Uppsala Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Uppsala Cathedral is a cathedral
located centrally in the city of Uppsala
, Sweden
. It dates back to the late 13th century and at a height of 118.7 m is the tallest church building in Scandinavia
. Originally built under Roman Catholicism and used for coronations of the Swedish monarch, since the Protestant Reformation
, it has been controlled by the Lutheran
Church of Sweden
. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Uppsala
, the primate of Sweden.
. It took more than a century to complete. When inaugurated in 1435 under archbishop
Olaus Laurentii
, the cathedral was not completely finished. It was dedicated to Saint Lawrence
, highly cherished in all of Sweden at that time; Saint Eric, the patron of Sweden (though never canonised by the Roman Catholic Church); and Saint Olaf, the patron of Norway
. It was completed within the following decades.
Between 1885-1893, the architect Helgo Zettervall
(1831-1907) oversaw a second restoration, intending for the cathedral a French Gothic revival appearance, which was popular in the late 19th century. The original, medieval style was Baltic International Gothic
, characterised by relatively robust brick walls. He replaced the small Baroque towers with tall (French-inspired) spires, including a third, smaller tower on the transept crossing in the same style. Zettervall also so significantly altered large portions of the medieval outer brick walls as to give it a slimmer appearance. He removed the white-washed "blind windows" which had been similar to those on parts of the nearby Holy Trinity Church .
The interior ceiling and walls of the cathedral were decorated in neo-Gothic style. Some depictions, such as one of the Reformation's Martin Luther
, added figures beyond the cathedral's medieval heritage. Large portions of cement additions by Zettervall to the exterior structure of the cathedral were removed decades later as they adversely affected the building's fabric.
A sign denouncing antisemitism marks the position of the "Jewpig", a relief depicting Jews drinking from a sow.
In the Middle Ages
, when all houses in Uppsala except the churches were one- or two-storey structures made of wood or sometimes bricks, the cathedral must have seemed even more enormous than today. The church was not the regular place of worship of laypeople until the Reformation
. It was reserved for official services of the Catholic Church hierarchy (by the cathedral's canons). The parish churches in Uppsala were the Holy Trinity Church, or "Farmers' Church" as it was often called; Saint Peter's church ; Our Lady's Church ; and a Franciscan friary. The last three had been built on the east side of the Fyris River , which was (and is) the central business district. They were successively torn down during the Reformation.
The Cathedral was also the coronation church for many of Sweden's kings and queens. It was the site of celebrating coronations from the Middle Ages
until the end of the 17th century. Thereafter, up until 1872 (when Oscar II
was the last Swedish monarch to be ceremonially crowned), Stockholm's Cathedral Storkyrkan was the official coronation church.
, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, who was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
. A stone bears the inscription:
The English
translation is "Not I, but God in me."
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
located centrally in the city of Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. It dates back to the late 13th century and at a height of 118.7 m is the tallest church building in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. Originally built under Roman Catholicism and used for coronations of the Swedish monarch, since the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, it has been controlled by the Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Uppsala
Archbishop of Uppsala
The Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :...
, the primate of Sweden.
History
The construction of the cathedral be the archbishopric was moved from Old UppsalaGamla Uppsala
Gamla Uppsala is a parish and a village outside Uppsala in Sweden. It had 16,231 inhabitants in 1991.As early as the 3rd century AD and the 4th century AD and onwards, it was an important religious, economic and political centre...
. It took more than a century to complete. When inaugurated in 1435 under archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Olaus Laurentii
Olaus Laurentii
Olaus Laurentii was a Swedish ecclesiastic and archbishop of Uppsala.Olaus Laurentii came from Uppland and studied at the universities of Prague, Leipzig and Paris. He was elected Dean of Uppsala Cathedral in 1417 and archbishop in 1432...
, the cathedral was not completely finished. It was dedicated to Saint Lawrence
Saint Lawrence
Lawrence of Rome was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome who were martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258.- Holy Chalice :...
, highly cherished in all of Sweden at that time; Saint Eric, the patron of Sweden (though never canonised by the Roman Catholic Church); and Saint Olaf, the patron of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It was completed within the following decades.
Between 1885-1893, the architect Helgo Zettervall
Helgo Zettervall
Helgo Nikolaus Zettervall, older spelling Zetterwall, was a Swedish architect and professor of the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts...
(1831-1907) oversaw a second restoration, intending for the cathedral a French Gothic revival appearance, which was popular in the late 19th century. The original, medieval style was Baltic International Gothic
International Gothic
International Gothic is a phase of Gothic art which developed in Burgundy, Bohemia, France and northern Italy in the late 14th century and early 15th century...
, characterised by relatively robust brick walls. He replaced the small Baroque towers with tall (French-inspired) spires, including a third, smaller tower on the transept crossing in the same style. Zettervall also so significantly altered large portions of the medieval outer brick walls as to give it a slimmer appearance. He removed the white-washed "blind windows" which had been similar to those on parts of the nearby Holy Trinity Church .
