Karlstad Cathedral

The Karlstad Cathedral (Swedish: Karlstad domkyrka ) is a cathedral in the Swedish city of Karlstad. The Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Karlstad is situated in the city on the Lagberget on Tingvallaön, just 100 meters from the Old Market.

Lagberget served in the Middle Ages as a meeting place; the church is now widely visible, even from the highway bridge European Route 18 across the river Klar-river, which runs about five kilometers north of the church.

• 2.1 History and specifications
• 2.2 Recent History
• 2.3 Features
• 2.4 Images of today's exterior

Predecessors

The first church

On Tingvallaön there was certainly since the 14th century a church. Tingvallaön is an island in the delta of Klärälvens, here stood Karlstad predecessor Tingvalla and from here the city has been expanded since the Middle Ages, it is now the city center. This first church was located where today the Stadshotellet (City) is. It was originally called Tingvalla kyrka " church Tingvalla ". How did she look like is not known. The church burned as well as the rest of the city from the year 1616.

The second church

At the same point a new church was built. It had a roof turret with a high spire. In 1647 the church was declared a cathedral when Queen Christina Karlstad an Episcopal ( stiftsstad ) made ​​. In an engraving of Karlstad from the 17th century in the Suecia antiqua et Hodierna the church is shown.

This second church was burned down in 1719. Some furnishings were saved. A chandelier of 1642 hangs today in the north transept of the cathedral, another from 1703 hangs in the northern part of the western transept. Also the church silver remained, a box of wafers of the Master JF Straub from Karlstad and a chalice and paten of a 1704 revised in 1804 by W. Smedberg.

On the second floor of the present tower a few angels are kept, they are made of wood and are from the first church, probably they served the ornament. These angels have lost their original paint, only the wood is visible.

Is not used more than one derived from the old church, embroidered with golden flowers liturgical garment ( korkåpa ) of 1705. It was a gift to Bishop JL Arnell.

The current cathedral

History and specifications

After the second church niederbrannt was built in the years 1723-1730 a new, third church on Tingvallaön. On July 2, 1730 it was inaugurated. The church was built on this site, because it was felt that a high flood risk existed, and the plot could give in, also was thought that the fire risk would be lower on the hill.

The church was built by Christian Haller, an architect from Saxony, came to Karlstad in 1720 in the strict baroque style. Originally the exterior followed more strictly the Baroque style, has since 1865 but also neoclassical movement down. The windows are round-arched executed. The church had not at first the west tower, but was built as a strictly regular central church in the shape of a Greek cross; the bell stack stood by. Two tall round-arched windows on each side of the cross arms allowed light into the interior. In the center of the cross was an approximately ten -meter high wooden tower, which collapsed in 1792. Drawings for the cathedral was not found, but documents show that Haller was with Jonas Fristedt from Stockholm in conjunction, the builder of the Kungsholm Church in Stockholm, which has many similarities with the original cathedral Karlstad.

The eastern arm of the cross was originally divided into a sacristy with two rooms and a choir in the church. The two parts were separated by a three -meter high wall. Above the sacristy and in the western part there was a gallery. In the 1750s and 1760 - years, galleries were built in the northern and southern arms of the cross.

In the years 1735-1737 a vigorous church tower was built in the West. The bells were brought from the old bells stack which was demolished in the tower. With the Tower, the original plan of a Greek cross was abandoned. On the west facade of the tower was imaged with wrought iron digits 1737. The tower initially had a thatched roof with boards with a ball on top. The roof and the wooden roof of the tower burned down in 1752. 1757 the tower was restored and placed a baroque dome, with a small so-called lantern as a conclusion. The appearance in 1794 changed slightly. In the wall below the clock tower two small openings were installed as Tondurchlässe for the bells, without friezes and shelves, as it has the neoclassical tower today.

At the request of Gustav III. was created by the architect Erik Palmstedt 1793 new choir equipment with the altar, pulpit, bishop Bank and Cathedra, the latter financed by Bishop Herman Schroderheim. The new altar also got a new circular apse. The apse contains a cross and two angels and the altar stone. The angels were made ​​by the sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel. Two windows were recruited instead of the loft above the sacristy.

The roof and the tower of the cathedral were destroyed in the great fire on July 2, 1865. The bells melted and fell on the vault of the crest house and tore a big hole there. The remaining vaults remained intact, but the church was damaged by smoke. After the fire safety det vault was examined by an architect. The interiors and even the sensitive organ had survived the fire and its heat. The restoration was only in the late 1870s Ingange when the paintings were aged and the paint started to flake. It also furnaces were installed; the church had been no heating.

After the fire, the tower in the current neo-classical appearance was designed by architect Albert Törnqvist. The tower was a bit high with the embedded clock and new bells. Each arm of the cross got new heads in the style of the new tower, with large round-arched attic window, except in the west where the tower stands. The end of 1890 the church was also painted stained glass windows.

Recent History

From 1915 to 1916, the church was restored and extended the so-called tooth section of the choir, under the vault of the whole Church. The church bakam by a younger appearance, as if it were from the 1790s. At the same time the mural was renovated. The church also received a new pews, which still exists today. All windows except the window in the choir, were ornaments and glass window with inscription.

From 1956 to 1957 a large new sacristy was built over two floors in the east. The construction was planned since the restoration in 1915. The idea of a Greek cross, basic idea of the original church was abandoned. However, the crosses are symmetrical in length than before.

In the years 1965 to 1967, the interior of the church was restored, the tooth section of 1915 partially removed and a new stone floor was laid back. A further renovation was conducted in 1998. Here, the tower was given new bronze plates.

Equipment

The great organ in the west has 65 votes and is Magnus Sons ( Gothenburg ) has been made ​​.

Get out of the old church is a black robe with silver embroidery of 1730 and one of 1987. Moreover, there are other chasuble and a few other important items of equipment.

Pictures of today's exterior

Southern transept

The new sacristy of 1957 ( right)

Swell

• Excerpt from the book on the Internet Våra Kyrkor "Our Churches ", publisher Klarkullens Förlag AB, 1990
• Domkyrkan på Lagberget " the cathedral on the Lagberg ", from the website Varmland.org
• Kunskapsradion "broadcasting of knowledge"
• Heraldry in Karlstad Cathedral, the site Wermlandsheraldik.se ( Swedish)
• An article 23 September 1998 in the newspaper Värmland Folkblad after restoration in 1998.
• One to Rule 31 December 2005 on the carillon and the three läutbaren bells in the newspaper Värmland Folkblad.
• A map on Karlstad, of Hitta.se