Church of Our Saviour, Copenhagen

Church of Our Saviour, Copenhagen 1
Church of Our Saviour, Copenhagen
Geographical coordinates: 55°40′22″N 12°35′38″E
Church of Our Saviour
Basic information
Location Copenhagen, Denmark
Affiliation Protestant
District Christianshavn
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Protestant church
Website
Architectural description
Official website [1]
Architect(s) Lambert van Haven
Lauritz de Thurah (the spire)
Architectural style Late baroque
Year completed 1695
1752 (spire)
Specifications
Height (max) 90 m
The Church of Our Saviour (Danish: Vor Frelsers Kirke) is a baroque church in Copenhagen, Denmark, most
famous for its corkscrew spire with an external winding staircase that can be climbed to the top, offering extensive
views over central Copenhagen. It is also noted for its carillon, which is the largest in northern Europe and plays
melodies every hour from 8 am to midnight.
History
When Christian IV planned Christianshavn in 1617, it was intended as an independent merchant's town on the island
of Amager and it therefore needed a church. A temporary church was inaugurated in 1639 but construction of the
present Church of Our Saviour, the design of Lambert van Haven, did not start until 1682. The church was
inaugurated 14 years later in 1695 but important interior features like the altar had a notoriously temporary character
and the tower still had no spire. The church got its permanent altar in 1732 but plans for construction of the spire was
not revitalized until 1747 under the reign of Frederik V. The new architect on the project was Lauritz de Thurah. He
soon abandoned van Haven´'s original design in favour of his own project that was approved by the King in 1749.
Three years later the spire was finished and the King climbed the tower at a ceremony on 28 August 1752.

Church of Our Saviour, Copenhagen 2
Urban legend
There is a long-lived urban legend stating that the architect killed himself by jumping from the top of the spire, when
he realised that the spiral turns the wrong way - anticlockwise - around. This is not about Lambert van Haven, since
the spire was added to the church almost 50 years after his death, but the designer of the spiral spire, Laurids de
Thurah. There is not a grain of truth in the myth though, since Thurah died in his bed seven years after the spire was
completed, and there is nothing in the records that indicates that he should have been unhappy with his work in any
way.
Architecture
The church is built in a Dutch baroque style and its basic layout is a Greek cross. The walls rest on a granite
foundation and are made of red and yellow tiles but in a random pattern unlike what is seen in Christian IV's
buildings where they are generally systematically arranged. The facade is segmented by pilasters in the Palladin
giant order, that is they continue in the building's entire height. The pilasters are of the Tuscan order with bases and
capitals in sandstone. The cornice is also in sandstone but with a frieze in tiles. Between the pilasters are tall
round-arched windows with clear glass and iron cames. There are entrances at the gable of the cross arms except for
the eastern gable where the sacristy is added. The main entrance is in the western gable below the tower and has a
sandstone portal. All entrances are raised four steps from street level. At each side of the tower, there is a gate at
street level leading to the two crypts of the church. The roof is vaulted and covered in black-glazed tiles.
Tessins's altarpiece
The altarpiece is the work of Nicodemus Tessins and is considered a masterpiece. It
depicts a scene from the Garden of Gethsemane between two columns, where Jesus
is comforted by an angel while another angel hangs in the air beside them, carrying
the golden chalice. On each side, two figures of Pietas and Justitia illustrate the
King's motto. The two columns carry a broken, curved architrave and gable. Behind
the opening of the broken gable is placed a pane with Jahve's name in Hebrew
inscribed and lit from behind. Around the pane is an arrangement of gilded beans
and cloud formations.
Organ
The huge pretentious organ with Christian V’s gilded monogram was built by the
Botzen Brothers from 1698-1700 and is mounted on the wall and supported by two
elephants. The organ has more than 4000 pipes with the original cymbelstern
tinkling in the background during a special part of a music piece, and the entire
instrument produces the sound that was heard in the church over 300 years ago. The
church arranges 15-20 concerts every year together with musical church services on
Sundays. The last rebuilding of the organ was in 1965, reusing older pipe work and
Tessin's altarpiece
OrgelThe organ facade

