Røldal Stave Church, Norway

Røldal Stave Church

There were several goals for the Norway segment of our European trip planned for last year but postponed until this year due to a broken leg.  At the top of the list was visiting with cousins and seeing places where my father’s mother and her family lived.  Also near the top was the desire to visit at least one of the remaining Stave Churches.  Long ago there were 900 or more of these churches all built between 1100 to 1300 but many have burned, been destroyed by time and rot, the lumber reused, or otherwise not sustained leaving only about 28 considered as national treasures.  On this trip we were fortunate to see two of these churches.  One was the Røldal church in Hordaland, Norway that is open to the public and is still used as a church, the other was the Gol Stave Church at the Folk Museum in Oslo.  We stopped at Røldal to visit the church on the trip down the west coast of Norway from Ørsta where a cousin lives to Hornnes in the Setesdal where there are many more cousins.  There will be separate posts about the Folk Museum and the cousins.

The Røldal church was built in 1275 AD toward the end of the time when stave churches were constructed.  Because of this and also because it does not look quite like other stave churches some speculate that it is perhaps a post church instead but today it is listed as one of the remaining stave churches.  Unlike many of the more ornate churches we saw this one is not full of gold gilt but it is covered inside with paintings, designs and pictures.  There have been numerous repairs, renovations and restorations to the Røldal church so it does not look exactly as it did originally. 

Crucifix, ca 1250

This is a Pilgrim church and is located on an old pilgrim route that was used during the Middle Ages.  At some point in time the pilgrimages were discontinued but in 2003 a group of people began to revitalize the pilgrim’s way and since then a pilgrim’s walk takes place each year on July 6 the old Midsummer.  In olden times this church was a place where afflicted persons would come for healing.  Those that were healed made generous donations to the church.  The crucifix shown in the photo above is from approximately 1250.  During the mass on Midsummer Eve the crucifix was said to “sweat” with curing effect. 

There are a few legends about the church and the crucifix that were passed down orally for generations.  Today it is hard to tell what kernel of truth there might be in any of the stories but the fact that they were deemed important enough to pass along seems to suggest something happened here to make this a holy place.  In the beginning there was a controversy about where the church should be built.  Once the site on the south side of the river had been agreed upon the lumber was stacked up ready to begin construction but during the night it moved to the north side.  The people of the community took this sign as a miracle and built the church at the new north site. 

One story about the crucifix says that an old blind man and a young boy were out fishing in the fjord when the line caught on something heavy.  When they pulled the line in they found the crucifix.  It was very heavy and they could not get it into the boat.  After much effort the old man wiped the sweat out of his eyes and had his sight restored.  He realized that it was the crucifix that had caused the healing to occur and he promised to give it to a church.  He named several churches but the crucifix was still too heavy to pull into the boat.  Finally he named Røldal and the crucifix became so light that it almost entered the boat by itself.  The old man and several others then took it to the church and put it up where it is now.   Another legend says that the crucifix was found in the mountains. 

Early pilgrims were convinced that if they could get a little of the sweat from the crucifix and apply it to a sick or crippled person it would cause a healing.  The crucifix was taken down off the wall during the Midsummer Eve service.  Crowds of pilgrims met at the church, many had to wait outside for their turn to take a small cloth and gather a bit of the sweat.  While they waited they would sometimes carve their bumerke or signature mark in the church wall.  Also there were small knotholes that could be opened to allow a view into the chapel so those waiting could see and participate in the service and healings even though there was no room inside for everyone.  The docent told us that since the service was held in the summer it probably got very hot inside the church and moisture collected on the statue to drip off and this was interpreted as the healing sweat. 

Bumerke or signature marks carved on the wall

One of the peepholes

Here are a few more pictures from the interior of the church.  Notice all the beautiful artwork that covers almost every available space.

Several people came into the church to look around while we were visiting.  The docent took extra time to explain things to us.  I am not sure if that was because we were American visitors or if it was because Hans is a retired architect and had shown interest in parts of the building.  For whatever reason we were very grateful and felt like we got special treatment.

The new organ.  The paintings show various saints.

The ceiling

On the wall—the front piece dating from 1340 showing the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ.

The altarpiece painted by Gotfrid Hendtzschell in 1629. 

 

The soapstone font dates from the 1200s.

Gotfrid Hendzschell also painted the pulpit that was added.  The pulpit was more important in the Lutheran church than when the church was Catholic.  The church was originally a Catholic church that changed to Lutheran following the Reformation.

Decorative pew dividers

Another view of the outside of the church, wall and graveyard

For more information, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%B8ldal_Stave_Church

Note:

We also purchased a small booklet, "The Røldal Church, Pilgrim Church" published by the Røldal parochial church council 6 July 2008, about the church while we were there that has many of the details shared here. 

