World Heritage Photos

Christiansfeld – A Unique Moravian Church Settlement

Christiansfeld is a unique town in Denmark situated about 15 kilometres south of Kolding. Christiansfeld was founded in 1773 by the Moravian Church, also known as Moravian Brethren or Moravians. The Moravian Church originated in Bohemia and Moravia, and considers itself to be the oldest Protestant Church. They rebelled against the Roman Catholic Church even before Martin Luther. A long period of bitter religious persecution led to the spread of the Bohemians and Moravians, who found refuge in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. Nowadays, the Moravian Church is active all over the world. 

Christiansfeld is the best-preserved Moravian Church Settlement in the world. The town is named after the Danish King Christian VII, who allowed the refugees from Bohemia and Moravia to settle in Jutland. The democratic organisation of the Moravians is expressed in the humanistic town planning. The Moravians built a town with connected architecture; they constructed houses of yellow brick with red tiled roofs. The streets were laid out in a grid pattern and lined with linden trees, which were transported from the Netherlands in 1773. The most important buildings surround the Church Square. Descendants of the very first Bohemian and Moravian inhabitants of Christiansfeld still live there, maintaining their own church and facilities.

Herrnhut, the first settlement of the Moravian Church in Germany, served as the model for the construction of Christiansfeld. The Moravian Church Settlement Christiansfeld was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. The town is located about 55 kilometres from the World Heritage Site in Jelling.

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   Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement, is situated in South Jutland in Denmark. The town was founded in 1773 by the Moravian Church. Herrnhut, the first settlement of this church community in Germany, was used as a traditional model for the construction of Christiansfeld, which is widely considered the best-preserved Moravian Church Settlement in the world. The streets were laid out in a grid pattern, lined with linden trees. The architecture of this unique Danish town is homogeneous and almost unadorned. Many houses are still inhabited by the descendants of the first settlers of Christiansfeld.

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   Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: The 'Kirkepladsen' is the church square. The town was built around this central square, which is surrounded by linden trees. The well supplied Christiansfeld with fresh drinking water coming from a spring outside the town. From this spring, the water was led to the well by an ingenious water supply system. An image of the well appears on the coat of arms of Christiansfeld and is the symbol of the town. The church square is surrounded by the most important buildings, among them the Moravian Church Hall, the 'Salshuset'.

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   Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: The Moravian Church Hall is called the 'Salshuset' in Danish. The building was constructed in 1776 and expanded in 1796. The 'Salshuset' features the largest church hall without supporting columns in Denmark; it can accommodate more than 1,000 people. The interior is kept entirely in white and is simply furnished; there are almost no ornaments to disturb the tranquility and serene ambiance. The Moravian Church is a Protestant Christian denomination.

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   Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: During our visit the 'Salshuset' (Moravian Church Hall) was under renovation. But it was possible to visit the church hall – or choir hall – in the Sisters' House. This worship room is similar to the huge 'Saal' in the Moravian Church building. Worldwide, most Moravian Church Halls resemble each other, being simply furnished in shades of white. The church hall in Christiansfeld bears a strong resemblance to the Moravian hall in Zeist, the Netherlands.

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   Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: The unmarried women lived in the Sisters' House and followed the traditions of the Moravian Church. The adult members of the Moravian Church call themselves Brothers and Sisters. Christiansfeld was originally divided into a section for the Sisters and a section for the Brothers. The Sisters' House dates from 1776. Now, the yellow brick building houses the Moravian Church Museum and also the Christiansfeld Centre. Inside, the staircase features a decorative wrought iron railing.

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   Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: The houses are prime examples of typical Moravian architecture; recognisable by their clean, symmetrical style and characteristic yellow bricks. The town is named after King Christian VII of Denmark; he allowed the Bohemian and Moravian refugees to settle in Denmark in 1773. The members of the Moravian Church, also known as the Moravian Brethren or Hernhutters, were experienced craftsmen and traders and the Danish king needed their expertise. 

