Church ruins - University museum
The Church Under the Street
In this exhibition, you can experience one of the most interesting church finds in Trondheim. You get insight into a time when Trondheim was the archbishop's seat for the entire Norse cultural area, and people's lives were permeated by the church.
In 2016, remains of a small wooden church was found in Krambugata. The church was probably first erected around the second half of the 11th century, then destroyed several times over the course of about 200 years, only to be rebuilt time and time again.
The church is fascinating in several ways. Many churches were built in Trondheim around the same time, and they were all made of stone and considerably larger. In design, this one resembles the private churches from the missionary era in the 9th century. Churches like that were most often built by magnates, as a strategic means of strengthening their alliance with the advancing Christian kingship. When this church was built, however, the monarchy and Christianity were both well established in Trøndelag, and the religious practice was moving towards a publicly organized system of parish churches.
The church was rebuilt several times through the Middle Ages – each time in wood, which is unusual. A fire in the 14th century marked the end. Although the church was not rebuilt, the altar remained and was protected by a shed or small chapel. Why did the altar from a simple wooden church retain an important function even after the church itself was gone?
We don't know the answer to that question, but it suggests that the altar had a special meaning.
Traces of residential houses from the end of the Viking Age were also found below the oldest remains of the church, which give us an insight into the daily life of Trondheim's very first inhabitants.
Where to find the exhibition:
The exhibition can be found in Krambugata. Free entrance.
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri: 09.00 – 16.00
Sat: 11.00 – 16.00
Sun: Closed
Staff present:
Fri – Sat: 11.00 – 15.00
Would you like a tour?
Contact us by email: skoletjenesten@vm.ntnu.no
It is allowed to arrange a tour with an external guide in the exhibitions, but this must be agreed on in advance. Send an email to kontakt@vm.ntnu.no with the desired date, number of participants and which exhibition you want to guide in.