Tønjum Church
Tønjum Church (Norwegian: Tønjum kyrkje) is a parish church in Lærdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Tønjum. It is the church for the Tønjum parish which is part of the Sogn prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The red, wooden church was built in a cruciform style in 1832 using designs by an unknown architect. The church seats about 175 people.[1][2]
| Tønjum Church | |
|---|---|
| Tønjum kyrkje | |
 View of the church | |
  Tønjum Church Location of the church  Tønjum Church Tønjum Church (Norway) | |
| 61.0572°N 7.5167°E | |
| Location | Lærdal Municipality, Vestland |
| Country | Norway |
| Denomination | Church of Norway |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical Lutheran |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | c. 1200 |
| Consecrated | 30 September 1832 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Cruciform |
| Completed | 1832 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 175 |
| Materials | Wood |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Tønjum |
| Deanery | Sogn prosti |
| Diocese | Bjørgvin |
| Type | Church |
| Status | Automatically protected |
| ID | 85703 |
History
The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1305, but the church was not new that year. The first church was likely a stave church that was built during the early 1200s. The nave of the old church measured 10.7 by 8.1 metres (35 ft × 27 ft) with a choir that was 6.9 by 4.4 metres (23 ft × 14 ft). The church had a tower on the west end. In January 1823, the old church was heavily damaged by the wind during a big winter storm and it had to be torn down. About nine years later, after much discussion and debate, it was decided to build a new church on the same site. Some of the materials from the old church were reused in the new church. The new church was consecrated on 30 September 1832 by Bishop Jacob Neumann.[3][4]
See also
References
- "Tønjum kyrkje". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- "Tønjum kyrkjestad - Lærdal" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- Henden Aaraas, Margrethe; Vengen, Sigurd; Gjerde, Anders. "Tønjum kyrkje" (in Norwegian). Fylkesarkivet. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
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