Churches on Gotland

Of the churches of the Swedish island of Gotland, 93 – the vast majority – are medieval. 92 of these are located on the countryside,[1] with only Visby Cathedral remaining within the city wall of Visby, the main town of the island. However, during the Middle Ages, the amount of churches was even larger, with at least 12 churches in Visby and an additional four in the countryside. Some of these are still visible as more or less well-preserved ruins. For further information about these ruined churches, see list of church ruins on Gotland.[2]

Anga Church
Garde Church
Rone Church
The development of church architecture on Gotland. Top: Anga, an unaltered Romanesque church. Middle: Garde; rebuilding started but not finished. Bottom: rebuilding complete at Rone, finished c. 1300

Background

Gotland began to gradually abandon Norse religion and adopt Christianity during the 11th century.[3] The first churches to be built on Gotland were wooden, built in the manner of stave churches.[1] None of these have survived intact. The most well-preserved remains, today in the Swedish History Museum, are those of Hemse stave church.[2] Traces and archaeological evidence of earlier stave churches have been discovered in ten different sites on Gotland.[3] The remains point to an artistic decoration reminiscent of Viking art.[4]

Stone churches began to replace wooden churches during the 12th century.[1] These churches were Romanesque in style, with influences coming mainly from Denmark and western German architecture,[2] but to a limited extent also from the Byzantine Empire.[4] Importantly, the construction of Lund Cathedral in Scania established a source of influences in the relative vicinity. Likewise, the 1164 establishment of the Cistercian monastery of Roma Abbey on Gotland led to strong Cistercian influences in the following period of church construction. These Romanesque churches were sometimes decorated internally with frescos. Here also, the influences came most often from the west and south, but sometimes also from Russia. Similarly, the churches were adorned with stone sculpture, notably decorated baptismal fonts. Here, too, influences came from both the west and the east,[2] but the sculptors themselves seem to have been native Gotlanders.[4] Finally, such churches also occasionally display wooden sculptures, such as triumphal crosses. These display a more markedly uniform western style, with influences coming from France or western Germany.[2]

During the Gothic era, the church portals were often decorated with sculptures, such as these at Martebo Church

During the 13th century, reconstruction works were started on several of these earlier churches. New churches were also commissioned. Gotland was enjoying a period of prosperity thanks to increasing trade, and, possibly, due to its role as a staging area for crusaders departing for the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea.[3] The churches were made larger and more elaborate. The style began to shift in favour of the Gothic, although few churches on Gotland display a pronounced Gothic style. The most elaborate parts of these churches are often the portals, notably the main southern portals.[2] The towers of these churches are also taller and more elaborate than earlier towers (which were often designed with a dual, defensive purpose). Another typical feature is the square choir that lacks an apse and instead has a straight eastern wall with three windows.[4] Internally, frescos and wooden sculpture continued to enjoy popularity, as well as occasionally stained glass windows. Artistic influences came via Visby from mainly western Germany. At the end of this period, Gotland entered a period of economic decline. Following the Black Death, the invasion of Gotland by Valdemar IV of Denmark and the Battle of Visby (1361), and a general decrease in trade, many churches were left unfinished. Hence, several churches on Gotland display a peculiar form, where the choir is in Gothic style and disproportionally large in comparison with the rest of the otherwise Romanesque church. In such cases, reconstruction of the church had started with the choir but was brought to a halt before the whole reconstruction scheme could be finished.[2]

From about 1400, no new churches were erected and the general religious building activity decreases sharply. Internally, some churches receive further embellishment in the form of new altarpieces or frescos during the 15th and 16th century. Following the Reformation, a new type of altarpieces and pulpits were introduced.[2] These post-Reformation furnishings from the 17th and 18th centuries are also well represented in the churches of Gotland.[1]

The church building activity on Gotland thus took place in the period of approximately 250 years, from c. 1100 to 1350. Until the early 13th century, the pace of church building was comparable to the rest of Scandinavia. From then on, both the number and size of new churches increased significantly, until building activity came to a complete halt at the end of the Middle Ages.[3]

Only a few of the church buildings on Gotland have been significantly altered since the end of the Middle Ages,[1] which is unusual in a European context, since medieval churches were often heavily reconstructed or renovated during the 19th century. The medieval parish churches of Gotland comprise the most well-preserved set of such churches in Sweden,[3] and indeed in the whole Baltic region.[5]

During the 20th century, a small number of new churches have been built, notably in Visby.

