Predikstol med tak, båda rikt utsmyckade och målade i mörka toner och gyllene, hängande från en pelare.
Foto: Mattias Wahlgren

The pulpit

The pulpit in Visby Cathedral is made of oak with a walnut veneer. It was probably produced in northern Germany and imported from Lübeck.

In 1684, councillor Johan Wolters and his wife Catharina provided the church with the magnificent pulpit. Its predecessor from 1548 was sold to Grötlingbo Church on southern Gotland. There, as one of the oldest pulpits in Sweden, it is still used today.

During the 16th century, there was a reformation of the practice of worship. The spoken word became more important and pushed aside other ceremonies that formerly had spoken to more senses. In the late 16th century, the pulpits arrived and they functioned like a loudspeaker system. And voices do carry much farther from the pulpit, in part due to the ceiling which redirects the sound waves.