Østerlars Church
The Østerlars Church (Danish Østerlars Kirke ) is a built in Romanesque style round church in Østerlars, a district of Gudhjem, on the Danish island of Bornholm.
It is the largest of the four round churches on Bornholm. The others are the Church of Nylars, Saint - Ols Church and Ny Kirke. The church was originally after the patron saint of St. Lawrence of Rome (Danish Sct. Lars ) named and first mentioned on 30 August 1332 a document to the papal chair. By 1600, it had the name " Øster " prepended to them clearly distinguishable from the Nylars church, she has since been Østerlars Church (east of Nylars church).
The Church has 120,000 visitors annually.
Building and history
It is believed that the church was built around 1150, the exact period is not known.
The round church was built as a fortified church, which served the population in case of danger as a refuge. Due to the geographical location of the island of Bornholm, the population particularly predatory attacks by sea was exposed, in particular proceeded during the period of the Wends, who fought for supremacy in the Southern Baltic against Danes and Germans.
The round church is a fortress-like reinforced outer wall enclosed (about 16 meters in outer diameter ). The approximately 2.15 -meter thick walls is the exterior and interior front granite, the space was filled with gravel and soil. The interior of the Round Church has a diameter of 13.2 meters. The ceiling and roof loads are carried by the outer wall and the annular, open central pillar (about 6 meters in outer diameter ).
( The central pillar of the three other round churches of Bornholm are due to their small sizes in diameter significantly smaller and closed. Nylars The inner diameter of the church is 11 meters. )
The structure consists of three levels. The lowest level is the church ( the round ship). The two upper floors are accessible only through narrow, well defensible sunrises. The second floor served as a shelter for the population and in peacetime as a storeroom for the farmers. The third level was designed for defense against attackers. A reconstruction of Charles Christensen from 1939 shows the Østerlars Church as fortified church, the top (third) level has an encircling parapet and above rose two more platforms.
The characteristic conical roof was the only round church in the late Middle Ages. The seven heavy buttresses were added later to the building to stabilize. They are first shown in sketches in the Danish Atlas of the Danish historian Peder Hansen Resen, around 1675. After the pillars to support the masonry by the additional load of the added cone roof with. The present building structure is presented in three sections and a longitudinal section in detail.
In the churchyard, about 20 meters west of the church, is the bell tower, which should initially support the plant's defense.
Sonar measurements gave an indication of a 12.5 m long and 2 m high space under the church, but prohibited the Church Council today further investigations. This finding gives rise to speculation that there could be located the Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar.
Church interior
The pulpit is a Renaissance work of 1595th The organ dates from Marcussen and Son in Aabenraa. The altarpiece is a carving of the Renaissance of about in 1600.
Østerlars church pulpit
Østerlars church organ
Østerlars church altar
Frescoes
At the central pillar of the round church are murals that were discovered and restored in 1889 by Professor Kornerrup. They were born about 1350. The frieze shows the stages of life of Christ with the proclamation of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of the Last Day with the lost, the devil and the jaws of hell.
Østerlars Church, Freseken
Østerlars Church, Freseken
Østerlars Church, Freseken
Upper floors
The main wall of the interior of the third floor had originally the outside wall of the fortified church have been around which was an open parapet. The bars above the interior were probably part of the flat roof, which was used as an observation platform. The openings in the inner wall were probably light openings or embrasures. The openings in the bottom of the outer battlements suggest that they served the water outlet of the upwardly open Ganges.
Østerlars Church, 2nd floor
Østerlars Church, 3rd floor, inner space
Østerlars Church, 3rd floor, (formerly ) external battlements
Østerlars Church, 3rd floor, outer parapet, water drain port
Østerlars church, stairs from the 3rd floor down