Røros Church


Røros Church or Bergstadens Ziir is a parish church in Røros municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. Located in the town of Røros, it is the main church for the Røros parish which is part of the Gauldal prosti in the Diocese of Nidaros. The church seats about 1,600 people, making it the 5th largest church within the Church of Norway. It is also ranked by Riksantikvaren as one of the ten most important churches in Norway.

History

The octagonal, whitewashed stone church was built in 1784 on the basis of plans by architect Peter Leonard Neumann from Trondheim. The stone construction material was slate from Gammelvollia or Sundlia in Troms. The church was consecrated on 15 August 1784 by Marcus Fredrik Bang, Bishop of
the Diocese of Nidaros.
The pulpit and altar were designed by Peder Ellingsen, who as the lead builder at Røros Copper Works, was responsible for the furnishing woodwork.
The altarpiece features a painting from 1792 entitled Innstiftelsen av nattverden by artist Johan Jørgen Lyng. The baptismal font is from 1913.
The church underwent restoration during 1908–1917 at which time electricity was added, in 1959 when the original colors were restored and during 2008–2010.
Røros Copper Works paid for the building of the stone church, and the symbol of the Copper Works was put on all sides of the tower wall. There is a sign over the entrance to the church that says "Til Guds Ære og Bergstadens Ziir" which means "to God's Glory and Bergstaden's beauty." Bergstaden means "the mining town", and this is why the church is sometimes referred to as "Bergstadens Ziir".

Media gallery