There are several long-established Nordic churches in London. All seek to provide

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

Christian worship and pastoral care to their respective national communities in their own languages. Many of the churches also organise language classes and organise a wide range of social activities.

Danish Church

The church is at 4 Saint Katharine's Precinct, Regent's Park, London NW1 4HH (off

Albany Street Albany Street is a road in London running from Marylebone Road to Gloucester Gate following the east side of Regent's Park. It is about three-quarters of a mile in length. History The street was laid out during the 1820s, and takes its name ...

) (). The nearest

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The ...

stations are Camden Town or

Great Portland Street Great Portland Street in the West End of London links Oxford Street with Albany Street and the A501 Marylebone Road and Euston Road. A commercial street including some embassies, it divides Fitzrovia, to the east, from Marylebone to the west. ...

. The building is the former Anglican chapel of St Katharine's Hospital, which retains its original dedication to Saint Katharine, and was built in 1826–8. The architect was

Ambrose Poynter Ambrose Poynter (16 May 1796 – 20 November 1886) was a British architect. He was one of the founding members of the Institute of British Architects in 1834. Early life Born in London on 16 May 1796, he was second son of Ambrose Lyon Poynter ...

. It has been Grade II* listed since 1954. The Danish Seamen's Mission in London is based at 322 Rope Street,

Rotherhithe Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of D ...

(). There is also a Danish Church in Hull (the St Nikolaj Danish Seamen's Church at 104 Osborne Street) (). The London and Hull congregations are both part of the ''Danske Sømands og Udlands Kirker (DSUK)'' - The Danish Church Abroad / Danish Seamen's Church. The DSUK was founded in 2004 through the merger of The Danish Church Abroad and The Danish Seamen's Church in Foreign Ports. The DSUK is affiliated to the Evangelical Lutheran

Church of Denmark The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark ( da, Folkekirken, literally: "The People's Church" or unofficially da, Den danske folkekirke, literally: "The Danish People's Church"; kl, ...

. From 1696 to 1870 there was a Danish church in

Wellclose Square Wellclose Square is a public square in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, between Cable Street to the north and The Highway to the south. The western edge, now called Ensign Street, was previously called Well Street. The southern edge was ca ...

. It was built by

Caius Gabriel Cibber Caius Gabriel Cibber (1630–1700) was a Danish sculptor, who enjoyed great success in England, and was the father of the actor, author and poet laureate Colley Cibber. He was appointed "carver to the king's closet" by William III. Biograph ...

who was born in Denmark. His wooden figures of Moses and

Saint John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

were taken from the original church and placed in St Katharine's.

Finnish Church

The

Finnish Seamen's Mission The Finnish Seamen's Mission ( fi, Suomen Merimieskirkko ry, sv, Finlands Sjömanskyrka rf) was established in 1875. It was established to help Finns travelling abroad, particularly seafarers and migrant workers. It is a Christian organisation whi ...

and church ''(Suomen Merimieskirkko, Finlands Sjömanskyrka)'' is at 33 Albion Street,

, London, SE16 (). The current rector is Revd Marjaana Härkönen. The church also has a shop selling Finnish products and has hostel accommodation for visitors to London. The London church and mission was first established in 1882, when the Finnish port chaplain who had been sent to Hull in 1880 was relocated south because of the level of work demanded in London. The present church building was opened in 1958 and refurbished in 2006; its distinctive architecture is recognised as a

Grade II listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...

. The architect was Cyrill Mardall-Sjöström.

Rotherhithe railway station Rotherhithe is a station on the East London Line located on the southern bank of the River Thames at Rotherhithe within the London Borough of Southwark, Greater London and is served by London Overground services. The station is between and , ...

(on the

London Overground London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, (via archive.org). it now serves a large part of Greater London as w ...

) is nearby (on Brunel Road). The nearest alternative is

Canada Water Canada Water is an area of the Docklands in south-east London. It is named after a freshwater lake and wildlife refuge. Canada Water tube, Overground and bus station is immediately north of the lake, along with Canada Water Library which ov ...

station on the

Jubilee line The Jubilee line is a London Underground line that runs between in east London and in the suburban north-west, via the Docklands, South Bank and West End. Opened in 1979, it is the newest line on the Underground network, although some secti ...

. It is also possible to take bus routes 381 or C10 to Rotherhithe station. The approach ramp to the

Rotherhithe Tunnel The Rotherhithe Tunnel, designated the A101, is a road tunnel under the River Thames in East London, connecting Limehouse in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets north of the river to Rotherhithe in the London Borough of Southwark south of the ...

is immediately behind the church (between Albion Street and Brunel Road). The

Brunel Engine House The Brunel Museum is a small museum situated at the Brunel Engine House, Rotherhithe, London Borough of Southwark. The Engine House was designed by Sir Marc Isambard Brunel as part of the infrastructure of the Thames Tunnel which opened in 1843 ...

is nearby; Rotherhithe Library is between the Finnish Church and St Olav's Norwegian Church.

Icelandic congregation

Lutheran services in Icelandic are held (usually on the third Sunday of every month) at the German Church ''(

Deutsche Evangelische Christuskirche The Deutsche Evangelische Christuskirche is a church on Montpelier Place in Knightsbridge, London.'Montpelier Square Area: Deutsche Evangelische Christuskirche, Montpelier Place', in Survey of London: Volume 45, Knightsbridge, ed. John Greenacombe ...

