St. John's Church, Copenhagen
Encyclopedia
St. John's Church is a church located next to Sankt Hans Torv
in the heart of the Nørrebro
district of Copenhagen
, Denmark
. Opened in 1861, it was the first church to be built outside the city's old fortification ring
when it was decommissioned and new residential neighbourhoods sprung up outside the former city gates.
was a gradual and prolonged process. They had long been under pressure from the fast-growing city and the British bombadement in 1807 during the Battle of Copenhagen showed they had become outdated. By 1850 a decision had still not formally been taken but in 1852 the Demarcation Line, which heavily restricted the access to build within a certain zone outside the fortifications, was confined to the area inside the Lakes, and in 1855 the new times were further anticipated with the demolition of the Northern City Gate.
In 1861 construction of St. John's Church began on land provided by the city on the old Blegdam Common. The architect was Theodor Sørensen who had recently graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
The new church was consecrated on 25 August 1861
at a ceremony attended by King Frederik VII. Incidental music in the form of a cantata
with text by Bernhard Severin Ingemann
and music by Emil Hartmann
was performed at the event.
The new St. John's Parish, which was disjoined from Trinitatis and Our Lady's Parishes, covered an extensive area which included all of Nørrebro and Østerbro
and reached all the way to Hellerup
and Brønshøj
. However, still sparsely populated, it only had about 16,000 inhabitants. The church's first pastor, Rudolf Frimodt, launched a campaign for more churches in the new districts of Copenhagen which, over the course of seven years, from 1874 to 1880, led to four new churches: St. Stephen's, St. James's
, St. Paul's
and St. Mathew's. By 1885, even with St. Stephen's and St. James's Parishes in the meantime disjoined, the population of St. John's Parish had grown to 60,000.
building in red brick. Standing 54 metres high, the tower has a copper-clad spire. Theodor Sørensen's style was greatly influenced by Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll
, and the three-gable motif of St. John's is also seen in Bindesbøll's Hobro Church.
St. John's was the first in the Copenhagen area to revive Medieval features such as crow-stepped gable
s and pointed-arched windows. Its style was, on its completion, unusual in Denmark but soon won great popularity. It was completed the same year as Copenhagen University Library
, another building which combined red bricks and a Neo-Gothic design.
, the altarpiece
depicts the Resurrection of Jesus
. With 54 stops the church's organ is one of the largest in Copenhagen.
and the Panum Institute
, St. John's remains the largest church in the Nørrebro district. It is a parish church within the Church of Denmark
. In December 2008, St. John's Parish combined with Simon's Parish to from Simon-St. John's Parish. The chapel at Rihshospitalet also belongs to the parish.
The church plays host to the student priest for University of Copenhagen
's faculties of Health Sciences
and Science
, both located nearby.
Sankt Hans Torv
Sankt Hans Torv is a public square in the heart of the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is dominated by a large granite sculpture by Jørgen Haugen Sørensen and is known for its thriving café scene. St...
in the heart of the Nørrebro
Nørrebro
Nørrebro is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is northwest of the city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate , which, until dismantled in 1856, was near the current Nørreport station.-Geography:...
district of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Opened in 1861, it was the first church to be built outside the city's old fortification ring
Fortifications of Copenhagen (17th century)
The fortifications of Copenhagen underwent a comprehensive modernization and expansion in the 17th century. The project was commenced and largely masterplanned by Christian IV in the early 17th century but continued and completed by his successors...
when it was decommissioned and new residential neighbourhoods sprung up outside the former city gates.
History
The decommissioning of Copenhagen's Bastioned FortificationsFortifications of Copenhagen (17th century)
The fortifications of Copenhagen underwent a comprehensive modernization and expansion in the 17th century. The project was commenced and largely masterplanned by Christian IV in the early 17th century but continued and completed by his successors...
was a gradual and prolonged process. They had long been under pressure from the fast-growing city and the British bombadement in 1807 during the Battle of Copenhagen showed they had become outdated. By 1850 a decision had still not formally been taken but in 1852 the Demarcation Line, which heavily restricted the access to build within a certain zone outside the fortifications, was confined to the area inside the Lakes, and in 1855 the new times were further anticipated with the demolition of the Northern City Gate.
In 1861 construction of St. John's Church began on land provided by the city on the old Blegdam Common. The architect was Theodor Sørensen who had recently graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
The new church was consecrated on 25 August 1861
1861 in Denmark
-Incumbents:* Monarch – HM Frederick VII* Prime minister – Carl Christian Hall-Events:* July – The archaeological excavations at the Jelling Stones are resumed under supervision of Jens Jacob Asmussen Worsaae and later that month visited by King Frederik VII personally.* August 25...
at a ceremony attended by King Frederik VII. Incidental music in the form of a cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
with text by Bernhard Severin Ingemann
Bernhard Severin Ingemann
Bernhard Severin Ingemann was a Danish novelist and poet.Ingemann was born in Thorkildstrup, on the island of Falster, Denmark. The son of a vicar, he was left fatherless in his youth. While a student at the University of Copenhagen he published his first collection of poems Bernhard Severin...
and music by Emil Hartmann
Emil Hartmann
Emil Hartmann was a Danish composer, the eldest son of Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann and brother-in-law to Niels Gade. His son Oluf Hartmann was a painter....
was performed at the event.
