Frei Church (Norwegian: Frei kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Kristiansund Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the village of Nedre Frei on the southern shore of the island of Frei. It is the church for the Frei parish which is part of the Ytre Nordmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre. The yellow, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1897 by the architect Karl Norum. The church seats about 420 people.[1][2]

Frei Church
Frei kirke
View of the church
Map
63°01′28″N 7°48′11″E / 63.0245632120°N 7.8031387925°E / 63.0245632120; 7.8031387925
LocationKristiansund Municipality,
Møre og Romsdal
CountryNorway
DenominationChurch of Norway
ChurchmanshipEvangelical Lutheran
History
StatusParish church
Founded14th century
Consecrated16 Sept 1897
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)Karl Norum
Architectural typeLong church
StyleDragestil
Completed1897 (127 years ago) (1897)
Specifications
Capacity420
MaterialsWood
Administration
DioceseMøre bispedømme
DeaneryYtre Nordmøre prosti
ParishFrei
TypeChurch
StatusListed
ID84195

History

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The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to 1432, but the church was not new that year. The first church in Frei was a wooden stave church that was located about 40 metres (130 ft) southeast of the present church site. It may have been founded during the 14th century. The church was a long church design with a sacristy on the east end and a church porch on the north side where the main entrance was located. The building was renovated in 1665. During the renovation, a tower was built on the roof above the nave. Prior to 1665, there was a small free-standing bell tower. In October 1766, the church was struck by lightning and it burned down. A new church site was chosen about 40 metres (130 ft) to the northwest of the old church site. The church was rebuilt on this new site the following spring of 1767. The new church was a timber-framed cruciform design with a sacristy on the east end.[3][4]

In the spring of 1896, the church was torn down. A new church was built from 1896 to 1897 on the same site. Some of the materials of the old church were preserved and re-used in the construction of the present church building. The church was designed by Karl Norum. The new building was consecrated on 16 September 1897. It is a wooden, dragestil long church with a tower on the west end and a choir on the east end that was flanked by a sacristy on the north and south side of the choir.[3][4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Frei kirke". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Frei kirkested" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Frei kirke". Norges-Kirker.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 14 July 2021.