Leikanger Church

Leikanger Church (Norwegian: Leikanger kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sogndal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Leikanger, along the northern coast of the Sognefjorden. It is the church for the Leikanger parish which is part of the Sogn prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, stone church has a large wooden steeple. The building was constructed in a long church style around the year 1250 using designs by an unknown architect. The church seats about 220 people.[1][2]

Leikanger Church
Leikanger kyrkje
View of the church
Leikanger Church Location of the church Leikanger Church Leikanger Church (Norway)
61.1852°N 6.8197°E
Location	Sogndal Municipality, Vestland
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Previous denomination	Catholic Church
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	c. 12th century
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Long church
Completed	c. 1250
Specifications
Capacity	220
Materials	Stone
Administration
Parish	Leikanger
Deanery	Sogn prosti
Diocese	Bjørgvin

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1308, but the building was likely built around the year 1250. It may be the second church on the site, with an earlier church possibly dating back to the 1100s. Parts of the building have been renovated and rebuilt over the centuries. In the 1600s, the chancel was reconstructed and the old tower was torn down and rebuilt in a neo-gothic style. In 1872, the church was heavily renovated by the architect Christian Christie. During this reconstruction, the entire choir being torn down and rebuilt and a new tower was built. The redesigned church was consecrated on 14 November 1872 by Bishop Peter Hersleb Graah Birkeland after the extensive reconstruction. In the 1930s through the 1950s, the church was again renovated, this time under the direction of the architect Johan Lindstrøm. This included a completely rebuilt wooden tower, and a focus on bringing back the historic look of the building.[3][4]

Priests

There have been many priests to serve this church since the Reformation:

• Jon Røg, 1537–1552
• Magister Erik Loss, 1550–1565
• Jens Engelsøn, 1565–1607
• Magister Hans Kruse, 1607–1617
• Hans Nilsen Arctander, 1617–1618
• Erik Iversen Nordal, 1618–1658
• Jens Bugge, 1658–1684
• Magister Samuel Bugge, 1685–1718
• Iver Iversen Leganger 1719–1750
• Gerhard Geelmuyden, 1750–1764
• Ole Bernhoft Friis, 1764–1782
• Nils Frantzsøn Wolff, 1783–1789
• Anders Daae, 1789–1819
• Nils Norman, 1816–1822
• Peter Johan Norman, 1823–1839
• Søren Wilhelm Thorne, 1840–1849
• Johan David Haslund, 1849–1869
• Iver Olaus Widerøe, 1870–1878
• Jakob Liv Rosted Sverdrup, 1878–1884
• Jakob Walnum, 1884–1896
• Fredrik Vilhelm Bull-Hansen, 1897–1923
• Sverre Daae, 1923–1945
• Nils Ruset, 1945–1950
• Sverre Daae, 1950–1960
• Einar Bjorvand, 1960–1965
• Oddmund Hjermann, 1965–1975
• Bjarne Imenes, 1975–1985
• Einar Hansen, 1986–1988
• Tore Wigen, 1989–1990
• Kjell Sæter, 1991–2007
• Egon Askvik, 2008–

Media gallery

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  Old tower (pre-1950)

See also

• List of churches in Bjørgvin

References

1. "Leikanger kyrkje, Leikanger". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
2. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
3. "Leikanger kyrkjestad" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
4. Henden Aaraas, Margrethe; Vengen, Sigurd; Gjerde, Anders. "Leikanger kyrkje" (in Norwegian). Fylkesarkivet. Retrieved 2019-12-09.