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   Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: Briants Hus was the vicarage. The house was built in 1773 for Jonathan Briant, one of the founders of Christiansfeld and the driving force behind the construction of the settlement. The wrought iron railing of the entrance landing is among the finest in the town. Briants Hus is situated on the church square, much like the 'Salshuset' (the Moravian Church Hall). The first house built in Christiansfeld also stands on this square, the social heart of the town.

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   Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: The former pharmacy was built in 1783. The iconic building once housed one of the oldest pharmacies in Denmark. In 1805, the Danish king granted permission to sell medicines here. For many years, the former pharmacy was a café and lunchroom, called 'Det Gamle Apotek', the Old Pharmacy. The historic linden trees, the majority of which had been brought over from the Netherlands in 1773, were affected by rotting, and all of them had to be replaced in 2013. Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015.

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   Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: The 'Enkehuset' was the Widows' House. The building dates from 1780 and was used as the residence for elderly unmarried women and widows. Those who were still capable of doing so engaged in productive handwork. The sisters from the neighbouring Sisters' House cared for the infirm elderly and the widows. The members of the Moravian Church are also called Moravian Brethren or Hernhutters. They founded church communities in many countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany and Suriname. 

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    Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement in Denmark: The Moravian Brethren's Hotel (Brødremenighedens Hotel) was built in 1773. The building served as a guest house for members of the Moravian Church, before being turned into a hotel in the middle of the 19th century. On the front façade is a commemorative plaque to mark the visitsof important royal guests. An important historical event took place in this hotel; the ceasefire agreement between Denmark and Prussia was signed here on 18 July 1864. Under this treaty, a part of Denmark, including Christiansfeld, became German territory until 1920.

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    Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: This picturesque gabled house was built in 1778. It was used as the Night Watchman's House and fire station. Much later, the loccally respected Danish painter Jeppe Madsen Ohlsen, who was born in Christiansfeld in 1891, lived in the house. The first house built in Christiansfeld stands right next to it, at Lindegade 17 (on the right). The foundation stone for this small house was laid on 1 April 1773. It served as a house of prayer until the large  Moravian Church Hall was completed.

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    Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: The Brothers' House was built in 1774. The house was the residence for unmarried men; it also contained several workshops and small factories, whose products were known for their high quality. Christiansfeld is also famous for its honey cakes. The first honey cakes were produced in the bakery of the Brothers' House. Most of the houses in Christiansfeld were built of yellow brick, and almost all featuring gabled roofs covered with red roof tiles.

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    Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement in Denmark: The Moravian Honey Cake Bakery was built in 1782 and is one of the oldest active bakeries in Denmark. Christiansfeld is famous for its honey cakes; they are still baked to a traditional recipe from 1783. The dough for these distinctive, spiced cookies sometimes has to rest for weeks in large vats to develop the right flavour. At a Moravian wedding, the bride and groom would share a honey cake as a symbol of their unconditional togetherness, with the honey representing the wish that their life together would be 'sweet'.

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    Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: The 'Gudsageren' (God's Acre) is the Moravian cemetery; it is laid out in the shape of a cross. According to Moravian traditions, family members are not buried side by side here; women are buried on the right, men on the left. The graves are identical as a symbol that after death all people are equal. All the graves are preserved. The first burial took place in 1774, a little boy who died at sea during the voyage with his parents, who came from the Moravian Church Settlement in Zeist, the Netherlands.

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    Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement: The Reunion Monument on Reunification Square. The stone was erected to commemorate the Reunification of 10 July 1920, when South Jutland was reunited with Denmark after 56 years of Prussian-German rule. A relief on the front side of the memorial depicts an angel wrapping her protective wings around two young women; the symbolic image of Mother Denmark welcoming her 'robbed daughter'. The Moravian Church Settlement of Christiansfeld is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.