Loppa Church


Loppa Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Loppa Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located in the village of Loppa on the sparsely populated island of Loppa. It is one of the churches in the Loppa parish which is part of the Alta prosti in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1953 by the architects Hans Magnus and Johan Lindstrøm. The church seats about 150 people, but it is rarely used since the island has few residents.

History

The first church on the island was probably built as early as the Middle Ages. There have probably been several church buildings here over a long period. This island was historically the centre of the parish, and thus this was the main church for the area. The previous church was burned down by the Germans during their withdrawal towards the end of World War II in 1944. When the new church was rebuilt after the liberation, it was agreed to build it on the site of the old rectory, a little ways to the east of the old church. The graveyard remains at the site of the old church. Since the mid- to late-20th century, most residents of the island have moved away from the small, isolated island and now this church is not regularly used.