Ducks in a row . . .

Each month our dance group has a potluck business meeting that is really more like lots of food followed by a short announcement of upcoming dances and events, usually a humorous song, then games like Mexican Train, Pinochle, and Rummy Cube.  In the summer; however, there is an extra event -- a rubber duck race in a small stream.  Ducks and other items of all sizes congregate and wait the magic moment when they are swept into the stream and the race to the finish line starts.  The large ducks often get stuck under the low bridges but that is offset by the small ducks getting entangled in the grass and weeds along the sides of the stream.  One person has to stand with a garden rake to dislodge the stuck ducks and another person is positioned at the finish line to catch the ducks as they rush past so none are lost forever downstream.  Usually the race is over much too soon and a second or third race is suggested to see if the results are the same.

Mr. Buttons

This year we had a special duck to enter in the race, Mr. Buttons.  When we stayed at the Classic Hotel Wien in Vienna, Austria we noticed that they were selling rubber ducks called Mr. Buttons.  This duck looked like a bellboy complete with suitcase and cute red cap.  We approached the desk and explained that we wanted to buy a duck to enter in the duck race.  This announcement was met with disbelief at first then much laughter.  We were given the duck at no cost with the request to send photos of the race to the hotel, hence this little report complete with pictures and our thanks to the wonderful hotel staff.

The contestants lined up for a photo shoot before the race begins.

The spectators enjoying a picnic before the races

Ducks in a row--the contestants begin to line up

And they’re off . . .

For a while it looked like the big duck wearing sunglasses would win but then . . .

Low bridge!  The big duck is stuck and the little ones are trying to get past . . .

And the winner is . . .  Mr. Buttons!

From left to right as they cross the finish line . . .

Note:  

This was the second race.  Mr. Buttons placed 2nd in the first race – the mini marshmallow won.  The marshmallow had shrunk in size and finished fourth or fifth in the 2nd race then it escaped downstream never to be seen again.
 
Also this race is much smaller than the Quincy, California rubber duck race held at family reunions on Spanish Creek where ducks are decorated ahead of the race by both children and adults then taken upstream and let go.   All the attendees wait at the cabin cheering on favorites and watching to see which one will cross the finish line first.  That race is also held in July but we missed it this year.  There have been controversial winners, at least on one occasion. 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 151

 SchafbergBahn, 1939

 Reverse

We did and saw so many things on our month long trip that it is difficult to pick and choose what to share.  One day we walked down the pedestrian only area in Salzburg, Austria and came to a shop called Nostalgie.  Outside the store the owners had placed tables with lots of interesting items including some shoe boxes full of old postcards.   Bob struck up a conversation with the owners while I started going through the hundreds of cards.  I bought a few cards and went back to this same shop several more times, even on one occasion taking my French friend who came to visit us from Italy.  Not a hardship since we share an interest in old postcards and stamps. 

The postcard above is dated 1939, showing a picture the SchafbergBahn a railway that runs from Sankt Wolfgang, in the Lake District located not too far from Salzburg, to the top of Schafberg.  The card has a divided back and is identified as a C. Jurifchek or Jurisschek* publication from Salzburg, Edile Photograhie.  This company produced many postcards of scenic Austria, some in color most in black and white or sepia tones. 

We took a day trip driving from Salzburg to the small village of Sankt Gilgen, once there taking a boat to Sankt Wolfgang and then getting on the steam engine train like the one on the postcard riding the cog or rack railway up the very steep mountainside for 5.85 km or 3.6 miles.  The end of the line is approximately 5,850 feet or 1,783 meters elevation. 

The railway started operation in 1893 and still uses the same type of push engine today although only a couple are steam powered the rest are diesel.  It is a bumpy ride to the top with the train stopping on a side rail part way up to let the down car pass.  The views are stunning all the way up and once at the top many lakes, tiny villages, mountains, and rugged scenery greet the eye.

Here are a few pictures of what it looks like in 2014.

First we took a boat like this one across the lake from Sankt Gilgen to Sankt Wolfgang.  The water is the most incredible green-blue color.

Sailboat on the lake

This is the end destination “Schafberg”

Church at Sankt Wolfgang

This is the steam train that will take us up the mountainside.  The engine pushes the two cars up the steep grade instead of pulling them so the cars cannot accidentally separate and roll back down.  It might also be more efficient to push rather than pull.

The train is attached to this cog or rack instead of a regular train track.

