Norderhov church was originally built in c. 1170. It has been rebuilt and expanded into a cruciform church. The construction may be related to the establishment of the Diocese of Hamar in 1153. Norderhov Church has a recorded history dating to an announcement for Ringerike issued in 1298 by Duke Hakon Magnusson, who later became King Haakon V. The church is most known for it close connection with Anna Colbjørnsdatter and with the Skirmish at Norderhov.
The church was renovated in 1771, 1796 and 1809-1810. The sacristy was extended to the east and with new, larger windows and a new lower ceiling and a new choir loft in 1881-1882. Meanwhile, the tower spire was covered with copper plates and the church was refurbished. A new chapel was erected on the north side of the church in 1910-1912. The church was restored again in 1926 and 1953-1956.
The pulpit dates from 1582 is one of the oldest in Norway. The Baroque altarpiece was made probably by Johannes Larsen Skråstad in 1682.
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The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.
Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.