Dombås Church

On February 20th 2020, around three o’clock in the morning, Dombås Church was set on fire. Externally it did not appear to be badly damaged, but the interior was mostly damaged and lost. The text below was written before the fire took place and describes the church as it looked back then. The church was reconstructed and reopened in 2024.

During the first half of the 20th century, the population of Dombås increased due to the of the establishment of the railway through Dovrefjell. Because of this there arose a need for a church in Dombås. Dombås Church was built in 1939 by local craftsmen using local materials - slate from Otta for the roof and slate from Jønndalen for the walls. This beautiful church that many travelers take notice of, was designed by architect Magnus Poulsson.

The altarpiece in the church is designed almost like a triptych, with a large painting in the center and a door on each side. The left door has five small images depicting events from Jesus’ life, from his birth toward Easter. The right door has five small images portraying the events of Easter up to the burial of Jesus. The large central painting depicts the risen and victorious Jesus Christ. He sits on the rainbow with the globe beneath his feet. He holds the Book of Life in his left hand, and with his right hand he blesses. And if we look closely, the entire scene is set within a landscape that closely resembles Gudbrandsdalen.