The church is the main church of Oslo diocese, established 1076, and parish church for the Cathedral parish, established 1694. It is also Norway's official church, with the Palace, the Parliament and government buildings within its parish boundaries. Many national, parliamentary and royal events have been celebrated and marked here.
Construction history:
It is assumed that the church was designed by Councillor of State de Wiggers, who was also in charge of parts of the building work. The cornerstone was laid down in 1694. At the time, money was short in the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway and consequently the church was built without much external decoration or detail. When the church was consecrated in 1697, construction costs came to barely 15 000 riksdaler - less than half the cost of the Holy Trinity Church, Oslo's second catherdral, 60 years earlier. The royal monogram of Christian V (Dano-Norwegian king 1670-1699) can be seen above the South entrance, together with the King's motto, I E P - Justitia Et Prudentia, Justice and Courage. The King's monogram is also seen above the entrance to the sacristy on the North side of the church: CV 1699.
The nave runs from East to West, with the altar to the East and the organ to the West. The transepts follow a North-South direction. The main building material is Dutch brick, and fill for the walls was taken from, among other places, the ruins of the Holy Trinity and Hallvard churches, the town's two first cathedrals. Women carried out the bulk of the construction work. The church was painted in accordance with the customs of the day, with blue foundations and layered yellow and red brickwork. The tower was originally several metres lower than it is today and did not have a spire.
When the church was consecrated, it still lacked the liturgical furnishing and only the altar was in place during the service, covered with a repaired lace cloth that had been plucked from the burnt Holy Trinity Church. The three brass chandeliers that had also been salvaged from the ruins hung in the central aisle.
Work on the interior continued for several years. The town's upper classes donated generously to the liturgical furnishings and the pulpit was completed in 1699, the year after the altarpiece and the royal gallery. In 1702, the first, if not the best, organ was ready for playing. The Great Nordic War (1709-1720) then put a stop to any further work. The interior was finally completed in the 1720s, with a new organ, galleries and bays along the walls. The church clock was installed in 1718 and is the oldest working church clock in Norway today.
Restoration work:
The church has been subject to extensive alteration and restoration work on several occasions. In line with the aesthetic impulses of the day, it was rebuilt in a neogothic style in the 1850s, under the supervision of the architect Alexis de Chateauneuf (1799-1853). The works included the construction of the present tower, with Chateauneuf's neogothic bronze spire, now a familiar and distinctive silhouette on the Oslo skyline. As it was no longer possible to get Dutch bricks, red bricks were used and it is still possible to see where the extension work started. In addition, a new royal entrance was added to the South front in the same red brick, and granite spires, portals and gable columns.
The church had retained its baroque interior throughout the 18th century, but now all the baroque details, with the exception of the organ front, were removed. The church was given an entirely gothic interior, thereby fuelling the Gothic Revival in Norway, which was gradually to dominate all new churches in the capital, with Vestre Aker Church as the first in 1855.
To mark the 900th anniversary of Oslo in 1950, extensive renovation work was carried out once more, under the supervision of the architect Arnstein Arneberg (1882-1961). The church was restored as far as possible to its original baroque interior, with the old pulpit, altarpiece and christening font. A marble and brickwork floor was designed, and all the furnishings were renovated. The artist, Hugo Lous Mohr (1889-1970) worked on the huge ceiling paintings between 1936-1950. The chapel on the East side of the church was designed by Arneberg and was completed in 1950. When the church reopened, it was renamed Oslo Cathedral.
Both alterations were financed by Christiania Sparebank, now Gjensidige NOR.
Baroque style: European style in the 17th and 18th centuries. The term, originally used in a derogatory manner by later generations, derives from the Portuguese barocco, meaning uneven pearl. The Renaissance faith in humanity had been shaken by the wars and poverty that raged in Europe. Evidence of humanity's powerlessness and mortality made the Baroque school of thought focus on the tension between the physical and the spiritual, heaven and earth, sensual pleasure and religious faith, time and eternity. Artists cultivated emotionality, symbolism and ornate design, with light and shadow, space and depth as key elements of the style. Famous Baroque artists include the authors Kingo (Denmark), Petter Dass (Norway), John Donne and John Milton (Britain); the painters Caravaggio (Italy), Rubens (Belgium) and Rembrandt (Holland); the composers Bach and Händel (Germany).
Gothic style: European style from the 13th and 14th centuries, primarily in architecture. The term was coined in retrospect and stems from Goth, i.e. Germanic. The word invokes the "Dark Ages" and the Goths' invasion of Italy in the 5th century, which heralded the end of the Roman Empire. New building techniques in the Middle Ages made it possible to build high upwards-reaching constructions, with pointed arches, large windows and breached walls. Big stained glass windows and rich ornamentation adorn the buildings. Sculptures were long and thin, portraying angels or saints. Gothic cathedrals include Westminster Abbey (London), Notre-Dame (Paris) and Nidaros (Trondheim).
There was a Gothic Revival (Neogothic) in European architecture, art and literature in the period from 1750-1890, which was fuelled by a renewed interest in the Middle Ages. People of the time were fascinated by stories of knights, ghosts and dreams, the supernatural, the chaotic and colourful. Famous proponents include the authors Bram Stoker (Dracula), Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (Frankenstein), Sir Walter Scott (Ivanhoe), Edgar Allan Poe.
Alexis de Chateauneuf (1799-1853): German architect, studied in Germany, Paris and Italy. Chateauneuf was one of the most colourful characters in architecture in the mid-1800s and was active in Hamburg, London and Christiania. As a young man, his work was primarily classical, later, during his time in London, he was influenced by English medieval architecture. He played a leading role in the reconstruction of Hamburg after the city burnt down in 1842. In 1845, he married the Norwegian Caspara Møller, and worked in Christiania for the latter part of his life. He was in charge of the alterations to the Church of Our Saviour (Oslo Cathedral) in the years around 1850. The Trinity Church (1859) was built based on his drawings, after his death.
Arnstein Arneberg (1882-1961): Norwegian architect, studied in Oslo and Stockholm. Arneberg had his own practice in Oslo from 1906 and was a leading proponent of national romanticism in architecture over the next few decades, as can be seen in a number of large residential houses in the Oslo area. Arneberg designed several churches (Bjervik, Høyanger, Ullensaker) and was responsible for the construction of the Viking Ship Museum (1926), the Crown Prince's residence at Skaugum (1932), the Telegraph Building in Oslo (1924) and Oslo Town Hall (1916-1950). He was in charge of the restoration of Akershus Castle (1932-1948), Oslo Cathedral (1948-1950), Vang Church (1952-1954) and Råde Church (1957-1960). He was also involved in the interior design of the Security Council's chamber at the UN building in New York (1950).