Bamble Church
{{short description|Church in Telemark, Norway}}
{{Infobox church
|name = Bamble Church
|fullname = Bamble kirke
|former name =
|image = Bamble kirke.JPG
|caption = View of the church
|website =
|coordinates = {{coord|59.009436|9.6639792|region:NO_type:landmark|display=inline,title|format=dms}}
|location = Bamble Municipality,
Telemark
|country = Norway
|churchmanship = Evangelical Lutheran
|denomination = Church of Norway
|previous denomination = Catholic Church
|diocese = Agder og Telemark
|deanery = Bamble prosti
|parish = Bamble og Herre
|status = Parish church
|functional status = Active
|founded date = 1845
|consecrated date = 19 October 1845
|completed date = {{Start date and age|p=y|1845}}
|closed date =
|events =
|architect = G.A. Lammers
|architectural type = Long church
|style = Neo-Gothic
|materials = Wood
|capacity = 400
|embedded = {{Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site
|embed = yes
|Type = Church
|Status = Automatically protected
|ID = 83850
}} }}
Bamble Church ({{langx|no|Bamble kirke}}) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Bamble Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the village of Bamble. It is one of the churches for the Bamble og Herre parish which is part of the Bamble prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, wooden church was built in a long church design in 1845 using plans drawn up by the architect Gustav Adolph Lammers. The church seats about 400 people.{{Cite web |title=Bamble kirke |url=https://kirkesok.no/kirke/081400101 |access-date=2022-12-14 |publisher=Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen}}{{Cite web |title=Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker |url=http://www.kirkekonsulenten.no/kirker.htm |access-date=2022-12-14 |publisher=KirkeKonsulenten.no |language=Norwegian}}{{Cite book |last=Rasmussen |first=Alf Henry |url=https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2014121107543 |title=Våre kirker: Norsk kirkeleksikon |publisher=Vanebo forlag |isbn=8275270227 |location=Kirkenær, Norge |page=504 |language=Norwegian |accessdate=2022-12-03}}
This modern church is built about {{convert|150|m}} to the north of the ruins of the old St. Olav's Church, a much older stone church, probably constructed before 1150.
History
The old Bamble Church, known as the St. Olav's Church served this parish for many centuries. By the 1840s, the old church was in need of replacement, so planning for a new church began. The old church was going to be torn down and the new church was to be built about {{convert|150|m}} to the north of the old church. The new church was designed by the local parish priest Gustav Adolph Lammers, who was also the local mayor and a member of parliament for a while.{{Cite web |title=Bamble kirke |url=http://www.artemisia.no/arc/3/omraade/bamble/bamble.kirke.html |website=artemisia.no}} Some modifications to the plan came from Christian Grosch, who worked for the Norwegian Ministry of Church Affairs. The church was consecrated on 19 October 1845. The church is considered by some to be Norway's first Neo-Gothic church. When it was built, some of the stone from the old medieval church was used in the foundation wall and the cemetery wall. The new church was technically a cruciform building, but the transepts that are the cross-arms are very small and short, so the interior of the church is set up as a long church. The two transepts are set up as galleries. In 1902, the church was renovated by the architect Hjalmar Welhaven. Among the things that were changed was the modest original tower was removed and a much larger tower was built in its place. In 1985, the church was again restored and some of the interior colors were changed.{{Cite web |title=Bamble kirkested / Bamble kirke 2 |url=http://www.kulturminnesok.no/kulturminnesok/kulturminne/?LOK_ID=83850 |access-date=2022-12-14 |publisher=Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage |language=Norwegian}}{{Cite web |title=Bamble kirke |url=https://www.norske-kirker.net/home/telemark/bamble-kirke/ |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=Norges-Kirker.no |language=Norwegian}}{{Cite book |last=Eldal |first=Jens Christian |title=Kirker i Norge, bind 3: Med historiske forbilder. 1800-tallet |last2=Havran |first2=Jiri |date=2002 |publisher=ARFO |isbn=8291399115 |location=Oslo |pages=98–101}}
Artwork
The church has a large cross flanked by two altarpieces, both painted by Gustav Adolph Lammers. The cross was drawn by Per Vigeland and carved by brothers Anker and Bjarne Walle from Bamble. The 1951, stained glass window, with the risen Christ as a theme, is also by Vigeland.{{Cite web |title=Bamble parish |url=https://kulturminnesok.no/minne/?queryString=https://data.kulturminne.no/askeladden/lokalitet/83850 |website=Kulturminnesøk}} The church inventory also includes an exemplar of Christian III's Bible from 1550 and brass candlesticks that feudal lord Ove Gjedde bestowed to the old church in 1643.{{Cite book |title=Kirker i Telemark |date=1986 |publisher=Flora forlag |isbn=8290695004 |editor-last=Henriksveen |editor-first=Herman |location=Stathelle |pages=66–67}}{{cite web |title=Bamble kirke |url=https://lokalhistoriewiki.no/wiki/Bamble_kirke |website=LokalHistorieWiki.no |access-date=2022-12-14 |language=no}}
Media gallery
01Bamble kirke.JPG|Exterior front
Olavskirche Bamble.jpg|Exterior front/side
Bamble kirke - no-nb digifoto 20160223 00409 NB NS NM 08131.jpg|Photo from early 20th century
Bamble kirke 20071104 1.jpg|Interior
Bamble kirke 20071104 2.jpg|Balconies in the back of the church
Bamble kirke 20071104 5.jpg|Stained glass at rear of church, depicting resurrection of Jesus, by Per Vigeland
Bamble kirke 20071104 3.jpg|"The Law"; depicting Moses receiving the templates of law, by G.A. Lammers
Bamble kirke 20071104 4.jpg|"The Gospel", depicting Jesus in Gethsemane, by G.A. Lammers
Bamble kirke 20071104 7.jpg|Organ gallery
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Churches in Bamble}}
{{Authority control}}
{{use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
Category:Long churches in Norway
Category:Wooden churches in Norway
Category:19th-century Church of Norway church buildings