Views from the train window

Looking down on the train from the summit as it starts the return trip back to Sankt Wolfgang

Views from the top looking out to the lakes in the distance

Signpost with distances to other places

This is "The Sound of Music" country and we encountered several tour groups that were specifically visiting places from the movie.  One group of Japanese women began singing the "Do Re Mi" song at the top of Schafberg.  As the sound of their singing echoed around the mountaintop it was a good thing they had decent voices as all the rest of us were being entertained.  More about this cute group of tourists in a future entry.

For more information, please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schafberg_Railway


......................................................................................................................................
Note:

It is hard to tell from the small print on the reverse of the card whether it should be Jurifchek or Jurisschek (Jurißchek) and it appears both ways in listings of old postcards for sale, hence the confusion in identifying the company.

Stolpersteine

Our trip was divided into two parts.  The first half was in Norway, the second half was in Austria.  But some things stood out to me not necessarily in chronological order so I have chosen to share parts of the trip randomly. 

Vienna, Austria

We found these small, 10 cm or 4” square, brass covered plaques on the sidewalks in Vienna and in Salzburg but I have since learned that they can be found in many European countries and cities and although they number about 45,000 at the present time more and more of them are being added as the necessary information is collected.  What are they?  They are call Stolpersteine, literally "stumbling stones" in English, and are monuments created by Gunter Demnig to commemorate victims of the Holocaust.  They are most often placed in the sidewalks by the houses or apartments where the victims lived before they were arrested, imprisoned and often later killed but some of the plaques also identify victims who survived.  The individuals named were consigned by the Nazis to prisons, euthanasia facilities, sterilization clinics, concentration camps and extermination camps.  The majority of people represented were Jewish but there were also Sinti and Romani people, sometimes called gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, black people, Christians who opposed the Nazis, the mentally and physically disabled and military deserters. 

Salzburg, Austria

Each square contains the name, year of birth and fate, dates of deportation and death if known.  The top line “Hier wohnte” “here lived” can be found on most of the memorials though some of them are installed at places of employment rather than a residence.  Each memorial costs €120 or about $163 as of 2012 with donations by collections, individuals, school classes, witnesses and communities to cover the cost of each square.    It is hard to describe the feeling when first noticing them.  We found these small memorials to be so extremely moving and poignant, more so because of their size and location, than a larger memorial might seem.  It made the people whose names appeared on them come alive.  Each time we saw one we stopped and read the names.  On one morning walk we saw where someone had placed fresh flowers by a brass square.  Another apartment building had multiple squares indicating that an entire family had been arrested, separated and sent to different camps, all had perished.   I only took photos of a few of them but we saw perhaps 100 or more with many of them clustered in certain neighborhoods.

Salzburg, Austria

Gunter Demnig started the project in 1992, 50 years after the decree to deport gypsies to extermination camps was signed by Heinrich Himmler.  It has been a private project that has grown and is still growing with help from other individuals.  Much of the information for the stones comes from schools, relatives, various organizations and the data base of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.  One thing I thought was interesting was the reason behind the name of the cobblestone sized plaques.  It used to be the custom in Germany for non-Jews to say, when they stumbled over a protruding stone:  “There must be a Jew buried here.”  Joseph Pearson a Cambridge historian also observed that “It is not what is written on the stolpersteine which intrigues . . . it is the emptiness, void, lack of information, the maw of the forgotten, which gives the monuments their power and lifts them from the banality of a statistic."

Salzburg, Austria

For additional information, please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolperstein
http://articles.philly.com/2013-05-20/news/39371786_1_nazi-victims-stones-plaques
http://www.kcblau.com/tag/holocaust/
http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/places/andreas-kluth/stumbling-over-past?page=full

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 150

Norwegian coins, ca 1910

I found this card a few years ago showing the coins from Norway and their exchange values at the time the card was published.   Looking closely at them it is possible to see coins dated, 1875, 1892 and 1899.   The postcard is unused with no date but since the two gold coins are found on the card and they were discontinued in 1910 it seems likely that the published date would be slightly before 1910.

The krone or crown was introduced in 1875 when Norway joined the Scandinavian Monetary Union that had been established two years earlier in 1873.  The krone was a replacement for the Norwegian speciedaler with 4 kroner equal to 1 speciedaler.  The Monetary Union was dissolved in 1914 but Denmark, Norway and Sweden decided to keep the names for their separate currencies.  Originally within the Union the krone was on a gold standard but that was abandoned permanently in 1931.  During German occupation in World War II the krone was linked to the Reichsmark at the rate of 1 krone equaling 0,6 Reichsmark.  After the war the krone had a fixed rate of exchange until 1992 when the Norges Bank abandoned the fixed exchange rate in favor of a floating exchange rate or managed float . 

