Stårheim Church

Stårheim Church (Norwegian: Stårheim kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Stad Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Stårheim. It is the church for the Stårheim parish which is part of the Nordfjord prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1864 by the architect Christian Heinrich Grosch. The church seats about 350 people.[1][2]

Stårheim Church
Stårheim kyrkje
View of the church
Stårheim Church Location of the church Show map of Vestland Stårheim Church Stårheim Church (Norway) Show map of Norway
61.9186°N 5.7658°E / 61.9186; 5.7658
Location	Stad Municipality, Vestland
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	13th century
Consecrated	4 Dec 1864
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Christian Heinrich Grosch
Architectural type	Long church
Completed	1864
Specifications
Capacity	350
Materials	Wood
Administration
Parish	Stårheim
Deanery	Nordfjord prosti
Diocese	Bjørgvin

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to 1324, but the church was likely built in the 13th century. That old stave church was in use until 1338. Not much is known about the church, but in 1338 Erling Vidkunsson wrote a letter to Bishop Haakon in Bergen that some robbers had broken into the church and set it on fire. A second church was built to replace the one that burned. This church was a stave church and it was used until approximately 1600. A new (third) church was built around 1600 to replace the old church. It was a timber/log church that was used until a large fire on 10 January 1859 heavily damaged the structure. The fourth (and present) church was completed soon after in 1864.[3][4]

See also

• List of churches in Bjørgvin

References

1. "Stårheim kyrkje". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
2. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
3. "Stårheim kyrkje" (in Norwegian). Eid kyrkjelege fellesråd. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
4. "Stårheim kyrkjestad" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 2019-09-22.