“Ever wondered why St. Paul stands guard at the end of M.P. Bruuns Gade?” I ask. Sankt Pauls Kirke is not just a building. It is a testament to Aarhus’s growth and faith.
Let us step back to 1887. Imagine this area not as a bustling city center. Picture it as the southern edge of Aarhus. Sankt Pauls Kirke arose from bare fields. Only thirteen years prior this land belonged to Viby Parish.
Mads Pagh Bruun a textile manufacturer donated this land. His condition? The church must face the town. Vilhelm Theodor Walther designed Sankt Pauls Kirke. He was Jutland’s royal building inspector. The result is the robust red brick building. It features twin towers with pyramidal spires. Notice how Sankt Pauls Kirke’s facade faces north not west. This is due to Bruun’s condition.
The design takes inspiration from Romanesque basilicas. Observe the long high nave. See the slightly lower aisles and an apse. The round arched windows and doors are distinctly Romanesque.
In 1978 Sankt Pauls Kirke gained a parish hall. Inger and Johannes Exner designed it. They drew inspiration from the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam. The hall connects to the apse via a glazed roof foyer. The sharp edged brick matches Sankt Pauls Kirke’s masonry.
Inside Sankt Pauls Kirke the altar painting captures your attention. Herman Siegumfeldt created it in 1897. It depicts Paul on the road to Damascus. Look up to the gallery that was added in 1900. Notice the baptismal bowl crafted in southern Germany. It is silver plated brass. The bowl shows the Annunciation bordered by floral designs. Stars and pomegranates decorate the rim.
The church choir Sct. Pauls Cantori adds to the experience. They often perform with professional orchestras.
Sankt Pauls Kirke has a close relationship with Kirkens Korshær. The first chaplain was appointed to Sankt Pauls Kirke in 1933. From 1959 to 1978 Risskov Church had a chaplain. In 1978 Sankt Pauls Kirke regained its connection. Today the chaplain works in all Kirkens Korshærs units in Aarhus.
Around 1887 large villas surrounded Sankt Pauls Gade and the church. Enrico Mylius Dalgas’s Villa Montana stood at the corner of Montanagade. Tage Algreen Tage-Hansen a doctor owned a villa near the church. Only three villas remain from that time.
In 1892 a children’s asylum opened on Skt. Pauls Gade. Dalgas donated part of his land for its construction. It was named Kong Christian IX og Dronning Louises Guldbryllupsasyl.
Sankt Pauls Kirke stands as a landmark. It has witnessed the city’s evolution. It represents faith and architectural beauty. Take a moment to appreciate Sankt Pauls Kirke.