Saint Ansgar's Church

The Catholic Cathedral Church of Copenhagen
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The Roman Catholic diocese of the Danish capital Copenhagen has one of the most extensive and geographically largest jurisdictions in the world. It covers not only Denmark but also Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The Cathedral of Saint Ansgar at Bredgade 64 is the Episcopal Church of the Scandinavian country and bears the name of Ansgar of Bremen, who is revered as the "Apostle of the North" and worked in the ninth century as one of the early missionaries, especially in Sweden and Denmark. In Copenhagen, in addition to the Roman Catholic cathedral, there is also a Protestant church bearing the name of Ansgar.

Neoclassical with bricks

The present Copenhagen Cathedral of St. Ansgar was built on the remains of a Catholic church, financed in part by Empress Maria Theresa to allow the staff of the Austrian Embassy in Denmark to attend a parish. Around 1840 the present church was built on the same site in neoclassical style and with a facade of red bricks. Saint Ansgar was consecrated on the day of All Saints' Day in 1842, and it was the German-born architect Gustav Friedrich Hetsch who drew up the plans for the cathedral.

A place of worship for foreigners

Originally, the church in the Danish metropolis was supposed to serve the foreigners who professed the Roman Catholic faith. But when religious freedom was introduced in Denmark in 1849, Saint Ansgar played an ever-growing role for the country's Catholics. However, the church did not become the seat of the diocese until 1953. It seats about three hundred worshippers at services and is 31 metres long and 13 metres high. The wooden pews date from the early days and are decorated with the coat of arms of the Habsburgs.

Gift from Emperor Ferdinand I.

In earlier times, the cathedral church of Saint Ansgar was the repository of numerous sculptures and paintings. Over the years, however, a number of works of art have been distributed to other Catholic churches in Denmark. The frescoes in the apse are from the Düsseldorf workshop of Joseph Settegast. The dome of the cathedral is decorated with the Holy Trinity. Christ is flanked by his apostles. The altarpiece was a gift from Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria, who commissioned Leopold Kupelwieser, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, to decorate it.

The relic of Pope Lucius I.

The bell tower of St. Ansgar is of more recent origin and was only erected in 1943. The largest of these bells was christened the "Saviour's Bell". Copenhagen Episcopal Church is the repository of the relic of Pope Lucius I, who was beheaded in Rome in 254. The skullcap was previously housed in Roskilde Cathedral.

Opening hours

Church services