Storkyrkan

Sankt Nikolai kyrka (Saint Nicolaus Church), most commonly known as Storkyrkan (The Great Church) is the oldest church in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is an important example of Swedish Brick Gothic. Situated next to the Royal Palace, it forms the western end of Slottsbacken, the major approach to the Royal Palace, while the streets Storkyrkobrinken, Högvaktsterrassen, and Trångsund passes north and west of it respectively. South of the church is the Stockholm Stock Exchange Building facing the Stortorget square and containing the Swedish Academy, Nobel Library, and Nobel Museum.

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Sankt Nikolai kyrka (Saint Nicolaus Church), most commonly known as Storkyrkan (The Great Church) is the oldest church in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is an important example of Swedish Brick Gothic. Situated next to the Royal Palace, it forms the western end of Slottsbacken, the major approach to the Royal Palace, while the streets Storkyrkobrinken, Högvaktsterrassen, and Trångsund passes north and west of it respectively. South of the church is the Stockholm Stock Exchange Building facing the Stortorget square and containing the Swedish Academy, Nobel Library, and Nobel Museum.

History

Storkyrkan was first mentioned in a written source dated 1279, and became a Lutheran Protestant church in 1527. The parish church since the Middle Ages of the Nikolai parish, covering the whole island on which the Old Town stands, it has also been the cathedral of Stockholm since the Diocese of Stockholm was broken out from the Archdiocese of Uppsala and the Diocese of Strängnäs in 1942. The last Swedish king to be crowned here was Oscar II in 1873.

Interior

The most famous of its treasures is the dramatic wooden statue of Saint George and the Dragon attributed to Bernt Notke (1489). The statue, commissioned to commemorate the Battle of Brunkeberg (1471), also serves as a reliquary, containing relics supposedly of Saint George and two other saints. A copy from the early 20th century is found on Österlånggatan just south of the church.

The church also contains a copy of the oldest known image of Stockholm, the painting Vädersolstavlan ("The Sun Dog Painting"), a 1632 copy of a lost original from 1535. The painting was commissioned by the scholar and reformer Olaus Petri, a 19th century statue of whom is found on the eastern side of the church. It depicts a halo display, e.g. sun dogs, which gives the painting its name and in the 16th century was interpreted as a presage.

The main altar is of ebonied wood with sculptured reliefs in silver in ascending order of the Last Supper, the Crucifixion of Christ (between silver statues of the evangelists Matthew and Luke), of the burial of Christ (between silver statues of the evangelists John and Mark), of Christ's harrowing of Hell and his Resurrection.

See also

External links

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Lisa Starbucks
27 May 2016
The entrance fee is 40 but it is worth it. It's quite a unique church with the red bricks and wood mix. George's statue is also impressive. ????
Göran Derefeldt
5 July 2012
If it had not been for a churchwarden, the church would have been pulled down in the 16th century. But who wanted the church gone, and why? Download the Talk of the town™ Audioguide app.
Shermans Travel
21 September 2012
The site of royal weddings and an array of impressive artwork (entry is charged only during summer months) then go to the nearby Royal Palace to catch the daily changing of the guard ceremony.
eric bornemann
12 July 2019
Beautiful church with great sculptures and neat history lurking around every corner.
Vladislav Shumilov
28 November 2018
Церковь Святого Николая представляет собой образец шведской неоготической архитектуры с элементами кирпичной готики во внутренней архитектуре собора. Дата постройки 12-13 век.
Elena
13 November 2015
Приятное место. Следите за объявлениями на входе - можно попасть на бесплатный концерт органной музыки. Туалет от входа направо и до конца.
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Chris Romas and 12,208 more people have been here
Map
Storkyrkobrinken 2, 111 28 Stockholm, Sweden Get directions
Sat 11:00 AM–6:00 PM
Sun 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Mon 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
Tue 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Wed 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Thu 11:00 AM–8:00 PM

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