St. Clement's Church (Danish : Klemens Kirke) is a parish church located in the village of Klemensker on the Danish island of Bornholm. Completed in 1882 in the Historicist style, it replaces an earlier Romanesque church from the 14th century or earlier. Today the church is noteworthy for works contributed by the Bornholm artist Paul Høm. A number of runestones have been found in the neighbourhood, two of which are now in the churchyard.
Today's church stands on a hilltop 114 meters above sea level which was also the site of an earlier, now demolished, Medieval church built in the Romanesque style. The old church was almost as long as the new building but only about half as wide. It appears to have been the only church on the island with star-shaped roof vaulting which probably replaced the original wooden ceiling around 1450. Many items of inventory from the old church can now be seen in the Bornholm Museum. [1]
The church is named after St. Clement of Rome, Latin: Clemens Romanus, as documented in early references from 1335. While the name of St. Nicolas (Danish: Sankt Nicolai) was often chosen for churches associated with seafarers, the choice of St. Clement (also associated with the sea) indicates that the church was probably one of the earliest on Bornholm. [1]
Like a number of Bornholm localities, the name of the village, Klemensker, is derived from that of its church, the suffix -ker denoting church in the local dialect. [2]
Today's church is built of roughly hewn granite blocks while the windows and doors are framed in smoothly hewn elements. The building is 32 m long and 12 m wide. It was completed in December 1882 to a design by the Historicist architect Ludvig Knudsen based on the plans he used for St. Stephen's Church in Copenhagen which had been completed in 1874. Indeed, all the workmen were from Copenhagen despite the fact that the church should have been designed in the Romanesque style with features from the older churches on the island. With seating for congregations of around 1,000, it was initially said to have been one of the largest village churches in Denmark. It consists of an apsis, chancel and a long nave, terminating in a tower at the western end. Flanking the nave, there are large wooden galleries, supported by wooden pillars. The roof and the tower's four-sided spire are of slate. [3]
The church's interior reflects the restoration carried out in 1960 under the leadership of Rolf Graae in collaboration with Paul Høm from nearby Gudhjem who contributed the church's colourful artwork. The pulpit is decorated with paintings of the four evangelists while a mosaic above the chancel arch depicts one of the oldest symbols of Christianity, the Paschal Lamb with the flag of victory and the chalice of blood. In 1974, the collaboration between Graae and Høm continued when they designed the facade for the new organ built by Bruno Christiansen and Sons from Jutland. Finally, in 1981 Høm completed the large paintings behind the altar: the dark-blues of Jesus' burial surmounted by the golden tones of the risen Christ. [4]
Several runestones have been found in the vicinity. They probably date from the 11th century when a wooden church may have stood on the site. Now standing on the south side of the church, the Lundhøj Stone was found in 1819 being used as a bridge over a brook and is 2.74 meters tall. Designated as DR 399 in the Rundata catalogue, it bears an inscription which reads (when translated): "Gunild had this stone erected for Ødbjørn, her husband. Christ help Ødbørn's soul into light and paradise. Christ and St Michael help Ødbjørn's and Gunild's souls into light and paradise." [5] [6] On the same site, there are four broken pieces of stone designated as DR 404 with the inscription: "N.N. erected this stone for his brother Sven. God and God's mother (help) his soul ... kil carved these runes and Svenne." [7] [8] The Kuregård Stone, designated as DR 403 and named after the site of its discovery in 1856, on the north side of the chancel is inscribed: "Svend and Kæld erected the stone for their father Julger(?)." [9] [10] There are many other fragments of runestones bearing one or two words, some forming part of the churchyard wall. [1] [11]
The Gunderup Runestone, or DR 143, is located in Gunderup, North Jutland County, Jutland, Denmark. It is notable because it is one of few runestones raised in commemoration of a woman.
The Simris Runestones are two 11th-century runestones located at the vicarage of Simris, near Simrishamn, in southeasternmost Scania, Sweden. They were rediscovered in a church wall in 1716 during a restoration of the church. Although the territory was Danish at the time, they were made in the Swedish style of Uppland. One of the stones is notable in being one of the earliest native Scandinavian documents that mention Sweden.
The Kallerup Stone, designated as runic inscription DR 250 in the Rundata system, is a memorial runestone which is located in Hedehusene, Høje-Taastrup Municipality, on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. It is among the oldest runestones in Denmark.
