Durup Church

Durup Church – History, Leaning Legends, and Artistic Heritage Durup Church in the charming railway town of Durup welcomes visitors with a medieval atmosphere and an intriguing backstory. The church dates back to the Romanesque period and was built from sturdy granite blocks—craftsmanship that reaches as far back as the 12th century.

On the north side, you’ll find the old porch, possibly late Gothic in style, which has served as a chapel since 1931. That same year, the church underwent a major and rather forceful renovation and expansion led by architect Søren Vig Nielsen from Viborg. The broad tower and southern porch were added, and the original tower was reduced to a single storey to accommodate a growing congregation spurred by the opening of the Salling railway in 1884 and the emergence of Durup as a station town.

Local lore tells of the original tower leaning so heavily to the west that Pastor Hornemann (minister from 1835–1854) always walked in a wide arc around it—just in case it came crashing down!

Built into the porch wall is a gravestone for “The highly learned Mr. Christen Flor Kryger,” who served as Durup’s priest from 1798 to 1806. The inscription ends with a heartfelt message to future generations: “Live, reader, as he lived here, and you will be dear to both God and mankind.”

In front of the church entrance lies a granite slab with a built-in relic compartment—originally part of the altar table and rediscovered during demolition of the old tower.

Inside the church, the oak altar and altarpiece Christ and the Disciples, painted by J. Th. Skovgaard in 1931, hold pride of place. An older painting of the Crucifixion and the Evangelists still hangs in the church, keeping a link to its previous artistic identity. Though Gothic in style, the altar candlesticks are newly made.

The baptismal font with its smooth bowl is Romanesque, while the pulpit—decorated with paintings of Christ and the Evangelists—dates from the mid-1600s, a true artistic and spiritual treasure.