Norway


Eidfjord


Old & New Churches



 

Summary Dating from the 14th century, Eidfjord’s Old Church is constructed of stone and has its nave and chancel of equal width. Due to his condition it ceased to be used when a new church was constructed and was  consecrated in 1981. Following the opening of the New Church the old one was used for special occasions and was open to visitors, although now, due to the unsafe flooring, it is closed and kept locked.

Old Church
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The Old Eidfjord Church dates back to the beginning of the 14th-century when it was constructed with the money given by a local woman as an act of repentance for letting her husband down.

Constructed of stone in a rectangular shape, with the chancel and nave being of the same width, the building measures about 22.5 by 11.25 metres (73.8 ft × 36.9 ft). The thickness of the walls varies between about 1.4 to 2.2 metres (4 ft 7 in to 7 ft 3 in) thick. Work was carried out on the walls in the 17th-century due to their poor condition.
 
 

The nave covers two-thirds of the length of the building with the chancel the remaining third. The interior is very basic and designed for functionality, the walls are bare stone, and it has a stone floor, which is now considered to be unsafe resulting in the church being kept locked preventing visitors from entering, although it does still contain wooden pews with a seating capacity of 100 people. The pews are separated by the aisle.

The wooden porch was constructed on the west end of the nave in the late 17th-century, and in the 19th century the small tower on the roof was added.



New Church

 

Its poor condition of the Old Church resulted in the need for a new modern functional church, and this was built in the 1970’s, the construction of which was carried out in several stages, with the consecration being carried out on May 31st, 1981.  It has a rectangle plan and 375 seats, and incorporates a large hall, a small meeting room and an office space. 

The tower stands next to the church and has two bells with automatic ringing. On one of the bells is a quote from John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." 
 
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The interior is very modern looking with a light and airy appearance.
 
The decoration over the altar were produced by Dagfinn Instanes and includes a number of Christian symbols. To the right of the crucifix is the depiction of the body of Jesus while to the left shows the baptism of Jesus.
 
Its organ was built by the Swedish organ builder Nils Hammarberg. The baptismal front, the gilded leather chairs and a number of the items were all made in Eidfjord and surrounding district.