Karasjok’s historic church is Finnmark’s oldest church, and was the main church of Karasjok parish until the blessing of a new church in 1974. The church has 140 seats, but is rarely in use and only for particular services. The church is one of Karasjok’s millennium sites and on New Years Eve 1999 a service was held here to mark the ending and the beginning of a new millenium.

The church was build while Christian 7^th was king of Denmark-Norway, and 1807 is imprinted above the entrance door. The church was taken in use Advent Sunday the same year, but it was first blessed in 1822 as authorities seldom visited payd visits to this region at those times.  Karasjok got their own parson in 1873, and before that Karasjok was under Kautokeino and Kistrand’s (Porsanger) parish.

It is a cruciform church build of local timber from Karasjok. Axes were the main building tools, and carpentry appears to be rough as there are big gaps between wall logs. Considering this, and that most services were held during winter and that a fireplace was initially installed in the 1860s, the services must have been a cold experience.

The church was rather simple in the early days having no weapon house, nor sacristy. The main entrance was at the northern arm, there were no seating, no alter, no font and it was coated with tar. Later the church was painted white and furnished with seats, alter and a font. The tower has also gone through changes initially being an onion tower. A weapon house, a gallery, an indoor roof were built and the windows were changed. The alter was a gift received in 1831 and has a copper stick painting that is a reversed reproduction of one of Antonius van Dyke’s (1599 – 1641) paintings. It appears however that the altar has been located somewhere else before coming to Karasjok as it’s pillars and top part as well as the frame of the painting resemble the design traditions in rural Norway at that time. The altar is alone of its kind in North Norway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1907 the church was painted yellow on the inside, but in the 60s the paint was removed and the church was returned to its original appearance.

The Germans burned more of less everything when they left Finnmark in 1944. No one knows why, but Karasjok historic church was left unburned. The building became however damaged when the Germans destroyed Karasjok Bridge by explosives. The northern wall gave in to the air pressure and supportive balks had to be set up. These are still there.

Since the church was the only building left in Karasjok after Second World War, it came to serve as both school and rectory. The supply and provision service was also holding house in the church, and after an explosive accident in 1945 it served as a hospital while operations were carried out on the hymn boards. Several policemen involved in mine cleaning deceased in this accident.

Until recently the church has been in use from Easter till September serving as a tourist attraction in particular. Now it is run down and closed, but renovation is initiated in cooperation between the parish, the municipality and the state antiquarian. The aim is to restore the church completely by 2007 and its 200 years anniversary. The intent is that the church can be a year-round supplement to the new church, and that it can serve Karasjok’s inhabitants and inner-Finnmark diocese for the better. Many of Karasjok’s inhabitants would like to use this remarkable church for services such as baptism, confirmation and church weddings

The historical church of Karasjok is an important symbol not only to Karasjok parish, but also to Inner-Finnmark diocese, the Sámi church and society, and to Finnmark County in general. Few churches withstood the Second World War, and Karasjok’s historical church is the oldest of those that did. The church is a historical ‘bridge’ between present and past, and it ought to be more than a museum!

Written by Hilda Vuolab, 18.03.2005

Print this document