Dragør Church Explained

Dragør Church
Fullname:Dragør Kirke
Location:Dragør
Country:Denmark
Coordinates:55.5939°N 12.6685°W
Denomination:Church of Denmark
Status:Church
Architect:J.H. Wessel
Architectural Type:Church
Style:Neo-Gothic
Completed Date:1885
Materials:Brick
Archdiocese:Diocese of Copenhagen

Dragør Church is a Lutheran church in Dragør, Denmark. It belongs to the Church of Denmark.

History

In 1449, the Bishop of Roskilde authorized the installation of a temporary altar during the annual herring market at Dragør which attracted up to 30,000 traders and fishermen. The market disappeared in about 1500. The few permanent residents had to use Store Magleby Church in nearby Store Magleby some time between 1193 and 1370. After Christian II gave the church to the Dutch farmers who settled in the area in 1621, the church was adapted according to Dutch tradition. Service was also conducted in Dutch and the best seats were reserved for the Dutch families.[1]

Dragør Church was finally inaugurated on 26 April 1885 but remained attached to Store Magleby until 1954 when Dragør finally became its own parish.[2]

Architecture

The church is built in the Neo-Gothiv style. J. H. Wessel's design strongly resembles that of Taarbæk Church north of Copenhagen, which was designed by Carl Emil Wessel, his father.[3] The ceiling is inspired by the cathedral in Limerick, Ireland.[4]

The clock on the east side of the tower is from 1764 and was installed by clockmaker Bernhard Larsen in 1882.

Graveyard

Notable people who are buried at the graveyard include the actor and comedian Dirch Passer, television presenter Otto Leisner and the marine painter Christian Mølsted whose home and studio in Dragør in now a museum dedicated to his art.[5]

Burials

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kirkens historie. da. Dragør Kirke. 2013-09-16. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130828183828/http://www.dragoerkirke.dk/historie/index.php. 2013-08-28.
  2. Web site: Dragør Kirke. da. Gyldendal. 2013-09-16.
  3. Web site: Taarbæk Kirke. da. nordenskirker.dk. 2013-09-16. 2011-01-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20110131152821/http://nordenskirker.dk/Tidligere/Taarbaek_kirke/Taarbaek_kirke.htm. dead.
  4. Web site: To kirker i Storkøbenhavn, der ligner hinanden. da. Dines Bogø Lokalhistorie. 2013-09-16.
  5. Web site: Christian Ferdinand Andreas Mølsted. kendtegravsteder.dk. 2013-09-16.