Chandelier from 1779

The largest brass chandelier in St. Jørgen’s Church was gifted to the church in 1779 by the owners of the farms Årstad and Møllendal, both belonging to Årstad parish. This was no coincidence as, from 1749 to 1886, St Jørgen’s Church also served as the parish church for the 16 farms that belonged to Årstad parish.

Those living in the parish were supposed to use Birkeland Church in Fana, but that constituted a long and arduous journey, and they wrote that it was almost impossible to get there with childbearing women, old people and young children. 

Some of the parishioners had already used the hospital’s church, and Årstad parish applied to belong to St. Jørgen’s. The hospital chaplain agreed, and the royal rescript of 25 April 1749 decreed that St. Jørgen’s Church would serve as parish church for the Årstad congregation and its clergyman – ‘the men of Aarstad’s permanent spiritual adviser’. 

We know that those living on the various farms in Årstad had their own pews, as was the custom in other churches.

The inscription on the chandelier reads: PRESENTED BY. NU. AARESTADS. AND MØLLENDAHLS. OWNERS. HANS. MOLLE. AND. WIFE. KAREN. DOROTHEA. MOLLE. NE. VON. DER. LIPPE. AND MADAME. CHRISTINE. SAL. HENRICH. JØRGERS. NE. DE. MOLLE. TO. ST. JØRGEN’S. HOSPITAL’S CHURCH: IN THE YEAR 1779.

Chandelier deconstructed for cleaning.
Photo: Bergen City Museum.