Birkeland Church

Birkeland Church (Norwegian: Birkeland kirke or Nesttun kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Bergen Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the Nesttun neighborhood of Fana in the city of Bergen. It is the church for the Birkeland parish which is part of the Fana prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, stone church was built in a long church style in 1878 using designs by the architect Giovanni Jacob Harbitz Müller. The church seats about 300 people.[1][2] The church has a unique tower with an octagonal copper-clad steeple.

Birkeland Church
Birkeland kirke / Nesttun kirke
View of the church
Birkeland Church Location of the church Show map of Vestland Birkeland Church Birkeland Church (Norway) Show map of Norway
60.3156°N 5.3564°E / 60.3156; 5.3564
Location	Bergen Municipality, Vestland
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	13th century
Consecrated	21 Nov 1878
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Giovanni Müller
Architectural type	Long church
Completed	1878
Specifications
Capacity	300
Materials	Stone
Administration
Parish	Birkeland
Deanery	Fana prosti
Diocese	Bjørgvin bispedømme
Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site
Type	Church
Status	Listed by municipality
ID	83888

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1329, but it was built before that time, likely during the 1200s. It was probably a stave church that stood about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southeast of the present church. There is a plaque where the previous church once stood. The church was demolished in the early 1600s and replaced by a wooden church.[3]

The wooden church was sold to private owners Arne Olsen Øvre Totland and Lars Olsen Øvre Birkeland in 1724. In 1839, the church was bought back by the parish.[4] Due to maintenance issues and population growth, that church was torn down in 1877 and replaced in 1878 with a larger stone church located about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away in Nesttun. The new (present) church was consecrated on 21 November 1878.[5]

Media gallery

• 
  Church neighborhood
• 
  Altar
• 
  Church in 1836-1837
• 
  Site of the old medieval church

See also

• List of churches in Bjørgvin

References

1. "Birkeland kirke, Nesttun". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
2. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
3. "Birkeland gamle kirkested - Kirkebirkeland" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
4. "Kirker i Hordaland fylke" (in Norwegian). DIS-Hordaland. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
5. "Birkeland kirkested / Birkeland kirke 3" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 17 May 2020.