Church of Our Lady — Attraction in Copenhagen Municipality

Historic and beautiful place. The Church of Our Lady (Danish: Vor Frue kirke) is the seat of the Lutheran diocese of the same name since it was created in 1922. Dedicated to St. Mary, Foundation 1829, Construction 1829, Architect Christian Frederik Hansen, Cathedral Style Neoclassical, Materials brick.

Engraving showing the appearance of Our Lady of Copenhagen in 1520.

There was a church on the same site since the 12th century, which was succeeded by new buildings on three occasions. The first time a church is mentioned on the site where the cathedral now stands is in a document issued by Archbishop Absalon in 1185, where he reports the need to collect tithes for the construction of St. Mary's Church. Around 1200 the church was ready for consecration, which took place in March on the day of the Annunciation. It was a Romanesque limestone church, which stood on the highest point in the city. It had collegiate status within the Diocese of Roskilde, and was governed by a dean, as well as canons and vicars, and had a school attached to it, which after the Reformation became part of the Latin schools in Denmark where Latin was taught.

The time of the Protestant Reformation was very hard for "St. Mary's Church" (the original name of this temple). Most of the citizens of Copenhagen had chosen to follow Martin Luther, but the Catholic authorities tried to maintain the cathedral as a center of Catholic resistance to the changes in Copenhagen. By royal decree, both Catholic priests and Lutheran preachers were ordered to use the church jointly, which outraged the majority of Copenhagen's population. On 27 December 1530 hundreds of citizens stormed the church, destroyed all the statues and smashed the choir stalls to pieces. Seventeen richly carved altars were stripped of anything of value. Even the name "St. Mary of Copenhagen" was changed to "Vor Frue Kirke", the "Church of Our Lady" in the desire to retain only the historical reference to the Virgin Mary without the use of the word "Saint". Barely a year later the Church of Our Lady celebrated the acceptance of the Lutheran Order presided over by Johannes Bugenhagen, an associate of Martin Luther.

During the Copenhagen fire of 1728 the damage to the church was such that it had to be replaced by a new one. The new works were carried out quickly and in 1738 everything was ready for the consecration of the new building. This church would be the shortest-lived, as a fire caused by the British bombardment during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807 caused the tower to fall and the entire church to ruin.

For the fourth time, a new church was built on the site, this time in neoclassical style, under the direction of architect Christian Frederik Hansen. Due to lack of resources, part of the walls of the previous church were incorporated. A new one was built on top of what was the old medieval tower, a controversial issue, since neoclassical style did not include towers. At the main entrance, located at the foot of the tower, a neoclassical portico was built, with columns, a pediment and reliefs. The work was completed in 1829. The sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen was commissioned to decorate the interior, with images of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles. The statue of Christ, commonly known as Thorvaldsen's Christ, was created for the cathedral and presides over the temple. This sculpture has become a reference for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other artists contributed sculptures and paintings to the interior decoration of the cathedral. The modern baptismal font was personally designed by Thorvaldsen, who donated it...

Some called this the Church of our Lady, but I am not sure how widely that name is used. I gave it 4 stars because if you don't get there at the right time, there is a chance you might not get to go in and see it at all. It is a very important cathedral for weddings, and as might be expected, you can't go in and look during a wedding ceremony. Therefore, you may want to call in advance to see what the schedule is like before you show up. It really is a beautiful building. The statues of the 12 apostles are incredibly detailed and amazing to look at what they symbolize about each one. The Christus statue at the from of the Cathedral is stunning and feels you with a feeling of wonder. Overall, it's worth seeing, just maybe come prepared to wait for a wedding. Also, I highly recommend riding a bus if possible. Finding parking is difficult...

This is the home of Thorvaldsen's original Christus statue, along with statues of twelve Apostles of Jesus. The Christus is the center altar piece, and there are six Apostles on each side of the chapel. The life-like detail is wonderful, and there's a feeling of reverence that comes from viewing these works of art.

It is also known as The Church of Our Lady. It is nicely located in downtown Copenhagen. The outside isn't as wonderful as the inside. We didn't take any photographs for reverence. However many great photos are available, including in the little bookstore off of the balcony. There are other paintings off to the side, and off the balcony. The cathedral tends to be open for tourists whenever religious services are...