Church of Our Saviour, Copenhagen 3
this instrument is equipped with 57 stops spread over 4 manuals and pedals. The facade of the organ has intricate
wood carvings and a bust of Christian V in the centre.
Tower
The tower is raised three stories above the western cross arm. The levels are marked by sandstone cornices that
become larger with height, and there are round-arched openings on all four sides at each level. The top level is
decorated with flat pilasters and from the uppermost cornice has a gilded penetrated clock face centrally on each
side. The hands are connected to a clockwork inside the tower.
Spire
The black and golden spire reaches a height of 90 metres and the external staircase
turns four times anticlockwise around it. Inspiration for the design came from the
spiral lantern of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, which turns the same way around.
It is built as a timber-framed structure, octagonall at its base, with round-arched
openings and round windows with gilded frames. The windows are flanked by
gilded pilasters in the composite order. Around the octagonal base of the spire, on
the four corners of the square tower, stand four statues of the four evangelists. The
octagonal structure is topped by a small platform with a gilded railing and it is from
this point that the staircase become external. There is a total number of 400 steps to
the top of the spire, the last 150 being outside.
The spire is topped by a vase-like structure, carrying a gilded globe with a
4-meter-tall figure, carrying a banner. It has an infamous reputation for being the
ugliest sculpture in Copenhagen but is intentionally made with exaggerated
proportions because it is only meant to be seen from long distances.
Carillon
Thurah's corkscrew spire
The tower of the church is equipped with a concert carillon from 1928 that was rebuilt in 1980 and consists of 48
bronze carillon bells that have a musical range of four octaves, which makes it the largest carillon system in North
Europe. The largest bells weigh over 2,000 kilo and the smallest 10 kilos. Totally the Carillon instrument weighs
almost 12 tonnes and chimes every hour over Christianshavn with different hymn compositions.
Cultural connections
The Church of Our Saviour in Christianshavn appears in a chapter of Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the
Earth. The character Axel is made to climb the winding spire for five consecutive days by his uncle to cure him of
his Acrophobia before their descent into the volcano. [2]
The French painter and illustrator Édouard Riou has depicted the church in the original French illustrated version of
A Journey to the Center of the Earth, but has the spire turned the wrong way around, that is, clockwise instead of
anitclockwise. [3]

Church of Our Saviour, Copenhagen 4
External links
• Vor Frelsers Kirke [1] official website
• Vor Frelsers Kirke [4] map
References
[1] http:/ / www. vorfrelserskirke. dk/
[2] "Jules Verne in Copenhagen." (http:/ / www. jules-verne. dk/ copenhagen. html). The Danish Jules Verne Society newsletter no. 1.. .
Retrieved 2009-04-26.
[3] "Højdeskræk - Jules Verne og Vor Frelsers kirkes spir." (http:/ / www. jules-verne. dk/ vorfrelsersspir. html). The Danish Jules Verne Society
newsletter no. 1.. . Retrieved 2009-04-26.
[4] http:/ / maps. google. com/ maps?ll=55. 672778,12. 593889& q=55. 672778,12. 593889%20(Vor%20Frelsers%20Kirke)

Article Sources and Contributors 5
Article Sources and Contributors
Church of Our Saviour, Copenhagen Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=352786027 Contributors: 1oddbins1, Beard0, Brick Thrower, Bunnyhop11, Carewolf, Chris the
speller, Clariosophic, Danny, Esowteric, HeartofaDog, Hemmingsen, IbRas, Ipigott, JaGa, JimVC3, Keithh, Kettel, Klausok, LOL, Lilac Soul, Maltelunden, Mild Bill Hiccup, Mimihitam,
Palladion, Physicistjedi, PigFlu Oink, Ramblersen, Rjwilmsi, Rosiestep, Sunquanliangxiuhao, Thue, Tikiwont, Tomas417, Valentinian, Welsh, 25 anonymous edits
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors
File:Vor Frelsers Kirke Copenhagen 2.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Vor_Frelsers_Kirke_Copenhagen_2.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Ib
Rasmussen
Image:Vor Frelsers Kirke Copenhagen altar.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Vor_Frelsers_Kirke_Copenhagen_altar.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Ib
Rasmussen
Image:Vor Frelsers Kirke Copenhagen organ.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Vor_Frelsers_Kirke_Copenhagen_organ.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors:
Ib Rasmussen
Image:Vor Frelsers Kirke Copenhagen spire.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Vor_Frelsers_Kirke_Copenhagen_spire.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Ib
Rasmussen
License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
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