Skara Cathedral

Skara, Sweden

Skara Cathedral is the seat for the bishop of the Church of Sweden Diocese of Skara. It is also one the largest churches in Sweden. The history of cathedral is traced from the 11th century and it was inaugurated as a cathedral around 1150. The current appearance is from the 13th century. The current Gothic design dates to the 1886-1894 restoration under the leadership of architect Helgo Zettervall. The furnishings are unique and include the Soop Mausoleum and Bo Beskow´s handsome glass mosaic window.

The church has a medieval crypt that was found in 1949 after having been buried under stones since the 13th century. A grave, containing a skeleton, was found in the crypt, which is within the oldest (11th century) part of the cathedral. The church is 65 meters long and the towers reach a height of 63 meters.

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Address

Södra Kyrkogatan 1, Skara, Sweden
See all sites in Skara

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Religious sites in Sweden
Historical period: Viking Age (Sweden)

More Information

www.skarapastorat.se
en.wikipedia.org
www.vastsverige.com

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Grzegorz Browarski (9 months ago)
Pretty nice cathedral (also in winter, because benches for congregation are heated). If someone is interested in architecture, it's a necessary point to visit in Skara. Building is oper for visitors and most incredible thing in it (in my opinion) is a toilet inside (usually churches don't have toilets).
Löfmark (2 years ago)
Extremely beautiful
Kristian Lundell (2 years ago)
Beautiful Church. Almost like a small cathedral.
Jens Kunst (4 years ago)
Very beautiful church. It was quiet when we visited. There's also a nice exposition section with a lot of background information. Highly recommended to visit when you are in Skara.
Timothy Wittwer (4 years ago)
It was really nice.
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Lübeck Cathedral

Lübeck Cathedral is a large brick-built Lutheran cathedral in Lübeck, Germany and part of the Lübeck UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1173 Henry the Lion founded the cathedral to serve the Diocese of Lübeck, after the transfer in 1160 of the bishop's seat from Oldenburg in Holstein under bishop Gerold. The then Romanesque cathedral was completed around 1230, but between 1266 and 1335 it was converted into a Gothic-style building with side-aisles raised to the same height as the main aisle.

On the night of Palm Sunday (28–29 March) 1942 a Royal Air Force bombing raid destroyed a fifth of the town centre. Several bombs fell in the area around the church, causing the eastern vault of the quire to collapse and destroying the altar which dated from 1696. A fire from the neighbouring cathedral museum spread to the truss of the cathedral, and around noon on Palm Sunday the towers collapsed. An Arp Schnitger organ was lost in the flames. Nevertheless, a relatively large portion of the internal fittings was saved, including the cross and almost all of the medieval polyptychs. In 1946 a further collapse, of the gable of the north transept, destroyed the vestibule almost completely.

Reconstruction of the cathedral took several decades, as greater priority was given to the rebuilding of the Marienkirche. Work was completed only in 1982.

The cathedral is unique in that at 105 m, it is shorter than the tallest church in the city. This is the consequence of a power struggle between the church and the guilds.

The 17 m crucifix is the work of the Lübeck artist Bernt Notke. It was commissioned by the bishop of Lübeck, Albert II. Krummendiek, and erected in 1477. The carvings which decorate the rood screen are also by Notke.

Since the war, the famous altar of Hans Memling has been in the medieval collection of the St. Annen Museum, but notable polyptychs remain in the cathedral.

In the funeral chapels of the southern aisle are Baroque-era memorials by the Flemish sculptor Thomas Quellinus.

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