Haram Church


Haram Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Ålesund Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the village of Austnes on the island of Haramsøya. It is one of the three churches for the Haram og Fjørtoft parish which is part of the Nordre Sunnmøre prosti in the Diocese of Møre. The white, wooden church was built in an octagonal style in 1838 by an unknown architect. The church seats about 240 people.

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to 1432, but it was not brand new at that time. The original stave church was located on the west coast of the island of Haramsøya. In 1668, the stave church was described as having a rectangular plan with a choir and porch with a hallway around the whole building. Over time, the church became dilapidated and in the 1830s, it was decided to build a new church on the other, more populous side of the island. So in 1838, a new Haram Church was completed in Austnes, on the southeastern tip of the island. The altar, pulpit, and altarpiece as well as some other materials and decorations from the old church were reused in the new building. Shortly after the completion of the new church, the old church was torn down. The new church has an octagonal design. In 1878, the church was renovated and a new neo-Gothic tower was constructed. In 1993, the church was severely damaged in a fire. It was rebuilt shortly after the fire.