Stårheim Church

Stårheim Church
Stårheim kyrkje
View of the church
Stårheim Church Location in Sogn og Fjordane county Show map of Sogn og Fjordane Stårheim Church Location in Sogn og Fjordane county Show map of Norway
61°55′07″N 5°45′57″E / 61.9186°N 5.7658°E / 61.9186; 5.7658Coordinates: 61°55′07″N 5°45′57″E / 61.9186°N 5.7658°E / 61.9186; 5.7658
Location	Eid, Sogn og Fjordane
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
History
Consecrated	4 Dec 1864
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Christian Heinrich Grosch
Completed	1864
Specifications
Capacity	350
Materials	Wood
Administration
Parish	Stårheim
Deanery	Nordfjord prosti
Diocese	Diocese of Bjørgvin

Stårheim Church (Norwegian: Stårheim kyrkje) is a parish church in Eid Municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the village of Stårheim. The church is part of the Stårheim parish in the Nordfjord deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in 1864 by the architect Christian Heinrich Grosch. The church seats about 350 people.

Stårheim has been the site of a church for almost a thousand years. The first (known) church at Stårheim was built in the 12th century and it was in use until 1338. Not much is known about the church, but in 1338 Erling Vidkunsson wrote a letter to Bishop Haakon in Bergen that some robbers had broken into the church and set it on fire. A second church was built to replace the one that burned. This church was a stave church and it was used until approximately 1600. A new (third) church was built around 1600 to replace the old church. It was a timber/log church that was used until a large fire on 10 January 1859 heavily damaged the structure. The fourth (and present) church was completed soon after in 1864.