Ribe Cathedral

Ribe Cathedral or Our Lady Maria Cathedral (Danish: Ribe Domkirke or Vor Frue Maria Domkirke) is located in the ancient city of Ribe, on the west coast of southern Jutland, Denmark. It was founded in the Viking Era as the first Christian church in Denmark by Ansgar, a missionary monk from Hamburg, under permission of the pagan King Horik I. The cathedral has experienced several damaging events throughout its long history and has been restored, expanded and decorated repeatedly. As it stands today, Ribe Cathedral is the best preserved Romanesque building in Denmark, but reflects a plethora of different architectural styles and artistic traditions. It ranks among the biggest tourist attractions in Denmark and has been awarded two stars in the Michelin guide.

History

Ribe is Denmark's oldest surviving city. Ribe began as an open trading market on the north bank of the Ribe River where it runs into the North Sea. Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, Germans, Frisians, English and other cultures occasionally brought exchange goods here from all parts of northwestern Europe. The landscape around Ribe is flat, wind-blown and sandy, without any particular natural harbour, but in former times, boats could enter the river from the sea and reach the town. By the late Medieval period, the natural sedimentation processes of the Wadden Sea had closed that option. Ribe Market was sanctioned by either King Angantyr (Ongendus) or King Harald Hildetand as early as 705. In the Viking Era, Ribe was a bustling international trade center, making it an ideal starting point for Christian missionaries from Hamburg to initiate the process of the Christianization of Scandinavia.

Harald Klak, king in Jutland, was forced in to exile by his King, Horik I and fled to Germany to get help from Louis the Pious, King of the Franks. Louis the Pious put off Harald's request and offered him the Dukedom of Frisia as a consolation prize, if he would become Christian. Harald agreed and was baptized along with his wife, family and "four hundred Danes" in his company. Harald returned to Denmark in 826 in an attempt to...