 kilometers south-west.

The original church

The Church is the remnant of the old Skagen church, which was dedicated to the patron saint of sailors St. Lawrence. It was probably built at the end of the 13th century monk from stones that were, perhaps imported from the Netherlands and Lübeck from Scotland. At the time of its construction it was the middle of a utilized agricultural area. The community of Skagen counted at that time about 2,500 inhabitants. With its 38 church chairs she was the largest and longest church in northern Jutland ( Vendsyssel ). It was built as a Gothic long ship with stepped gables, buttresses, vestry and porch, and a vaulted ceiling. Also, a late Gothic altarpiece with wrought-iron lattice was provided. The surrounding the church cemetery was enclosed by a brick wall.

The silting

Around the year 1770 the bustle of the surrounding sand dunes reached the church first gathered at the cemetery wall. After a violent storm in May 1775, the entrance of the church could be kept only by constantly shoveling sand. Therefore, the church, the church gave up in 1795, the nave was demolished. At a royal decision to go, however, the tower should be remain as a navigation mark. At an auction in 1810, most of the inventory was sold. 1816 handed over to the tower of the lighthouse authority, since 1903 he is a listed building of the National Museum.

Very few items could be found again in later years, so probably the Kirchenschiffchen that hangs in the cathedral in Aarhus today. Two candlesticks, the font and a bell can be found in the Skagen Church. The bricks were used in many homes in Skagen, such as in Tuxens villa. Under the sand are likely to be the floor of the church, the baptismal font and the grave stones of significant religious and secular dignitaries of the time.