The Lovö Runestones are five Viking Age memorial runestones that are located outside the Lovö church on the island of Lovön in Lake Mälaren, which is in Stockholm County, Sweden, and in the historic province of Uppland.
The Skårby Runestones are two Viking Age memorial runestones originally located in Skårby, which is about ten kilometers northwest of Ystad, Scania, Sweden.
Østermarie is a village on the Danish island of Bornholm, 8 km (5.0 mi) west of Svaneke. Founded ca. 1880, its old church, now a ruin, dates back to the 12th century. The population as of 1 January 2020 is 490.
The Hyby Runestones, designated as DR 264 and DR 265 in the Rundata catalog, are two Viking Age memorial runestones located at Hyby near Vissmarlöv, which is about two kilometers southeast of Klågerup, Scania, Sweden. The former stone, DR 265, is considered lost.
The Björklinge runestones are five Viking Age memorial runestones designated in the Rundata catalog as U 1045, U 1046, U 1047, U 1048, and U 1050 that are located at the church in Björklinge, Uppsala County, Sweden, which is in the historic province of Uppland. In addition, there is a small fragment of a runestone with a partial runic text i * lit * rita * meaning "had erected" that has been given the catalog number U 1049.
The Skern Runestone, designated as Danish Runic Inscription 81 or DR 81 in the Rundata catalog, is a Viking Age memorial runestone located in the small village of Skjern, Denmark between Viborg and Randers. The stone features a facial mask and a runic inscription which ends in a curse. A fragment of a second runestone designated as DR 80 was also found in Skjern.
The Bjäresjö Runestones are three Viking Age memorial runestones originally located adjacent to Bjäresjö Church in Bjäresjö, which is about 3 kilometers northwest of Ystad, Skåne County, Sweden. Two of the stones were discovered near the church, and two of the stones have been moved to other nearby locations. Although these three stones are located in Sweden, they have been given Danish designations because Scania was part of the historic Denmark.
The Fölene Runestones are two Viking Age memorial runestones which are located near the church in Fölene, which is about two kilometers west of Herrljunga, Västra Götaland County, Sweden, which was in the historic province of Västergötland. The stones are memorials to two men who were described as holding the title drengr.
The Ålum Runestones are four Viking Age memorial runestones which are located at the church in Ålum, which is 9 km west of Randers, Denmark. One of the stones refers to a man with the title drengr and two of the other stones were raised by the same family.
Klemensker is a village in the north-western part of the Danish island of Bornholm. With a population of 626, it is located on a crossroads 13 km north-east of Rønne, 7 km east of the coastal town Hasle and 12 km south of Allinge. It is known for its cheese production.
Nylars Church is a 12th-century round church in the village of Nylars near Rønne in the south of the Danish island of Bornholm. Originally designed for a defensive role, the solid structure contains a series of 13th-century frescos, the oldest of Bornholm's four round churches.
St. Peter's Church is a Romanesque parish church some 6 km east of Aakirkeby on the Danish island of Bornholm. It is thought to be the oldest church on the island.
St. Canute's Church is a Romanesque church located 3 km northeast of Rønne on the Danish island of Bornholm.
Rø Church is a parish church located in the little village of Rø in the north of the Danish island of Bornholm. Completed in 1888, it replaces a Romanesque building dating from c. 1200 which was demolished in 1887 as a result of structural problems.
Vestermarie Church is located in the little village of Vestermarie some 8 km east of Rønne on the Danish island of Bornholm. The present Neo-Romanesque church replaces a now demolished 14th-century building.
Tillitse Church is a Romanesque building west of the village of Dannemare, some 8 km (5.0 mi) south of Nakskov on the Danish island of Lolland. Built of red brick in the first half of the 13th century, it has an intricately carved auricular altarpiece created by Jørgen Ringnis in 1642. An 11th-century runestone stands outside the church entrance.
DR 110, or the Virring stone, is a runestone made of granite that measures 155 cm (61 in) in height, 120 cm (47 in) in width and 27 cm (11 in) in thickness. It is written in Old East Norse in the Younger Futhark, and the runestone style is in a form called RAK.
The following sites on runic inscriptions are from the Nordisk Forskningsinstitut:
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