Dalhem Church

Story

Dalhem Church is a medieval Lutheran church in Dalhem on the Swedish island of Gotland, in the Diocese of Visby.HistoryThe very first church on the site was a stave church, now vanished. This was followed by small stone church on the same site. This church, probably Romanesque in style, seems to have had a choir with an apse. In the presently visible church, the choir and nave are the oldest parts, dating from the 13th century. The tower, the main portal and the large window on the western façade date from the 14th century. The construction was led by Cistercian monks from nearby Roma Abbey. The church was subsequently left more or less unchanged, with only some furnishings - notably, the carved wooden pulpit (1637) - being added later. In 1899 a major renovation of the church started, which to a large degree transformed the church.RenovationIn 1899 a renovation of the church began. The architect and artist Axel Herman Hägg collected money, also internationally, for the thorough undertaking. The work continued for fifteen years, until 1914. The church was substantially altered both externally and internally, in an attempt to make the church appear even more medieval. The renovation was considered remarkable at the time, and led to the church being called the "national shrine of Gotland". Today, the renovation has been described instead as a "harsh and loose reconstruction of the Middle Ages". It remains an interesting example of the ideas of cultural heritage conservation prevalent at the time.