The interior ceiling and walls of the cathedral were decorated in neo-Gothic style. Some depictions, such as one of the Reformation's Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
, added figures beyond the cathedral's medieval heritage. Large portions of cement additions by Zettervall to the exterior structure of the cathedral were removed decades later as they adversely affected the building's fabric.
A sign denouncing antisemitism marks the position of the "Jewpig", a relief depicting Jews drinking from a sow.
Usage
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, when all houses in Uppsala except the churches were one- or two-storey structures made of wood or sometimes bricks, the cathedral must have seemed even more enormous than today. The church was not the regular place of worship of laypeople until the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. It was reserved for official services of the Catholic Church hierarchy (by the cathedral's canons). The parish churches in Uppsala were the Holy Trinity Church, or "Farmers' Church" as it was often called; Saint Peter's church ; Our Lady's Church ; and a Franciscan friary. The last three had been built on the east side of the Fyris River , which was (and is) the central business district. They were successively torn down during the Reformation.
The Cathedral was also the coronation church for many of Sweden's kings and queens. It was the site of celebrating coronations from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
until the end of the 17th century. Thereafter, up until 1872 (when Oscar II
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
was the last Swedish monarch to be ceremonially crowned), Stockholm's Cathedral Storkyrkan was the official coronation church.
Interred notables
A number of Swedish kings and notable people were buried inside the cathedral:- Gustav Vasa, 15th century, King of Sweden. He is buried with his three wives, although only two are depicted on the sarcophagus designed by Willem BoyWillem BoyWillem Boy was a Flemish painter, sculptor, and architect active in Sweden from around 1558 until his death.Few of Boy's works have survived, and he is mostly remembered for the sarcophagus of King Gustav I in the Uppsala Cathedral....
. The king was interred in what was once the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. The only remaining indication of the original intention of the chapel are the painted yellow stars against a blue background on its vaulted ceiling, symbols of Saint Mary in Catholic tradition. - John III of SwedenJohn III of Sweden-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
(son of Gustav Vasa) and his wife Catherine JagiellonCatherine JagiellonCatherine the Jagiellonian of Poland was Duchess of Finland , Queen Consort of Sweden , Grand Princess of Finland and heir to her mother's claim to the title of King of Jerusalem....
. - Carolus LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, 18th century world-renowned botanist. - Olaus RudbeckOlaus RudbeckOlaus Rudbeck was a Swedish scientist and writer, professor of medicine at Uppsala University and for several periods rector magnificus of the same university...
, famous Swedish polymath and one of the discoverers of the lymphatic system (He also wrote Atlantica, a book in which he attempted to demonstrate that all peoples of the world originated in Sweden, and that Uppsala was the lost Atlantis). - Emanuel SwedenborgEmanuel Swedenborgwas a Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian. He has been termed a Christian mystic by some sources, including the Encyclopædia Britannica online version, and the Encyclopedia of Religion , which starts its article with the description that he was a "Swedish scientist and mystic." Others...
, 18th century scientist and mystic. He was not originally interred here, but his remains were transported to Uppsala from EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1908. - Nathan SöderblomNathan SöderblomLars Olof Jonathan Söderblom was a Swedish clergyman, Archbishop of Uppsala in the Church of Sweden, and recipient of the 1930 Nobel Peace Prize...
, 19th-20th century notable archbishop, Nobel Peace Prize recipient. - Eric the Saint, 12th century king and national saint.
- Laurentius PetriLaurentius PetriLaurentius Petri Nericius was a Swedish clergyman and the first Evangelical Lutheran Archbishop of Sweden. He and his brother Olaus Petri are, together with the King Gustav Vasa, regarded as the main Protestant reformers of Sweden...
, Sweden's first Lutheran archbishop. - Relics of Saint BridgetBridget of SwedenBridget of Sweden Bridget of Sweden Bridget of Sweden (1303 – 23 July 1373; also Birgitta of Vadstena, Saint Birgitta , was a mystic and saint, and founder of the Bridgettines nuns and monks after the death of her husband of twenty years...
(Heliga Birgitta) were placed in the chapel of Saint Eric and Bridget's parents. - Folke Johansson ÄngelFolke Johansson ÄngelFolke Johansson Ängel was Archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden , although he was not ordained by the Pope until 1274...
, Archbishop of UppsalaArchbishop of UppsalaThe Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :...
(1267–1277)
Dag Hammarskjöld memorial
In the cathedral is a small memorial to Dag HammarskjöldDag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld was a Swedish diplomat, economist, and author. An early Secretary-General of the United Nations, he served from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961. He is the only person to have been awarded a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize. Hammarskjöld...
, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, who was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
. A stone bears the inscription:
Icke jag
utan Gud i mig
Dag Hammarskjöld 1905 – 1961
The English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation is "Not I, but God in me."
See also
- Church of SwedenChurch of SwedenThe Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
- Archbishop of UppsalaArchbishop of UppsalaThe Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :...
- Temple at UppsalaTemple at UppsalaThe Temple at Uppsala was a religious center in Norse paganism once located at what is now Gamla Uppsala , Sweden attested in Adam of Bremen's 11th century work Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum and in Heimskringla, written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century...
- Riddarholmen Church