Hospitalskirken - Frederiksberg kirker Traditional Cache

FREDERIKSBERG HOSPITALS KIRKE - 1893/1951
Arkitekt - Karen Westergård

Den nuværende kirkebygning anvendtes oprindeligt som kapel og sektionsstue. I 1939 blev kapellet overtaget af Frederiksberg Hospital fra Københavns Amts Sygehus, som flyttede ud til Gentofte. I 1951 blev de tidligere skillevægge fjernet og bygningen indrettet til kirke. Inventaret fra den tidligere kirkesal i hospitalets 2. etage blev overflyttet til den nye kirke, og hospitalets sygeplejersker broderede et kortæppe. Overlægerne skænkede et stort trækors over alterbordet, og ved personalets indsamling lykkedes det at købe 75 af de såkaldte Grundtvigsstole.

I 1990-91 blev kirkens alterparti malet i nye farver. I 1993 udskiftedes korset over alteret med et maleri af Sven Havsteen-Mikkelsen, ‘Mødet med den opstandne Kristus’. Korset er dog ikke gemt væk, men hænger nu på væggen midt i kirkens rum. Det tilbyggede præstekontor bruges i dag som kirkens kaffestue og danner ramme om udstillinger.

Da Frederiksberg Hospital blev åbnet i 1903 benyttes et lokale på 2.sal i B-bygningen som kirkesal. Afdelingen er nu revet ned og erstattet af en ny hospitalsfløj. Kirkesalen var ikke indviet som kirke, men man måtte dog holde dåb og nadver.
Den nuværende kirkebygning var en del af ”Københavns Amts Sygehus på Nyelandsvej”, som blev overtaget af Frederiksberg Hospital i 1939. Amtssygehuset havde benyttet bygningen som kapel og sektionsstue. Også Frederiksberg Hospital anvendte bygningen som kapel. Under krigen beslaglagde tyskerne bygningen og efter krigen blev den igen benyttet som kapel for hospitalet. Sidebygningen anvendtes en kort periode som patientbibliotek. Og en overgang disponerede apoteket over lokalet til opbevaring af pladskrævende forbindsstoffer og væskebeholdere.

Efter krigen blev en del bygninger på hospitalsterrænet revet ned og det spørgsmål rejste sig, hvad man kunne anvende det gamle kapel til. Fra flere sider udtaltes ønske om at indrette det gamle kapel til kirke. Efter at sagen havde været drøftet i hospitalsudvalg og kommunalbestyrelse blev ønsket imødekommet. Det frederiksbergske kirkefond trådte økonomisk hjælpende til, så restaureringen og ombygningen kunne påbegyndes i sommeren 1951. En kreds af sygeplejersker dannede et lille ”kirkeudvalg”, der påtog sig opgaven at samle flere midler ind, så kirken kunne få inventar, der svarede til stilen i det nye kirkerum. Lægerne og hospitalets øvrige ansatte blev interesserede i sagen, så foruden det økonomiske udbytte (9000 kr) bidrog sagen til at styrke det gode samarbejde på hospitalet.

En af kommunens arkitekter, Karen Westergård, fik til opgave at indrette kirken. Ud af de gamle støvede rum fik hun et smukt hvidmalet kirkerum til at træde frem. Alternichen blev gul/brun og loftet i nichen svag t blå. Det hvide alter med seks messinglysestager var en smuk kontrast til det blå korsstingstæppe, som sygeplejerskerne havde broderet. I alternichen fik et stort trækors plads – skænket af overlægerne. Og på alterbordet stod to vaser – skænket af sygeplejerskerne. Ned langs midtergangen lå en bred resedagrøn løber vævet af væveren i Høsterkøb.
Af de indsamlede midler blev der også råd til indkøb af 75 stole.
Ved siden af kirkerummet indrettedes et værelse til præsterne. Dette rum fik egen indgang fra haven. Altersølvet samt alter, døbefont, prædikestol og alterskrank medbragte man fra den gamle kirkesal. Ligeså harmoniet, som dog hurtigt blev udskiftet med et lidt større orgel. Over orglet hænger der et lille relief med motiv af Frans af Assisi.

