WHAT IS LEFT ON THE FARMS?:Many objects from the old church are likely in private possession aroundin communities. Most of the furniture was sold auction as the church wasdemolished in 1872. Here we see Odd Vinje and Olav Vinje holding somethingthat could be the end of a church bench. Private photo.

      ON THE VINJE FARM: Ivar andPer Husdal together with Bjørn Løne and Arnhild on the old  Vinje farm. Bjørn Løne is the owner of the farm on which theold grave yard is located. Photo: Knut Markhus

      A case for the full Voss Area
      -- From our point of view the work with oldVinje Church can be a joining task for the whole community, and then we thinkof all of Voss, says the brothers Ivar and Per Husdal. As a first step theywish that all material  from the demolished building can be recorded.The big dream however is to rebuild the church at it’s old location.
      Ten years ago Ivar K. Lydvo wrote an articlein «Hordaland», where he warmly suggested that the Vinje Churchbe rebuilt.  «It is time we continue to work with this idea»,says Ivar Husdal.  He grew up with storytelling about the old Vinjefarm.
     -- I still remember Knut Björgaas sitting theretelling stories about the old church, that he ment never should have beendemolished. It was a very beautiful.
     -- Ivar Husdal admits that he has a great love forthe old church, and sets his priorities accordingly.  «When youfall in love with a pretty girl you are not thinking about what she is goingto cost you.  I feel the same about Vinje Church.  The projectis more than economy, even though that obviously will be a subject as wemove on.»

      It can work!
      The key to success is with the state historian. It is a pressing issue to get professionals to look at the stored material,and the state historian can get that done.  In the first place the woodhas to be registered.  Then the old paintings which were covered byyellow paint while it was a Community Hall, will have to be revealed. The state historian will also have to approve of everything else done withthe old wood.
   But Ivar Husdal expects that it will be difficult to get helpfrom the state historian.  It is common to work with existing buildings,and in this case there is none to show. Therefore he encourages both localpeople and the officials to engage themselves in the project.  It isencouraging that it has happened before that a demolished church has risenagain.  That is the story of Oye Stave Church in Vang, Valdres.  It was torn down in 1747, but when the people of Valdres were going to repairtheir new church in 1935, they found underneath its stone wall foundation 156 parts to the old stave church.  In 1965 the old church was rebuilt and blessed as sacred.

      Wide support needed.
      Ivar Husdal now invites the support of thetown government.  He knows that it is unrealistic to expect any financialfunding there, but he feels that it will help the project greatly if supportis verbally expressed.
Even if those who are promoting the project have so far been working privately,there is a growing enthusiasm among people in the community.
      Ivar B. Løne has already collected 113signatures from people who show an interest in getting the old church rebuilt. Løne has also another interest relating to the project.  Thewood sculpture, «The Devil from Vossestrand», stood by the entranceto the very first church at Vinje.  It now exists at Nordiska Museetin Stockholm, Sweden.  «Perhaps they would like to come home toVinje now, both this «devil», the stored wood, and the objectsfrom the church which exist around in the community», Loene wonders,but he thinks that if the devil now feels more at home in Stockholm, a copycould be made and placed in the church when it is rebuilt.

      Where to go from here.
      A steering-group will soon be established tocontinue the work, and especially put pressure on the officials.  Evenif rebuilding the old church is not on top of the agenda, this is the ultimategoal.  But the enthusiastic Husdal-brothers know that it is a long wayoff.
      "But if we, who are working on this projectnow, are not able to make that goal a reality, at least we wish to do whatwe can so that those coming after us can fulfil the work".  They feelthat it is a duty for us to transmit the inheritance we have received thatwe do not waste it.

ANGELS WITHOUT HEADS 
      By Knut Markhus, Local Newpaper “Hordaland” July 22, 2000
      Ivar L. Løne was the foreman when theytore down the community hall in 1985, and the one who first noticed whatthe paneling was hiding.  But he cannot add any additional information about the quantity or the value of what they found.  They were commissioned to do the work of tearing down the building.  When they started to tearoff the paneling they discovered old writing, and angels, among other things,who no longer had any heads.  Officials were contacted, and the woodwas registered as historic material to be protected, and then the work proceededwith plans to store it.
     «I can’t tell you if there were only individualbeams from the church or if there was more,» says Loene.  He isafraid that much of the old painted pictures on the wood may be destroyed.  The inside of the beams were planed and unpainted, while the outside had thepainted pictures, covered by paneling.  But not every beam was painted. That may mean that parts of the old paintings were planed away.  Itseems that each beam was considered separately for re-use in the new building,and nothing more.

      It would be nice to have anotherchurch, but%85..
      Director of Voss Folkemuseum, Dag Saeverud, takes to heart the initiative to go through and register the wood from theold Vinje Church.  To rebuild it afterwards is a tempting thought, butone filled with problems.  He cannot promote it unless the museum receivesenough public funding to care for the building in the long run.
      «It would be great to get the wood carefullyregistered,» says Saeverud. «Now it is just a pile of lumberwhich has also served as another building.  We know nothing about howit is marked, and it is entirely uncertain if there is enough original materialto rebuild the church.  If there is less than one fourth of the churchhere, it makes no sense to do that.  But we do not know this.»
      To rebuild the church at the museum has beendiscussed.  But even if this is a practical solution, he does not thinkit will happen.  The church has no natural place here.  The museumdirector also respects the wish of those who are working to have it rebuilton the original site.
      On the other hand, he feels that Voss Folkemuseumcannot let go of the church.  When they took over the wood it also meantthe responsibility to care for it.  «Experience tells us thatto set up a building is not the problem, and neither is the next 20 years,but it is the following 80 years which are difficult.  This considerationalways has to be back of our evaluation of projects.  We always haveto assure that we don’t get into an economic tight-spot, and that is whyI am skeptical to the rebuilding of Vinje Church.»

       We know too little.
      «It is a fascinating idea to rebuild the Vinje Church, but we know too little to actually make any decision aboutthe project.»  That is what Gunnar Dagestad says, manager of thecultural office in Voss.  He is also anxious to get more knowledge aboutthe existing material from the old church.  «Everybody must feelthat this kind of study would be of value, and we would support such work. If this means financial support, it is another matter,» says Dagestad.
      «We have earlier had contact with theregional conservator about this stored wood.  We found no support atthat time, but that was some time ago, and it is possible to try again.»
      Dagestad gives full support to those who workon the project, but initially just for the registering.  «Forall we know, there may be only random beams from the church which are stored. There is quite a bit of work to find out if there is sufficient materialsaved to even think about rebuilding the church.»
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Translated from articles in the newspaper «Hordaland»July 2000, by Kari Bye (grand-daughter of Knut Bjorgaas, who collected andpublished stories about the old church), Carole Sass and Per Husdal