Ullern Church

Ullern Church (Ullern kirke) is a Romanesque stone church in the Ullern borough on the western side of Oslo, finished in 1903. Built on a cross-shaped plan and crowned by a heavy central tower, it still serves as an active parish church of the Church of Norway.

Who built Ullern Church, and when?

The church was completed in 1903 on the former Holgerslyst property. Georg Andreas Bull, Oslo's city surveyor, drew the first plans, and Johan Storm Munch reworked them in 1899. Soon afterwards the drawings were destroyed when the farm housing Munch's office burned down. The commission passed to Harald Bødtker, newly hired as municipal architect of Aker, who gave the building its final form.

What does the exterior look like?

The church follows a cruciform Romanesque layout. A square central tower with three windows on each side rises above the crossing, topped by a tall copper-clad hip roof. The stone walls give the building a sturdy, austere presence. Inside, seating for roughly 800 makes it one of the larger parish churches in the area.

What is worth seeing inside?

The finest feature is the fresco The Ascension by Eilif Peterssen, painted in 1908–1909 in the choir apse, in close collaboration with Domenico Erdmann. A marble baldachin stands over the altar, and Bødtker himself designed the pulpit. The baptismal font was supplied by Johs Grønseth & Co. Several artists contributed the stained glass, among them Gabriel Kielland and Karl Kristiansen.

The churchyard

Ullern kirkegård, the cemetery beside the church, is the resting place of several well-known Norwegians, including children's author Thorbjørn Egner, as well as Håkon Christie, Chrix Dahl, Carl Otto Løvenskiold and Nic Schiøll.

Practical information

• Location: Ullern borough, Oslo, around 59.925° N, 10.655° E.
• Affiliation: Ullern parish, Vestre Aker deanery, Diocese of Oslo, Church of Norway (Lutheran).
• Style: Romanesque, cruciform plan, stone construction.
• Capacity: about 800 seats.

Frequently asked questions

Is the church still in use? Yes, it remains a working parish church with regular services.

Who designed it? Harald Bødtker, municipal architect of Aker, building on earlier work by Georg Andreas Bull and Johan Storm Munch.

What is the main artwork inside? Eilif Peterssen's fresco The Ascension in the apse.

Is it the same as Ullern Church in Sør-Odal? No. That red brick church from 1869 stands in Innlandet county and is an entirely separate building.

Can I visit the cemetery? Yes, the churchyard holds the graves of many notable Norwegians and can be visited with respect for those buried there.