The cruciform church from the 17th century is located on a site that was formerly known as Heidningeholmen, which has always been a sacred and central place and a hub for traffic. The square that was formerly called Lahedla and Haugen is closely connected to the area around the church.
Egersund's oldest remaining building
The church is the town's oldest remaining building and was originally built as a low-ceilinged long church in the 1620s. The German church builder Ludvig Casper Feyling, who had settled in Egersund, was responsible for an extensive extension of the church in 1785-88. The church was converted into a cruciform church, with a tower and large windows in both the nave and the roof, and the roof was raised several metres. The Rococo style was prevalent at the time, which can be seen in the roof and some of the interior details.
Baroque pulpit – a hidden secret
The pews have beautiful doors (chair doors). These were removed during a renovation of the church in the 1880s and attached to the wall in the church tower, where they remained until 1940. The church was then restored and the doors were put back in the church. The oldest doors were made by Thomas Snekker in 1623, while the newer ones were made by Michel Snekker in 1648. Each family had a pew with their name on the door and paid an annual rent for it.
During the restoration in 1940, the carpenters made a chance discovery. The white Rococo pulpit concealed a secret: it was just a shell placed on top of an older pulpit from the 17th century. The Baroque pulpit was revealed again after having been hidden since 1785.
Altarpiece and baptismal font
The altarpiece was carved by Thomas Snekker and painted and signed by Peter Reimers in 1607. This is the first known sacred work by Peter Reimers.
The baptismal font is made of wood and has 1583 carved into it, but there is some doubt as to whether it is that old.
Thomas Snekker made a font stool in 1623. The baptismal font is made of brass and dates from the 17th century. It was made in Germany and is mentioned in an inventory list from 1722.
The church has a silver oblate box and a silver wine jug, both of which were donated in the early 18th century.
Egersund Church originally had 1,160 seats, but since some of these are located in the galleries, they are no longer permitted to be used, and the number of seats has therefore been greatly reduced for safety reasons.
Source: Agderkultur.
