Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The altarpiece—gold leaf on carved oak—is from 1528, six years before
the Reformation came to Denmark. The cranium carved into the bottom indic-
ates it's a genuine masterpiece by Claus Berg (from Lübeck, Germany). This
Crucifixion scene is such a commotion, it seems to cause Christ's robe to bil-
low up. The soldiers who traditionally gambled for Christ's robe have traded
their dice for knives. Even the three wise men (lower right; each perhaps a
Danish king) made it to this Crucifixion. Notice the escaping souls of the two
thieves—the one who converted on the cross being carried happily to heaven,
and the other, with its grim-winged escort, heading straight to hell. The scene
at lower left—a disciple with a bare-breasted, dark-skinned woman feeding
her child—symbolizes the Great Commission: “Go ye to all the world.” Since
this is a Catholic altarpiece, a roll call of saints lines the wings. During the
restoration, the identity of the two women on the lower right was unknown,
so the lettering—even in Latin—is clearly gibberish. Take a moment to study
the 16th-century art on the ceiling (for example, the crucified feet ascending,
leaving only footprints on earth). In the narthex, a list of pastors goes back to
1505. The current pastor (Agnes) is the first woman on the list.
