Royal Danish Museum
|
|
Visitors to St. Ansgar's are often intrigued by the model of a ship, suspended over the centre aisle, pointing forward towards the altar. This actually is a tradition found in many churches of Scandinavian origin. The ship symbolizes our personal voyage through life, always with the Cross before us, to guide us as the stars guide the mariner on the rough seas.
| Suspended over our Church |
|---|
|
| Suspended over our Church |
|---|
|
The Danish naval steam frigate Gefion was commissioned in 1843. In 1849, Denmark went to war with Schleswig-Holstein. A squadron was sent out to the North Sea to blockade the river Elbe and the mouths of other German rivers in the area. An engagement was fought at Eckernførde Fjord on April 5, 1849. Wind conditions were against the Danish ships and laid them open to accurate enemy fire from Prussian emplacements on land. The ship-of-the-line Christian VIII was blown up and the frigate Gefion was forced to surrender. After the war, the Gefion would serve for many years as a ship in the Prussian navy. [Material taken mainly from Orlogsmuseet]