Odda Church

Odda Church (Norwegian: Odda kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Ullensvang Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the town of Odda. It is the church for the Odda parish which is part of the Hardanger og Voss prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The off-white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1870 using designs by the architect C. Erichsen. The church seats about 500 people.[1][2]

Odda Church
Odda kyrkje
View of the church
Odda Church Location of the church Odda Church Odda Church (Norway)
60.0702°N 6.5479°E
Location	Ullensvang, Vestland
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	13th century
Consecrated	4 Nov 1870
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	C. Erichsen
Architectural type	Long church
Completed	1870
Specifications
Capacity	500
Materials	Wood
Administration
Parish	Odda
Deanery	Hardanger og Voss prosti
Diocese	Bjørgvin bispedømme
Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site
Type	Church
Status	Not listed
ID	85196

History

The first church in Odda was a stone church that was built slightly to the north of the present site. That first church was built between the years 1250 and 1300. There may have been a wooden church on the site before that time, but that is not known. The stone church, which stood for about 600 years was torn down in 1869. A new church was built slightly to the south and the stone from the old church was used as the foundation for the new church. The church was consecrated on 4 November 1870 by the Bishop Peter Hersleb Graah Birkeland.[3][4]

By the early 20th century, the graveyard surrounding the church was getting full, so a new cemetery site was chosen in 1930, at Berjaflot about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) to the south. In 1955, the church was renovated extensively.[5]

Media gallery

• 
  Exterior view
• 
  Aerial view
• 
  Interior view
• 
  View of the back balcony and organ
• 
  Close-up of the organ
• 
  Exterior view (c. 1895)

See also

• List of churches in Bjørgvin

References

1. "Odda kirke". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
2. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
3. "Odda kyrkje og Berjaflot kapell" (in Norwegian). Norges Kirker. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
4. "Odda kyrkjestad" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
5. "Odda kyrkjesoga" (in Norwegian). Odda kyrkjelege fellesråd. Retrieved 6 June 2014.