The Bruks Church in Österbybruk

The Bruks Church in Österbybruk, built in 1735, is part of the manor complex, and is oriented north-south. The church is built in the late Carolingian style with farmhouse style roof and oval gables. The roof is tiled with shingle and tarred black. The outer walls are plastered and then coated with iron vitriol. Originally the church did not have any west facing windows, having only four east facing windows looking out towards the courtyard. - The church entrance is on the north side.  The door frames are made from red marble and on the grey painted double doors are mirrors that are very robust. - On the south side in the direction of the manor house, there was once a door that has now been built over. When the manor house was occupied, this was the door that the nobility used.  

THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH

Following an entrance hall with staircase to the gallery, then a cloak roor and a vestry, you enter the church through a door. This room is simple with a rectangular shape and whitewashed walls. The walls are bordered with heavy moulded marble ledge that frames the walkway to the moulded mirrored arch. The ceiling is painted grey and has individual light clouded patterns and stars on it. The benches are all in one area and have screens and doors to them. They were renovated in 1953 to match the design of church furnishings. The altar and the communion rail are older, but in the 2006 renovation they were furnished in a matching style. During this renovation a children´s corner was also created as well as an area for lighting candles in the rear part of the church. 

THE ORGAN GALLERY

The organ gallery can be found above the entrance hall in the northerly part of the church hall. The center area of the gallery has been made to stand out somawhat as it is supported by four columns. The barrier to the gallery is grey with greygreen mirrors and gildid moulded frames separated by flower garlands.

On the front side of the bar- rier you can see the crest of the family Grill coat of arms - a crane on a circular shield, bordered with  gilded flower garland. Round the crest you can see the organ pipes of the rückpositif.

THE ORGAN was built by Johannes Mentzel 1984. It has 32 pipes, three manuals and one pedal. It fits in the size and space of the church in order to bee used both for church services and as a concert instrument. Mentzel designed the facade of the organ together with cantor Ingemar Nordin.  

THE PULPIT 

gets its character through the sloping sides and the pulpit basket´s steep inwards sloping under- sectionwith protruding panels.. Each side has a filded moulded mirror.  Also gilded are cherub heads, garlands plus haloes on the wall panel. The pulpit originates from 1736. The cost of the pulpits and in fact the whole church was funded by Jan Jacob De Geer. 

The roof of the pulpit is crowned by the De Geer family crest, which is accompanied by two lions.

THE DEPOSITION FROM THE CROSS

Copy from Lars Gottman in roughly 1750, taken from the painting of Jean Jouvenet in 1698.

The altar panel is an oil painting on canvas that is ca 4 meters high and 2.7 metres wide. The detailed handworked frames are mostly made from smooth wooden blocks. 

The cross, from which Christ has been taken down, is shown diagonally in the corner of the picture. Five strong men help take Him down. Joseph of Arimathea and a disciple spread the shroud on the ground. In the background to the left you can see three mourning women, Mary, mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene and to the right another person. 

Gottman probably created this painting from an impression of a copper engraving in black and white. The copy is a mirror image and the colours do not correspond to the original, that can be seen in the Louvre in Paris.

THE HYMN BOARDS  

Both of the hymn boards are large and thickset and also gilded. The left one dates from roughly 1750 and the right is a plaster copy from 1904.

CHRIST AND THE TAXING OF THE PHARISEES  

Oil on canvas. Copy by an unknown artist from an original by Peter Paul Rubens. 

Taken from the Gospel according to Matthew 22:16-21. The Pharisees tried to question Jesus about the topic of tax payment. Jesus then looked at the coin minted by the emperor and said: ”So give to the emporer what belongs to the emperor  and God what belongs to God.” 

The painting is a mirror image in contrast to the original, which is displayed in San Francisco. The colours here, in contrast, match relatively well to the original from  1612. The copy probably is from about 1700. 

THE BAPTISMAL FONT is made from wood from a drawing by  the architect Cyrillos Johansson and was erected in conjunction with the 1954 church renovation. The font was painted by the artist Gustav Ampe. The baptism bowl is produced by Österbybruk steelworks from rustfree steel.

ISAAC BLESSES JACOB

Oil painting signed by Iohannes de Hemessen, meaning that it was painted in the village of Hemessen, near Antwerp, by Jan Sanders (1500-1558).

The picture is an illustration of the first book of Genesis (27) where Jacob, helped by his mother Rebekah, received  blessing from his near-blind father Isaac, that was in fact meant for his brother Esau. 

The painting that in fact belonged to the Emperor Rudolph II i Prague, was stolen by the Swedes as loot during the Thirty Years War. Queen Kristina probably holds responsibility for the theft. Over time, the work of art ended up with relations of the De Geer family, who then hung the painting on the walls of the Österbybruk church.

THE LIGHTING

Six chandeliers made from bohemian crystal and pewter created by Cyrillos Johansson together with a walllight, (one of many made in 1953) light up the church.

The church is open to visitors in conjunction with services and prayer. Outside of this times, please contact the rectory on Tel: +46(0)295 244060.

© Gunnar Ahlbäck and Dannemorabygdens församling