The new St. John's Parish, which was disjoined from Trinitatis and Our Lady's Parishes, covered an extensive area which included all of Nørrebro and Østerbro
Østerbro
Østerbro is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located just north of the city centre, outside the old city gate Østerport which, after it was moved around 1700, used to be located close to present-day Østerport Station...
and reached all the way to Hellerup
Hellerup
Hellerup is a Danish town of Region Hovedstaden, located in the Gentofte Municipality in Denmark. It is bordered to the east by the sound Øresund and to the South by Copenhagen and counted among the most affluent areas in Denmark....
and Brønshøj
Brønshøj
Brønshøj, part of the municipality of Copenhagen, forms, together with Husum, the administrative city district of Brønshøj-Husum. Brønshøj lies on rising ground 4 km west of Copenhagen center and is bordered by the large wetland area of Utterslev Mose to the north. A number of ponds, lakes,...
. However, still sparsely populated, it only had about 16,000 inhabitants. The church's first pastor, Rudolf Frimodt, launched a campaign for more churches in the new districts of Copenhagen which, over the course of seven years, from 1874 to 1880, led to four new churches: St. Stephen's, St. James's
St. James's Church, Copenhagen
St. James's Church in the Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, was the first church to be built in the district. It was designed by Ludvig Fenger in a Neo-Gothic style and built between 1876 and 1878.-History:...
, St. Paul's
St. Paul's Church, Copenhagen
St. Paul's Church is a Lutheran church in central Copenhagen, Denmark, also colloquially known as Nyboder's Church due to its location in the middle of the Nyboder area...
and St. Mathew's. By 1885, even with St. Stephen's and St. James's Parishes in the meantime disjoined, the population of St. John's Parish had grown to 60,000.
Architecture
St. John's is a Neo-GothicGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
building in red brick. Standing 54 metres high, the tower has a copper-clad spire. Theodor Sørensen's style was greatly influenced by Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll
Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll
Michael Gottlieb Birckner Bindesbøll was a Danish architect active during the Danish Golden Age in the first half of the 19th century. Most known for his design of Thorvaldsens Museum in Copenhagen, he was a key figure in the stylistic shift in Danish architecture from late classicism to Historicism...
, and the three-gable motif of St. John's is also seen in Bindesbøll's Hobro Church.
St. John's was the first in the Copenhagen area to revive Medieval features such as crow-stepped gable
Crow-stepped gable
A Stepped gable, Crow-stepped gable, or Corbie step is a stair-step type of design at the top of the triangular gable-end of a building...
s and pointed-arched windows. Its style was, on its completion, unusual in Denmark but soon won great popularity. It was completed the same year as Copenhagen University Library
Copenhagen University Library
Copenhagen University Library in Copenhagen, Denmark, is the main research library of the University of Copenhagen. Founded in 1582, it is the oldest library in Denmark....
, another building which combined red bricks and a Neo-Gothic design.
Interior and furnishings
The interior of the church is dominated by light-coloured, marbled walls and columns. Painted by J. L. Lund in 1818 in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, the altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
depicts the Resurrection of Jesus
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
. With 54 stops the church's organ is one of the largest in Copenhagen.
St. John's Church today
Located on Blegdamsvej, between Sankt Hans TorvSankt Hans Torv
Sankt Hans Torv is a public square in the heart of the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is dominated by a large granite sculpture by Jørgen Haugen Sørensen and is known for its thriving café scene. St...
and the Panum Institute
Panum Institute
The Panum Institute is a part of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is a large building complex and houses the Faculty of Health Sciences...
, St. John's remains the largest church in the Nørrebro district. It is a parish church within the Church of Denmark
Church of Denmark
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, Church of Denmark or Danish National Church, is the state church and largest denomination in Denmark and Greenland...
. In December 2008, St. John's Parish combined with Simon's Parish to from Simon-St. John's Parish. The chapel at Rihshospitalet also belongs to the parish.
The church plays host to the student priest for University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
's faculties of Health Sciences
University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health Sciences
The University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health Sciences houses ten academic departments that focus on the theoretical aspects of research and teaching. Clinical research and teaching are carried out at University hospitals in the Copenhagen area and are co-ordinated by the University Clinical...
and Science
University of Copenhagen Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen consists of both mathematical and natural sciences, and is divided into 11 institutes including the Natural History Museum of Denmark...
, both located nearby.