Nederluleå Church, Gammelstad, Sweden

Nederluleå church is the largest medieval church in Norrland. It was built during the 15th century and inaugurated by Archbishop Jacob Ulfsson in 1492. The church has a very rich interior and furnishings. The late-mediaeval frescos in the chancel were by the school of Albertus Pictor.

The richly decorated triptych was made in Antwerpen around 1520 and it is one of the finest in Sweden. The font and cruficix date also from the late Middle Ages. The wooden pulpit was carved by Nils Fluur in 1712.

References:

Address

Kyrktorget 2, Gammelstad, Sweden

See all sites in Gammelstad

Details

Founded: 1492
Category: Religious sites in Sweden
Historical period: Kalmar Union (Sweden)

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Gammelstad Church Town (0 km)

Museum of Norrbotten (8,7 km)
Boden Fortress (23,7 km)
Luleå Cathedral (8,9 km)
Råneå Church (26,2 km)

User Reviews

Alexander Majorov (2 months ago)
Väldigt fin byggnad och fantastisk atmosfär under sommaren!

Jane Fagerström (5 months ago)
Nederluleån kirkko on ihana ja tunnelmallinen vanha kirkko, joka kutsuu hiljentymään Pyhän äärelle. Se on Norrlannin suurin keskiaikainen kirkko, jonka historian aistii jo kirkon ympärille rakennetusta Gammelstadin mökkikylästä. Kirkko on mökkikylän ohella osa Unescon maailmanperintökohdetta. Kirkon alttaritaulu on todella upea lukuisine yksityiskohtineen ja esimerkiksi saarnastuoli on hyvin koristeellinen. Kirkosta löytyy kivana yksityiskohtana lasten leikkialttari. Iso suositus tälle kirkolle: Älä aja ohi!

Wolfgang Buelter (7 months ago)
Sehr schöne Kirche in Gammelstad / Nederlulea. Interessante Innenausstattung.

Maria N (12 months ago)
Interesting looking church with curious history. People working at the church are always happy to tell more about it. Leaflets with church’s history are available in multiple languages. Overall, worth a visit.

Niilo Alhovaara (3 years ago)
The beautiful stone church from the 15th century is the natural center of the UNESCO world heritage village. The hundreds of church cottages are scattered around the church. The amazing sounding church organ was built in Gammelstad, Grönlunds!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Guido Rudolph

Historic Site of the week

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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Nederluleå Church