)'', 19 Montpelier Place,

Knightsbridge Knightsbridge is a residential and retail district in central London, south of Hyde Park. It is identified in the London Plan as one of two international retail centres in London, alongside the West End. Toponymy Knightsbridge is an ancien ...

(). There are also regular Icelandic services being held at the Ulrika Eleonora Swedish Church of London, Harcourt Street.

Norwegian Church

There has been a Norwegian church in London since the late

17th century The 17th century lasted from January 1, 1601 ( MDCI), to December 31, 1700 ( MDCC). It falls into the early modern period of Europe and in that continent (whose impact on the world was increasing) was characterized by the Baroque cultural moveme ...

. The current church building (St Olav's, designed by John Love Seaton Dahl) was consecrated in 1927, the foundation stone was laid the previous year by Prince Olav (later

King Olav V Olav V (; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) was the King of Norway from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was the only child of King Haakon VII of Norway and Maud of Wales. He became heir apparent to the Nor ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

King Haakon VII Haakon VII (; born Prince Carl of Denmark; 3 August 187221 September 1957) was the King of Norway from November 1905 until his death in September 1957. Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen as the son of the future Frederick VI ...

and the Norwegian

government in exile A government in exile (abbreviated as GiE) is a political group that claims to be a country or semi-sovereign state's legitimate government, but is unable to exercise legal power and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile ...

regularly worshipped at the church during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, when the church was given the status of a pro-cathedral. The church has been a

since 1949. St Olav's Church is close to the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

at 1 St Olav's Square, Albion Street (next to the entrance to the

) (). The nearest Underground stations are

. The congregation is part of the

Norwegian Church Abroad The Norwegian Church Abroad or ''The Norwegian Seamen’s Church'' ( no, Sjømannskirken) is a religious organisation serving Norwegians and other Scandinavians travelling abroad. Founded in 1864, The Norwegian Seamen’s Mission – Sjømannsmisjo ...

(also called The Norwegian Seamen's Churches or in Norwegian, ''Sjømannskirken''.) The Finnish Church (see above) is nearby in Albion Street. The Norwegian Church Abroad also runs the Norwegian Fishermans' Church, Liverpool, and formerly ran the

Norwegian Church, Cardiff The Norwegian Church Arts Centre ( cy, Canolfan Gelfyddydau'r Eglwys Norwyaidd) is a point of cultural and historical interest located in Cardiff Bay ( Tiger Bay), Wales. It was a Lutheran Church, consecrated in 1868. Under the patronage of Th ...

. In addition to regular church events, the church organises activities such as Saturday school and football practice.

Swedish Church

The Ulrika Eleonora Swedish Parish in London is part of "

Church of Sweden Abroad The Church of Sweden Abroad ( sv, Svenska kyrkan i utlandet) is an institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden. The Church of Sweden Abroad (SKUT) has more than 40 parishes throughout the world, concentrated in Western Europe. Another ...

" (SKUT). The first church for the Swedish community in London opened in Princes Square in

Wapping Wapping () is a district in East London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Wapping's position, on the north bank of the River Thames, has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, ...

in 1728, but it was replaced and relocated in the early 20th century. There is now only one Swedish church in London - Ulrika Eleonora. Ulrika Eleonora Church is at 6 Harcourt Street,

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it me ...

(). It was built in 1911 and is a

. The altar, pulpit, fonts and chandeliers are from the former church in Wapping. As well as the church and staff accommodation, there is also a reading room, church hall, library and parish office. The nearest Underground station is

Edgware Road Edgware Road is a major road in London, England. The route originated as part of Roman Watling Street and, unusually in London, it runs for 10 miles in an almost perfectly straight line. Forming part of the modern A5 road, Edgware Road undergoes ...

on the Circle line,

District line The District line is a London Underground line running from in the east and Edgware Road in the west to in west London, where it splits into multiple branches. One branch runs to in south-west London and a short branch, with a limited serv ...

and Hammersmith & City line. The Swedish Seamen's Church was opened at 120 Lower Road,

() in 1905. It closed down in December 2012. SKUT is accountable to the General Synod of the

Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sw ...

. SKUT provides 3 staff, and the congregation is responsible for other staff, Buildings etc. Since 2002 SKUT has been linked to the

Diocese of Visby The Diocese of Visby ( sv, Visby stift) is a division of the Church of Sweden consisting of the island of Gotland. Its seat is Visby Cathedral located in the largest town on Gotland, Visby. The Bishop of Visby is also responsible for the episc ...

; the Bishop of

Visby Visby () is an urban area in Sweden and the seat of Gotland Municipality in Gotland County on the island of Gotland with 24,330 inhabitants . Visby is also the episcopal see for the Diocese of Visby. The Hanseatic city of Visby is arguably th ...

is responsible for episcopal oversight.

References

External links

Danish Church in London - official website
(in Danish and English)
Danish Church Abroad / Danish Seamen´s Church (DSUK)
(in Danish and English)
Finnish Church in London - official website
(in English and Finnish)
Icelandic Church services in London
''(in Icelandic only)''
Lutheran Council of Great BritainNorwegian Church in London - official website
''(in Norwegian only)''

(in English)
Swedish Church in London - official website
(in English and Swedish) {{London churches Christian missions to seafarers * * * * * * * Danish diaspora in Europe Finnish diaspora Icelandic diaspora Norwegian diaspora in Europe Swedish diaspora Churches dedicated to Saint Olav in London