Grefsen Church

Grefsen Church (Grefsen kirke) is a Lutheran parish church in Grefsen, a residential neighborhood in the northern part of Oslo, Norway. It is a so-called long church, meaning a building with an elongated nave on a rectangular plan, and it dates from the years just before the Second World War.

What is Grefsen Church?

Grefsen Church serves the local community of Grefsen and its surroundings. It is a place for services, baptisms, weddings and funerals, and a landmark in a district that grew largely during the twentieth century. It is listed as a church in Oslo, Norway, and is one of the many neighborhood churches that shape the city outside its historic center.

When was Grefsen Church built?

The history of the building is a slow one. The parish bought the plot in 1922, but years passed before construction began. On 23 September 1938, Bishop Eivind Berggrav laid the cornerstone. Work then moved on, and the same bishop consecrated the finished church on 3 March 1940. That date is worth noting: the church opened only weeks before Norway was drawn into the war in April 1940, so its earliest years of use fell in a very difficult period.

Who designed Grefsen Church?

The church was designed by Georg Greve, who worked as an architect for the municipality of Oslo. His design follows the long-church form and draws on the Norwegian Romanesque tradition. The Romanesque influence is visible in the overall character of the building, but with a modern twist: instead of the rounded arches typical of the Romanesque style, the window openings are rectangular. This mix of a historic inspiration and a simpler, functional detail is typical of Norwegian church architecture from the 1930s.

Is the church connected to Grefsen cemetery?

Visitors often confuse the two. Grefsen cemetery was laid out earlier, in 1904, together with its own chapel. That chapel stands as a separate building at the other end of the cemetery, while the church was consecrated much later, in 1940. If you are searching for the older burial ground, look for the cemetery rather than the church.

What to know before you go

• Where: Grefsen, a neighborhood in the north of Oslo.
• Type: Lutheran parish church in the long-church form.
• Architect: Georg Greve.
• Consecrated: 3 March 1940 by Bishop Eivind Berggrav.
• Style: Norwegian Romanesque elements with rectangular windows.

Because this is a working parish church, access to the interior depends on services and parish events, so check the parish schedule before planning a visit. Even if the doors are closed, the exterior is worth a short stop for anyone interested in interwar Norwegian architecture.

Frequently asked questions

Who laid the cornerstone of Grefsen Church? Bishop Eivind Berggrav laid it on 23 September 1938.

When was the church consecrated? On 3 March 1940.

Who was the architect? Georg Greve, municipal architect of Oslo.

Is the church in the Romanesque style? It has Romanesque elements, but with rectangular window openings rather than arches.

Is the cemetery chapel the same building? No. The cemetery chapel dates from the cemetery's founding in 1904 and is a separate building.