Viking Church to have 'magical' glass windows

August 2025

Ribe Viking Centre’s next interpretation project brings remarkable research and forgotten crafts to life. Based on new archaeological findings, six historically inspired glass mosaic windows will be created for the reconstructed Ansgar Church as it would have appeared in the year 860.

Glass windows in Ansgar Church

The project Glass Windows in Ansgar Church is supported by the Villum Foundation with DKK 200,000 and the Norlys Growth Fund with DKK 100,000. The project will begin in mid-August 2025.

Until recently, it was assumed that glass windows only became common in Denmark with the construction of medieval churches and castles. But in 2023, the National Museum published research results documenting the use of glass panes in Denmark during the Viking Age, where they were reserved for the elite and for religious purposes. Fragments of glass windows have been found in places such as Ribe and Hedeby. Isotope analyses now confirm that the glass was made between AD 800 and 1100 in various parts of Europe and the Middle East.

This has inspired new thinking at Ribe Viking Centre, which now plans to replace the temporary parchment coverings in Ansgar Church with glass mosaic windows. This is not merely an aesthetic enhancement, but a way of conveying research, craftsmanship and the Viking Age’s religious worldview.

Historic craftsmanship

The project makes it possible to employ a specialised craftsman who, during the Centre’s opening hours, will work on leaded glass panes in view of the public. Visitors will thus have a rare opportunity to follow the process up close. Inspiration for colours, patterns and glass types will be drawn from original finds as well as from St Johann Monastery Church in Müstair, Switzerland. In addition, the manufacturing process will be documented in a short film, serving both as interpretation and as professional documentation of an ancient craft.

Glass with magic and status

Glass windows in Viking Age churches were not intended to admit more light, as in later Gothic churches. At that time, glass was associated with mystery, magical qualities and, above all, status. A glass window signalled wealth and holiness.

When the new windows illuminate Ribe Viking Centre’s Ansgar Church, it will therefore be both a visual and symbolic revival of an overlooked detail in Denmark’s Christian and craft heritage.

/Ribe VikingeCenter, August 2025

Facts about Ribe VikingeCenter

Since 1992, Ribe VikingeCenter has been reconstructing and bringing to life Viking-Age Ribe (Ripa), the oldest town in Denmark and Scandinavia. The reconstructed settings, based on archaeological discoveries, present 300 years of history from AD 700 to 1000. Through performances, events, craftsmanship, hands-on activities, and educational programmes, the Viking Age becomes a tangible and engaging experience. The reconstruction of Ansgar Church as it would have appeared in the year 860 is a well-informed interpretation of how the first church in Ribe might have looked. Ansgar Church was inaugurated in 2018 and is richly decorated with wood carvings and, inside, Carolingian wall paintings. During the open season from late April to mid-October, Ribe Viking Centre welcomes over 70,000 visitors.

Further information

Ansgar Church as it would have appeared in the year 860 is the starting point for Ribe Viking Centre’s interpretation of faith, painting and styles, and soon also of the use of glass panes in the Viking Age.
Glass windows in Viking Age churches were not primarily a source of light but a symbol of status