King, Church and Aristocracy.

Christianity and Church in the early Middle Ages V
Overview

Vor Frue Kirke, Århus

The alliance between church and royal power broke down ab. 1250. The closters could be used to place difficult members of the royal house. But the church however refused any intervention from the king.The archbishop reserved his right to appoint bishops, and when the king still intervened, the bishop soon supported the royal sidelines in their claim for the throne.The archbishops Jacob Erlandsen in the 1250s and since Jens Grand in ab. 1300 were the strongest representatives for the church. Both parts became loosers in the end.


Støvringgård Kloster, Randers amt

Another political power group ,the aristocracy, advanced on the other hand. The magnates - who in the 1100s were busy building churches - became an independent political factor. There were no use of private fortification-churches anymore. Now it was about protecting and fortificating one's house and govern one's land with as little intervention from the king as possible. The coronation charter 1282 and the regicide in 1286 were the evidences of the independence of the class.

When the church building gradually stopped, it was not caused by the common disadvantage of the period, but simply that the need of churches in the parishes was covered. Few churches were built now, and at Lolland the wooden churches were re-placed late. In return the cities seemed to grow after the Gothic town-churches were built after 1300.

Next: Rebuild and Union.

photo: grethe bachmann