I 1990-91 blev hospitalskirkens tag gennemgribende restaureret. Orglet blev ved samme lejlighed udskiftet til et firstemmigt orgel. Hospitalskirken blev genåbnet den 20.august 1991. Ved kg. resolution af 8. juli 1992 blev der oprettet en stilling som sognepræst ved Godthaabskirken (25%) med forpligtigelse til at betjene Frederiksberg Hospital (75%). Tidligere var tjenesten ved hospitalet gået på skift blandt præsterne i Frederiksberg Provsti. I 1993 blev korset over alteret udskiftet med et maleri udført af Sven Havsteen Mikkelsen. Billedets motiv er mødet med den opstandne Kristus.

Orgelet: Jensen og Thomsen - oprindeligt provstiets reserveorgel - 4 stemmer

FREDERIKSBERG HOSPITAL CHURCH - 1893/1951
Architect - Karen Westergård

The present church building originally was used as a Mortuary or Dissecting Room. In 1939 the Frederiksberg Hospital inherited the Mortuary from the Copenhagen County Hospital when this hospital moved from Frederiksberg to Gentofte. In 1951 the interior of the building was rebuilt to be a Church Room. The inventory from the old Church Room on the second floor of the hospital was moved to the new church, and the resident nurses embroidered a carpet for the choir. The Chief Physicians donated a large wooden cross to hang over the altartable, and 75 Grundtvigsstole (Grundtvig Chairs) was bought for money donated by the staff.

In 1990-91 the Altar-niche was painted in new colours. In 1993 the wooden Cross over the Altar was replaced by a painting by Sven Havsteen-Mikkelsen, 'Meeting the resurrected Christ'. The original cross is by no means stowed away, it has a prominent place on the wall in the middle of the Church Room. Today the appendix is used as a coffee room and even for exhibitions.

When the Frederiksberg Hospital in 1903 was intiated a room on the second floor of the B-building served as a Church Room. Later the building was teared down and replaced by a new Hospital Wing. The Church Room wasn't consecrated as a regular Church, but still baptizing and communion was allowed here.

Originally the present church building was a part of the "Copenhagen County Hospital at Nyelandsvej" and was taken over by the Frederiksberg Hospital in 1939. The County Hospital had used the building as a Mortuary and Dissecting Room, and originally the Frederiksberg Hospital also used the building as a Mortuary. During the war the Germans used the building as an Infirmary and after the war it once again served as the Hospital Mortuary. In a brief period the sidewing of the building served as a patient Library. In another period the hospital pharmacy used the room as a storage room.

After the war some buildings were demolished at the hospital site, and the question was raised if not the old Mortuary could be preserved and be used as a Church. After some debate in the Hospital committe and the City Council the request was granted. The Church Fund of Frederiksberg arranged the financial support in order for the restauration to begin in the summer of 1951. A group of nurses formed a small "Church Committe" that took care of the fund raising in order to acquire some inventory to match the style of the new Church Room. The Physicians and other groups of employed took an interest in the good cause, and beside the fund raised (9000 kr) the good cause contributed to improve the good relations between the various groups of employed at the hospital.

One of the Municipal Architects, Karen Westergård, was assigned the task of decorating the Church. She turned the dusty old rooms into a beautiful whitewashed Church Room. The Altar-niche was painted yellow/brown and the top of the niche in pale blue. The white Altar with the six brass Candelabres formed a nice contrast to the nurses blue Cross-stitch Carpet. In the Altar-niche a large wooden cross was placed – it was donated by the Chief Physicians. On the Altar table two vases was placed – it was donated by the nurses. Down the aisle a reseda green rug was placed which was woven by the weaver of Høsterkøb.

In the Appendix next to the Church Room the clergy had a room. This room had a separate entry from the garden. The Church Silver and the Altar, the Baptismal Font, the Pulpit and the Altar Rail came from the old Church Room. The old harmonium also was placed in the new Church, but soon it was replaced by a somewhat larger organ. Over the organ is hanging a small relief of the Holy Frans of Assisi.

In 1990-91 the roof of the Hospital Church received at major restauration. At the same time the old organ was replaced by a new four voices organ. The Hospital Church was re-initiated on August 20. 1991. By Royal resolution of July 8. 1992 a new position was instigated to a Parish Priest at the Godthaabs Church (25%) with a special commitment to serve at the Frederiksberg Hospital Church (75%). Earlier the service at the hospital had been rotated between the priestes of the Frederiksberg Provsti. In 1993 the Cross over the Altar was replaced by an Altar piece painted by Sven Havsteen Mikkelsen, 'Meeting the resurrected Christ'.

Organ: Jensen and Thomsen - originally the spare organ of the provsti - 4 voices