Hof Church
{{short description|Church in Innlandet, Norway}}
{{about|the church in Åsnes Municipality, Norway|the church in Holmestrand Municipality, Norway|Hof Church (Vestfold)}}
{{Infobox church
|name = Hof Church
|fullname = Hof kirke
|former name =
|image = Hof kirke.jpg
|caption = View of the church
|website =
|coordinates = {{coord|60.5510262847|12.01782256364|region:NO_type:landmark|display=inline,title|format=dms}}
|location = Åsnes Municipality,
Innlandet
|country = Norway
|churchmanship = Evangelical Lutheran
|denomination = Church of Norway
|previous denomination = Catholic Church
|diocese = Hamar bispedømme
|deanery = Solør, Vinger og Odal prosti
|parish = Hof
|status = Parish church
|functional status = Active
|founded date = 13th century
|consecrated date = 17 October 1860
|completed date = {{Start date and age|p=y|1860}}
|closed date =
|events =
|architect = Christian Heinrich Grosch
|architectural type = Cruciform
|style =
|materials = Brick
|capacity = 600
|embedded = {{Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site
|embed = yes
|Type = Church
|Status = Protected
|ID = 84590
}} }}
Hof Church ({{langx|no|Hof kirke}}) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Åsnes Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the village of Hof. It is the church for the Hof parish which is part of the Solør, Vinger og Odal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar. The red brick church was built in a cruciform design in 1860 using plans drawn up by the architect Christian Heinrich Grosch. The church seats about 600 people.{{Cite web |title=Hof kirke, Åsnes |url=https://kirkesok.no/kirke/042500201 |access-date=2021-12-30 |publisher=Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen}}{{Cite web |title=Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker |url=http://www.kirkekonsulenten.no/kirker.htm |access-date=2021-12-30 |publisher=KirkeKonsulenten.no |language=Norwegian}}
Hof Church (whose name refers to an heathen temple) serves the southern part of what is now Åsnes municipality in Solør, with a church on the west side of the river Glomma, although the river actually changed course in the area around the year 1450. Previously the church was on the east side before the river broke through its boundaries and changed course.
History
The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1388, but the church was not new that year. The first church at Hof was a wooden stave church that was probably built around the beginning of the 13th century. This church stood about {{convert|60|m}} to the northwest of the present church site. The church had two wooden portals that are still in existence at a museum. Around the year 1600, the old stave church was heavily renovated and enlarged, leaving little of the original structure remaining. The original building had a long church design, but the addition of two transept wings, gave the building a cruciform floor plan. A church porch was built on the west end of the nave. The choir was located in the eastern wing of the church. A sacristy was built on the north side of the choir. The outside of the building was clad with vertical wood siding.{{Cite web |title=Hof kirkested |url=http://www.kulturminnesok.no/kulturminnesok/kulturminne/?LOK_ID=84590 |access-date=2021-12-30 |publisher=Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage |language=Norwegian}}{{Cite web |title=Hof kirke (Åsnes) |url=https://www.norske-kirker.net/home/hedmark/hof-kirke/ |access-date=2021-12-30 |website=Norges-Kirker.no |language=Norwegian}}
In 1814, this church served as an election church ({{langx|no|valgkirke}}).{{Cite web |title=Valgkirkene |url=https://lokalhistoriewiki.no/wiki/Valgkirkene |access-date=2021-12-30 |website=LokalHistorieWiki.no |language=Norwegian}}{{Cite web |title=Valgkartet |url=http://1814.arkivverket.no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205923/http://1814.arkivverket.no |archive-date=2021-06-24 |access-date=2021-12-30 |website=Valgene i 1814 |publisher=Arkivverket |language=Norwegian}} Together with more than 300 other parish churches across Norway, it was a polling station for elections to the 1814 Norwegian Constituent Assembly which wrote the Constitution of Norway. This was Norway's first national elections. Each church parish was a constituency that elected people called "electors" who later met together in each county to elect the representatives for the assembly that was to meet at Eidsvoll Manor later that year.{{Cite web |title=Om valgene |url=http://1814.arkivverket.no/#about-elections |access-date=2021-12-30 |website=Valgene i 1814 |publisher=Arkivverket |language=Norwegian |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205923/http://1814.arkivverket.no/#about-elections |url-status=dead }}
In 1858, the old church was torn down. A new, larger brick church was constructed on roughly the same site. The foundation stone was laid in 1858. The building was a cruciform design that was designed by Christian Heinrich Grosch. A man named Schøyen was the lead builder for the project. The new church was consecrated on 17 October 1860. The new church originally sat about 625 people, including 145 seats in the second floor seating galleries. In 1954–1955, the church was renovated. During this project, the second floor seating galleries were all removed.
Media gallery
5043 Hof Kirke - no-nb digifoto 20150810 00043 bldsa PK30133.jpg
5053 Parti ved Hof kirke - no-nb digifoto 20150810 00044 bldsa PK30134.jpg
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Churches in Solør, Vinger og Odal}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Churches in Innlandet
Category:Cruciform churches in Norway
Category:Brick churches in Norway
Category:19th-century Church of Norway church buildings
Category:Churches completed in 1860