Storkyrkan kör
Storkyrkans Kör
Find Storkyrkans Kör best songs, old and new, plus top hits and full song list at AllMusic. Storkyrkan Swedish: [ˈstûːrˌɕʏrkan] , lit. Storkyrkan lies in the centre of Stockholm in Gamla stan , between Stockholm Palace and Stortorget , the old main square of Stockholm. It was consecrated to Saint Nicholas in but construction of the church probably started in the 13th century. Inside, Storkyrkan still maintains much of its late medieval appearance in the form of a hall church with a vaulted ceiling supported by brick pillars.
The exterior of the church is however uniformly Baroque in appearance, the result of extensive changes made in the 18th century. The church played an important role during the Reformation in Sweden as the place where Mass was celebrated in Swedish for the first time. It currently serves as the seat of the Bishop of Stockholm within the Church of Sweden since the creation of the Diocese of Stockholm in Storkyrkan was for a long time the only parish church of Stockholm, and from an early date it was connected with the Swedish royal family.
It has been the scene of historical events on numerous occasions, and was used as a coronation church for centuries. More recently, the wedding between Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling took place in the church in Military victories as well as national tragedies have been commemorated in Storkyrkan, and it is still used for funerals of public figures such as the writers Astrid Lindgren and Sara Danius. The church contains several important works of art as well as elaborate furnishings, among these a late medieval sculpture of Saint George and the Dragon and Vädersolstavlan , a painting which shows one of the earliest images of Stockholm.
Storkyrkan is the oldest church in Stockholm and was originally the parish church of the entire city, and as such was built at the very centre of the medieval city. The church, together with the palace, Stortorget and the first town hall of Stockholm located on the site of the present stock exchange building , formed the heart of the earliest urban development. Storkyrkan is surrounded on three sides by streets Trångsund to the west, Storkyrkobrinken and Högvaktsterrassen to the north and Slottsbacken to the east.
On the opposite side the courtyard faces the back of the stock exchange buildings, and two small pavilions, designed by Erik Palmstedt as wings of the stock exchange, were actually built as the burial chapel and coach-house of the church.
They were built in The posts of both gates were originally decorated with allegorical statues, although only the couple on the west gate are still in place. These two statues probably depict Reason on the south post and Divine Love on the north post , and were made by Peter Schultz in The pair was made in by Daniel Kortz [ sv ]. Another statue, depicting the Swedish reformer Olaus Petri , stands adjacent to the east facade of the church.
It faces Slottsbacken and forms part of the church ensemble even though it is not formally connected to Storkyrkan. It was inaugurated in and made by Theodor Lundberg [ sv ]. The presence of a church in Stockholm was indicated for the first time in Tradition also holds that Birger Jarl founded the church. It is therefore possible that the church inaugurated in was preceded by another church, or that it was under construction for a long time, or perhaps re-dedicated in Several churches in the Baltic region from the 13th century are dedicated to Saint Nicholas, especially in cities where the Hanseatic League had a presence, as was the case in Stockholm.
There are few written sources, and a lack of ornaments has made it difficult to draw any conclusions about the age of the different parts on stylistic grounds. Originally, the church appears to have consisted of a nave with two aisles. It had a wooden ceiling supported by six pillars. The main entrance was probably located to the west, though side entrances may have existed in the north and south walls. Mary's Church, Sigtuna and Skokloster Church [ sv ].
Embellishing the church was a way for both the monarchs of Sweden and the citizens of Stockholm to demonstrate their power and influence. A donation to the church in by King Magnus IV and his wife Blanche of Namur probably indicates that the first of a number of chapels had been added to the church. The four bays that belonged to the chapel are still discernible in the interior of Storkyrkan. Mary's Church, Lübeck.
By the end of the Middle Ages, Storkyrkan contained more than 30 chapels or specifically dedicated altarpieces , an amount only comparable with the cathedrals of medieval Sweden. Another set of murals, painted by Albertus Pictor and decorating the south west vaults the paintings are currently not visible from the floor of the church was also added during the 15th century. This was partially because the church had become too small for the growing population of the city.
Stockholms domkyrkoförsamling
During the 16th century, the Reformation in Sweden led to important changes for the church. Catholicism was abandoned and Lutheranism was adopted. The state confiscated much of the property of the church, including large amounts of silver from the chapels and altars of Storkyrkan. Adam van Düren was responsible for these works, and he also made an allegorical sculpture adorning the base of one of the pillars of the church.