Although virtually unknown on the theological circuit, aside from perhaps Zwingli's post-reformation anabaptist episode, Stockholm has some beautiful church buildings.
The first that I visited was Katarina Kyrkan (Kyrkan being Swedish for church). It is situated in the city district of Upsala, just to the south of the Baltic port. It is a wonderfully designed Protestant basilica with a dome. Most Swedish city churches still have their vast graveyards, space is not an obstruction to their architecture, although interestingly you will find that there are very no skyscrapers in Stockholm in an attempt to conserve the wonderful seventeenth century skyline.
There was a christening happening inside, but in spite of this we were still welcomed in and shown around the beautiful church hall. The history of the church itself is a bloody one. The chapel dates back to 1303, and the grounds were famously used for state beheadings over the C16-18. The parish is also famous for the witch trials of the 1670s.
The interior is indicative of its Protestantism, simple yet focused on two main features. The altar, which promotes Martin Luther's "sola fides sola scriptura" and the imagery of Christ, usually manifested in stain glass or a wooden sculpture of a crucifix. This church is particularly smart inside because the most part of its interior was burned down in 1723 and then again in 1990. The Swedish decided to rebuild and refurbish in keeping with the old measuremets and details, which I feel is particularly special.
The second kyrkan: Deutsche St Gertruds Gemeinde, we visited was by mistake. We thought that this was the cathedral, due in part to its magnificent teal lead roof. We walked in, three minutes before closing, and the lady told us as such. I mentioned that I taught RS and she closed the church to the public and gave us a wonderful tour.
This, as the linguists amongst you may have figured out, this is the German Lutheran church of St Gertrude. This wonderful church again had a nasty fire in 1878, which gutted the steeple and bell structure. The building itself dates back to 1571 with a Royal Patent letter extending from King Johan III, not long after Martin Luther's reformation movements started in 1516.
It has a royal box which is really special, although not in keeping with the usual Lutheran decor. It was built in 1672 to accomodate the Swedish royal family, who were also German Lutherans, and the cost was largely donated from patrons and royalists.
What was most fascinating about this German church, which was Bavarian Lutheran, was the stained glass. The windows are wonderfully Germanic portrayals of family life:
The third Christian building we went to was Stockholm's oldest cathedral: Storkyrkan (cathedral in Swedish). Within this vast structure full of flying buttresses, royal galleries and elaborate sculptures, was a beautiful ebony and silver altar, donated to the cathedral in 1650.
This sculpture is carved out of oak, using horse hair and
elk antlers for the horse and dragon respectively. It was consecrated in 1489 as an altar monument. It has its place in Swedish folk law as it was commissioned by Sten Sture the Elder as a triumphant memorial of his conquest against a Danish onslaught. The cathedral is dedicated to St George and there is a wonderful sculpture of him slaying the dragon, very Game of Thrones-esque:
The first written mention of the original church on this spot, the highest point of the island of Stadsholmen (deep in the old town - Gamla Stan) dates at 1279. The oldest part of today's functioning cathedral date to 1306. It is phenomenal that this structure has maintained its beauty and magnitude. The exterior of the church, in its pale red brick and high steeple were rebuilt in 1736 in the Italian baroque style to complement the Royal palace which stands not far away. King Carl Gustaf III and his wife Silvia Sommerlath were married here in 1976.
You can see an Islamic crescent, Christian flying buttresses, Arabic arches, a Jewish star, baroque brick work, traditional Swedish lead roofs, bronze sculptures reminiscent of the classical age. The list goes on.
