Ever heard of a silver wedding sparking a church’s creation? That’s the story of Sions Kirke. We are standing in front of Sions Kirke.
Sions Kirke is a Lutheran church. It stands proudly on Østerbrogade. This is in the Østerbro district of Copenhagen. Sions Kirke is not just any church. It is the second-oldest in Østerbro.
Back in the early 1890s, Østerbro was growing fast. St. James’ Church was the only church. Pastor Krag of St. James’ Church had an idea. He wanted a second church built. This new church would serve the area near the new Freeport of Copenhagen.
But there was a problem. Funds were needed. Then came Pastor Krag’s silver wedding. Residents of St. James’ Parish donated money. They gave it as a wedding gift. This gift was for the new church.
Sions Kirke became the first Danish church. It was built solely from private donations in modern times. The city donated the land. At that time, the address was on Strandvejen.
Valdemar Koch was the architect. He designed Sions Kirke. The foundation stones were laid on July 9, 1895. These stones represented the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Sions Kirke was consecrated on September 27, 1896. The church originally had no tower. One was added in 1921. K. Varming designed it.
Sions Kirke’s design is Neo-Romanesque. It is built with red brick. A granite plinth supports it. Chalk detailing adds beauty. Savonnière stone, Öland chalk, and Norwegian marble were used. The western gable has a round arched portal. A tympanum sits below a window group. The arch frieze copies Hammlev Church’s. Koch studied chalk churches. He published a book about them in 1896. Th. Bærentsen created friezes for the sides.
Inside Sions Kirke, a barrel-vaulted room awaits. Wooden galleries line both sides. Iron pillars support them. The chancel is raised. A painting by P. Steffensen sits behind the altar. It depicts Doubting Thomas. Johannes Kragh painted the choir’s mural in 1899. It shows the Resurrection of Jesus. Kragh also painted the west wall mural. It presents The Apocalypse.
The baptismal font is granite. Anders Bundgaard created reliefs for it. They depict deer around the Tree of Life. They also show the Fall of Man. An animal biting a snake is on the base.
The church is named after a fortress near Jerusalem. Jews longed for it. This longing led to Zionism. Sion is an older form of Zion. Sions Kirke became Østerbro’s second church in 1896. The population boom made dividing the parish necessary. The church was called “silver wedding church”. This was because it was a gift to Pastor Krag and his wife. The tower wasn’t built until around 1909. Poul Steffensen created the altarpiece. He used parishioners as models. Johannes Krag decorated the ceiling above the altar. A parish hall belongs to the church. It is located in Nyborggade.
So next time you pass Sions Kirke, remember its unique story. It is a story of community, love, and faith. It began with a silver wedding and continues to inspire today.