Veldre Church

{{short description|Church in Innlandet, Norway}} {{Infobox church |name = Veldre Church |full_name = Veldre kirke |former_name = |image = Veldre kirke.JPG |caption = View of the church |website = |coordinates = {{coord|60.9172775105|10.8904686570|region:NO_type:landmark|display=inline,title|format=dms}} |location = [[Ringsaker Municipality]],<br />[[Innlandet]] |country = [[Norway]] |churchmanship = [[Evangelical Lutheran]] |denomination = [[Church of Norway]] |previous_denomination = [[Catholic Church]] |diocese = [[Diocese of Hamar|Hamar bispedømme]] |deanery = [[Ringsaker prosti]] |parish = Bromunddal/Veldre |status = [[Parish church]] |functional_status = Active |founded = 13th century |consecrated = 19 March 2000 |completed = {{Start date and age|p=y|2000}} |closed = |events = |architect = Ulf Zettersten<br />and Roar Jacobsen |architectural_type = [[Long church]] |style = |materials = Wood |capacity = 275 |embedded = {{Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site |embed = yes |Type = Church |Status = Not protected |ID = 85799 }} }}

'''Veldre Church''' ({{langx|no|Veldre kirke}}) is a [[parish church]] of the [[Church of Norway]] in [[Ringsaker Municipality]] in [[Innlandet]] county, [[Norway]]. It is located in the village of [[Byflaten]]. It is one of the churches for the Bromunddal/Veldre [[parish]] which is part of the [[Ringsaker prosti]] ([[deanery]]) in the [[Diocese of Hamar]]. The white, wooden church was built in a [[long church]] design in 2000 using plans drawn up by the [[architect]]s Ulf Zettersten and Roar Jacobsen. The church seats about 275 people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Veldre kirke |url=https://kirkesok.no/kirke/041201201 |access-date=2022-01-07 |publisher=Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker |url=http://www.kirkekonsulenten.no/kirker.htm |access-date=2022-01-07 |publisher=KirkeKonsulenten.no |language=Norwegian}}</ref>

==History== The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1332, but the church was not new that year. The first church here was a wooden [[stave church]] that was probably built during the 13th century. This church was probably located at Flisaker, a short distance to the southeast of the present site of the church. Around the year 1615, a new [[church porch]] and [[sacristy]] were added to the building. After an inspection in 1665, the church was found to be too small and in poor condition, so it was repaired and expanded around that time. A new [[pulpit]] and [[baptismal font]] were also added at that time.<ref name="kms">{{Cite web |title=Veldre kirkested |url=http://www.kulturminnesok.no/kulturminnesok/kulturminne/?LOK_ID=85799 |access-date=2022-01-07 |publisher=[[Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage]] |language=Norwegian}}</ref><ref name="NK">{{Cite web |title=Veldre kirke |url=https://www.norske-kirker.net/home/hedmark/veldre-kirke/ |access-date=2022-01-07 |website=Norges-Kirker.no |language=Norwegian}}</ref>

By the early 1700s, the church was deemed to be in such poor condition that it needed to be replaced. Knud Bergoust was hired to build the new church in the central part of the present day graveyard. Construction of the new [[half-timbered]] [[Churches in Norway#Floor plan|cruciform]] church took place in 1725–1726. It had a [[sacristy]] on the north side of the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] and a tower in the center of the [[nave]] roof. The new building was [[consecrated]] on 29 September 1726 ([[Michaelmas]]) by the Bishop [[Bartholomæus Deichman]]. This church seated about 400 people. (The old church at Flisaker was not torn down until 1776.) In 1755, the church received exterior siding. In 1867, a new, taller tower was built. In 1914, the [[nave]] was expanded by adding {{convert|3|m}} to the west end to accommodate a new organ. In 1969, the sacristy was expanded. On 28 September 1996, the church burned down, possibly due to an electrical problem. A lot of the historical artwork and furniture was lost in the fire.<ref name="NK" />

Planning for a new church began soon after the old church and rubble was cleared. [[Ulf Zettersten]], from [[Nyköping]], [[Sweden]] and [[Roar Jacobsen]] from [[Gjøvik (town)|Gjøvik]], Norway were hired to design the new church. It was decided to build the new church about {{convert|75|m}} north of the old church site, just outside the graveyard wall. The new, large wooden [[long church]] was designed to look like historical churches, but it has many modern characteristics as well. The church has a {{convert|30|m|adj=on}} tall tower on the east end, above the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]]. It also has a small 30-seat [[Churches in Norway#Floor plan|octagonal]] chapel near the main entrance. The new building was [[consecrated]] on 19 March 2000 by the Bishop [[Rosemarie Köhn]].<ref name="NK" />

==Media gallery== <gallery mode="packed" heights="170px"> FV22 Flesakervegen ved Veldre kirke.jpg|View of the present church Veldre kirkested.JPG|View of the present church and graveyard 7033 Veldre Kirke - no-nb digifoto 20150812 00028 bldsa PK26206.jpg|Old church (1726-1996) 480 Parti ved Veldre Kirke - no-nb digifoto 20150812 00015 bldsa PK26170.jpg|Old church (1726-1996) Skraastad altertavle Veldre 1694 0412-16953.jpg|Interior of the old church (1726-1996) Veldre kirke - no-nb digifoto 20150812 00056 bldsa PK26151.jpg|Interior of the old church (1726-1996) Veldre kirkes kor 0412-16955.jpg|Interior of the old church (1726-1996) </gallery>

==See also== *[[List of churches in Hamar]]

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Churches in Ringsaker Municipality]] [[Category:Churches in Innlandet]] [[Category:Long churches in Norway]] [[Category:Wooden churches in Norway]] [[Category:20th-century Church of Norway church buildings]] [[Category:Churches completed in 2000]] [[Category:13th-century establishments in Norway]]