News from Denmark 14.08.00
Created | Updated Jun 21, 2003
Historic church has crisis of space
One of the oldest churches in the country has an uncommon problem: too many worshippers.
In contrast to most church leaders in Denmark, Henrik Højlund, minister in the small town of Løsning in eastern Jutland, preaches to a packed congregation Sunday after Sunday. However, even though the church has a capacity of over 200, on occasion he has no choice but to turn some worshippers away because of lack of space.
As a result, the church council has appointed a committee to come up with a solution to the problem. "We have considered either adding an annex onto the church or building a completely new church, and in June we had a meeting with the National Museum and the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs to discuss the problem," church council chairman Elias Meldgaard told daily newspaper Politiken last week.
Løsning church dates back to the 12th century, and is one of the country's oldest. Simple and modest in style, the structure is nevertheless of such cultural and architectural value that enormous care will have to be taken with any construction plans.
"Personally I believe it will be difficult to get permission for an annex, as the National Museum will be against it, which means we're probably looking at building a new church, preferably nearby the existing one, but we're still waiting to see if the committee will come up with any other suggestions. For the time being we're holding two services every other Sunday to try and alleviate the current situation,"Meldgaard said.
The reason for the popularity of the church is first and foremost its location in the so-called 'bible-belt' of eastern Jutland, where the revivalist movement enjoys a particularly strong following.
Jen Ulf Jørgensen of the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs claims it is not that unusual for new churches to be built in Denmark: "After the war quite a lot of new churches were built, mainly in the larger towns in the period from the 1960s to the 1980s. The last few years we have seen an average of about one new church a year being built."
New opera house
A shortlist of sites to house Denmark's new National Opera House is set to be made public this month.
Sites include land adjacent to Tivoli, the new district of Holmen and Sankt Annæ Plads. The Ministry of Culture will set out a number of possible alternative sites, with details of advantages, pitfalls and cost. Although the Tivoli site is believed to have a parliamentary majority, uncertainty remains over what role the Tivoli management would take in the project. Other sites under consideration include Ørestad, Tuborg Harbour and Høje Taastrup.
An Englishman in the lion's den
Ray Hodgson's successful career has seen him coach Malmø, Switzerland, Inter Milan and Blackburn Rovers. Now he is bringing his management skills to perennial also-rans FC Copenhagen.
A gusty training ground at Frederiksberg is a long way from the UEFA and World Cup finals, but Ray Hodgson appears quite at home in his new surroundings. Despite recently turning fifty, he is just as energetic as his players, directing proceedings and issuing orders in the broad London accent that he has not lost on his travels. His players appear relaxed, and despite some wayward shooting, the atmosphere is good. After the session, Hodgson comes across as affable and likeable. Despite his fluency in Swedish, he confirms that English is the chosen language of the training ground.
"Some players, like [Sibusiso] Zuma don't speak Danish," he explains. "Since many Danes understand English just as well as Swedish, this is the language we prefer to use."
Despite being consistently eclipsed by the achievements of local rivals Brøndby, FC Copenhagen continue to attract high crowds, and optimism still abounds. But why did Hodgson, who has been in the European spotlight for so long, opt for a Danish club with no history of glory? Did his former connections in Malmø have any bearing?
"FC Copenhagen came up with this offer, and I accepted it," he says. "There were no nostalgic reasons for me taking this job. It's simply a good club, with good potential."
"The fact is that if you finish near the top of the Danish League you qualify for Europe. Saying that, I have not set myself any specific goals. My aim is simply to do a good job."
Many FCK fans have been disappointed by the fact that their club's current squad has changed little from the outfit that flirted with relegation last season. Indeed, the club's highest-profile summer signing has been its new manager. Hodgson has won the Swedish Championship with Malmø, qualified for the World Cup with Switzerland, and taken Inter Milan to the UEFA Cup Final. With this wealth of experience, how does he rate his current crop of players? Are they good enough to challenge for domestic honours?
"I have a good squad here," he says, "but I am allowed to bring in other players, and I will do if I feel there is a need."
And what about the club's young talent?
"There are one or two, but they still need time to develop. They are ones for the future, and they demonstrate we have a strong squad."
After the stresses of the English Premiership, is he happy to be out of the media glare?
"Actually," he reveals, "I've had more media attention in the last three weeks than I ever did at Blackburn. Italy was a different story, though. It's a lot more frantic over there."
And finally - how does he get on with FCK's controversial chairman, Flemming Østergaard?
"I dunno - I hardly know the guy," Hodgsen smiles. "You'd better ask him."
FC Copenhagen's fans deserve a break. They are keenly aware that their team has a reputation for buckling under pressure, and the club has little silverware to show from its eight years of existence. Whether Hodgson can turn things around is unsure, but his track record is proven, and the club's Parken stadium is grand enough to host the highest European occasion. The team's first major test of nerves will come when FCK face Brøndby on August 27.