In 1875 there were coins in denominations of 10 and 50 øre and 1 and 10 kroner with the corresponding previous currency also indicated on the coins.  The last gold coins were issued in 1910 and in 1920 silver was replaced by cupro-nickel.  Between 1917 and 1921 iron temporarily replaced bronze.  Also in 1917 the 2 kroner coins were discontinued.  One krone was equal to 100 øre.  Today the øre has been retired and coins are issued in 1, 5, 10 and 20 kroner values.  The present day exchange rate does not vary much and is currently approximately 5.8 kroner equal to one U.S. dollar.

For additional information and pictures see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_krone

Another "Lock Bridge" - Salzburg, Austria

We got home on the 4th of July and felt like the Fireworks were a welcoming salvo for weary travelers.  The time difference meant that we arrived one hour after we left Frankfurt, Germany even though we had been in the air for 10 ½ hours.  Several days later we are still not completely back to a normal sleep/wake cycle but little by little things are getting put in order.

Two years ago when I returned from France I put up a blog entry about the Lock Bridge in Paris.  Imagine my delight and surprise when we found a similar bridge in Salzburg, Austria.  Unlike Paris, where the city tries to discourage the placing of these locks on the bridges, Salzburg seems to have embraced the idea.  There were vendors near the bridge that sold the padlocks and even offered an engraving service.  We noticed that many of the locks had initials or names engraved on them.  Not as many strings or ribbons attached to the locks as on the bridge in Paris but there were a few.  Most of the locks were small and in a variety of different colors.  Both sides of the bridge were equally covered in locks.  We saw several people stop and look at them, read the names, smile and walk the rest of the way across the bridge. 

This same bridge hosts a project by the University of Salzburg that posts information about the city history and changes the display banners each month.  The banners on the bridge during the time we were there told of the immigrants’ story; how young men and women came into Salzburg around the mid 1900s looking for work, young women primarily getting jobs in the food and hotel industries, the young men working in shops or industry.   The narrative explained how they found work, the places where they lived and why they decided to stay.  Part of one of the banners can be seen at the upper right side of the photo at the top of this page.  Since some of these immigrants met and fell in love, then stayed in Salzburg, it seemed especially fitting that the banners were on this particular “love” bridge.

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 149

Rooftop flight re-enactment

Ford Depot Hack & 1932 WACO UBF Airplane

One of the places we visited on the recent trip to the Columbia Gorge in Oregon was the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River.  It is a huge hanger filled with restored cars and planes and a few motorcycles as well.  As usual I picked up several postcards including the two shared today. 

The upper card shows a re-enactment of the 1912 Rooftop Flight and was performed by Tom Murphy in an early Curtiss Pusher replica off the roof of the Multnomah hotel in downtown Portland, Oregon.  The original stunt was by Silas Christopherson and took place on the same rooftop.  All the planes, cars, motorcycles and other vehicles in the museum are in working condition and are tested monthly. 

The Curtiss Pusher was an airplane introduced in 1911 that had the engine and propeller behind the pilot’s seat.  It was one of the first planes to be built in any quantity.  It was a biplane (double wings) and had a wheeled tricycle undercarriage.  It was also the first plane that could takeoff and land on the deck of a ship.  It was mostly constructed of wood and used ailerons thus avoiding the wing patent restrictions established by the Wright brothers.

The lower card has both a 1914 Model T Depot Hack and a 1932 WACO UBF airplane.  The planes and cars in the museum are in beautiful restored condition for the most part but there are also examples of what they looked like before restoration so one can get an idea of the amount of time and effort is needed to put them back into mint condition. 

I wondered why the car was called a Depot Hack and found an article about the “Short History of Station Wagons in the USA” on-line (see link below).  The first station wagons were called Depot Hacks because they were used around train depots as taxicabs or hacks.  They were slightly larger than regular cars and had space for passengers and luggage so they were hired to carry people and cargo to and from railroad stations.  In 1910 Ford began selling just the chassis to independent manufacturers who added a wooden wagon body to make the Depot Hack.  The price was $700.  A few years later Ford began making the complete vehicle this way also.  The term station wagon had replaced “depot hack” by 1929.

The beautifully restored 1932 blue WACO UBF airplane was one of those built in Troy Ohio.  The Weaver Aircraft Company of Ohio later to become Waco Aircraft Company built planes between 1919 and 1947.  This same company made large numbers of military gliders for both the RAF and the US Army Air Forces during World War II. 

For additional information see

http://www.waaamuseum.org/
http://www.stationwagon.com/history.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_Model_D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_Aircraft_Company