Brøns church, Tønder Kommune, Sønderjylland

Brøns church, 15 km south of Ribe.

sundial

The church in Brøns is literally one of Denmark's big churches, known as Denmark's largest village church. It is known for its fine Gothic inventory and the unique frescoes. The artist reproduced in his paintings his view of the decay of the Pope church in the 1530s.

The 47 m long whitewashed building stands upon a profiled granite plinth. The church was in the Middle Ages consecrated to Sankt Villads and had a close connection to Ribe cathedral. 

Apse and choir are the earliest, Romanesque from the late 1100s, built in tufa stone.  The nave (in tufa stone) was built in the beginning of the 1200s. The large windows are new, but four Romanesque windows can still be  traced at the northside. In  a window of the nave is a glass painting by J.T.Skovgaard. Choir and nave have a flat beamed ceiling. The apse is covered in a late Gothic rib vault. The beamed ceiling has acanthus decorations from the 1700s.

Upon the northside of the choir is a closed priest-door, but all other original doors have disappeared. The late Gothic tower was built in monk bricks in the late 1400s. It rises 31 m tall with a typical spire (Tørninglen-type).The  present entrance is via the tower room.Here are frescoe-rests in the vault and a Romanesque gravestone in granite with a relief cross.

The little special ridge turret upon the choir is from the Renaissance period. All roof work is original and is signed with runes and the name Didrik.
 




 












Inventory:
Late Renaissance altarpiece is probably carved by the Varde-master Jens Olufsen. The paintings in the fields are original. Upon the gallery 12 apostel figures from a late Gothic triptychon and an organ from 1699, later rebuilt.  In the choir a monstrance-cupboard from ab. 1300s. The Romanesque granite font is somewhat scrapped in 1858, upon the basin are four male heads and diverse ornaments, upon the foot four corner heads. Above the font a sounding board from 1651. Upon a newer beam in the triumph arch a large crucifix group from the late 15th century. A simple Renaissance pulpit. Closed pews from 1730. A late medieval church coffin and an armored moneyblock from the 17th century. Two late Baroque style epitaphs. A Romanesque gravestone in the tower room and ab. 20 gravestones from the 16-18th century. The church was restored in 1961 by architect R. Graae.



Frescoes

 The frescoes in Brøns have a unique place among Danish frescoes. The frescoes upon the northern wall of the church are from the 1530, in the time of the reformation. The inspiration comes from Germany  They are filled with clerical and secular figures dressed in colourful and draped robes from the 1500s. The frescoes in Brøns is a unique document from the time of the reformation . 

 







photo: grethe bachmann
source: Danmarks kirker, Niels Peter Stilling, 2000. - Nordens kirker - Danmarks kirker. dk - wikipedia.