Herdla Church

Herdla Church (Norwegian: Herdla kirke) is a parish church in Askøy municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is located the small island of Herdla. The church is part of the Herdla parish in the Vesthordland deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

History

First church

The oldest written accounts of this church on Herdla is a letter from Pope Eugenius III in 1146 that mentions "St. Nicholas's Church on Herdla" Latin: Ecclesiam sancti Nicholai de hardle. The church was consecrated Saint Nicholas of Myra, the patron saint of sailors. The church had similarities with Moster Church and Kinn Church, both stone churches without towers. The church belonged under Munkeliv monastery in the nearby city of Bergen. The monastery was founded by King Øystein I Magnusson around 1110. Herdla Church began as a stone church in simple Romanesque style, but was later rebuilt in Gothic style with pointed arches.

Second church

Following storm damage, the church was demolished in 1861 and a larger church was built in 1863. This church burned down in 1934.

Herdla

Herdla is a former municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1871 until 1964 and it encompassed a large group of about 2,000 islands and skerries covering about 115-square-kilometre (44 sq mi) of land area, to the northwest of the city of Bergen. The administrative centre of the municipality was the small island-village of Herdla (island). The municipality included the northern third of the island of Holsnøy, the northern third of the island of Askøy, and the islands of Misje, Turøy, Toftøy, Rongøy, Blomøy, Ona, Bognøy, and many smaller surrounding islands.

Herdla Church (Herdla kirke) dates back to 1863. The stone structure has 600 seats. The original church was demolished in the 19th century because it had too little space for the congregation. During the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, the tower and the roofs were removed because of the belief that the British Royal Air Force used the church to navigate attacks on the west coast of Norway. The church was restored during 1910, 1935 and 1950.

Herdla (island)

Herdla is an island in the municipality of Askøy in Hordaland county, Norway. The 1.6-square-kilometre (0.62 sq mi) island lies just north of the larger island of Askøy and just west of the island of Holsnøy. The island is surrounded by the Herdlefjorden and Hjeltefjorden.

The island of Herdla was part of the municipality of Herdla until 1 January 1964 when it was merged into Askøy. The island has a nature reserve with 220 registered species of birds. During the Second World War, it was the site of Herdla Airport and some coastal fortifications. Herdla Church is located on the island.

Air base and coastal fortifications

During the Second World War, all of Herdla was in effect a military base for the German Luftwaffe. The flat area "Herdlevalen" was considered a good place for an airport. The air base at Herdla was important to defend the west coast of Norway against Allied attacks. Many fortifications were built to hinder possibly invading forces. All civilians had to leave the island. In 1945, they came back to an island full of military installations.