The vast majority of the churches on Gotland belongs to the Lutheran Church of Sweden, and the Diocese of Visby.

The churches

Note: Unless specified otherwise, the churches on Gotland are named after their locality, i.e. Kräklingbo Church is to be found in Kräklingbo settlement.

A

Name Main construction period Coordinates Image Notes References
Akebäck Church 1149 57°32′50″N 18°23′32″E / 57.54722°N 18.39222°E [6]
Ala Church 12th to mid-13th century 57°25′08″N 18°38′07″E / 57.41889°N 18.63528°E [7]
Alskog Church 13th century to circa 1300 57°19′53″N 18°37′37″E / 57.33139°N 18.62694°E [2]
Alva Church 12th century 57°12′27″N 18°21′41″E / 57.20750°N 18.36139°E [8]
Anga Church 13th century 57°28′49″N 18°42′23″E / 57.48028°N 18.70639°E [3]
Ardre Church c. 1200 to c. 1250 57°22′46″N 18°41′48″E / 57.37944°N 18.69667°E [2]
Atlingbo Church 13th century 57°28′47″N 18°23′26″E / 57.47972°N 18.39056°E [9]

B-D

Name Main construction period Coordinates Image Notes References
Barlingbo Church 13th century 57°33′52″N 18°27′47″E / 57.56444°N 18.46306°E
Björke Church 13th century 57°30′26″N 18°25′16″E / 57.50722°N 18.42111°E
Boge Church 13th century 57°41′13″N 18°45′46″E / 57.68694°N 18.76278°E
Bro Church c. 1240 to c. 1300 57°40′12″N 18°28′29″E / 57.67000°N 18.47472°E [3]
Bunge Church Early 14th century 57°51′13″N 19°01′24″E / 57.85361°N 19.02333°E [3]
Burs Church 13th century 57°14′44″N 18°30′31″E / 57.24556°N 18.50861°E
Buttle Church 12th century 57°24′09″N 18°31′48″E / 57.40250°N 18.53000°E
Bäl Church 13th century 57°38′41″N 18°37′58″E / 57.64472°N 18.63278°E
Dalhem Church 13th century 57°33′08″N 18°32′02″E / 57.55222°N 18.53389°E [3]

E–F

Name Main construction period Coordinates Image Notes References
Eke Church 13th century 57°10′04″N 18°22′45″E / 57.16778°N 18.37917°E
Ekeby Church 13th century 57°35′44″N 18°30′52″E / 57.59556°N 18.51444°E
Eksta Church 13th century 57°17′11″N 18°12′23″E / 57.28639°N 18.20639°E
Endre Church 12th century 57°36′36″N 18°27′55″E / 57.61000°N 18.46528°E
Eskelhem Church c. 1200 to mid-14th century 57°29′22″N 18°12′35″E / 57.48944°N 18.20972°E [3]
Etelhem Church 1300 57°20′14″N 18°29′45″E / 57.33722°N 18.49583°E
Fardhem Church c. 1170 to c. 1260 57°15′20″N 18°20′29″E / 57.25556°N 18.34139°E [3]
Fide Church 13th century 57°04′25″N 18°18′58″E / 57.07361°N 18.31611°E
Fleringe Church 13th century 57°52′10″N 18°52′37″E / 57.86944°N 18.87694°E
Fole Church Inaugurated 1280 57°39′02″N 18°32′41″E / 57.65056°N 18.54472°E

[2]

Follingbo Church 13th century 57°34′56″N 18°23′0″E / 57.58222°N 18.38333°E
Fröjel Church 12th century to 14th century 57°20′08″N 18°11′23″E / 57.33556°N 18.18972°E [4]
Fårö Church 14th century 57°54′56″N 19°08′0″E / 57.91556°N 19.13333°E Film-maker Ingmar Bergman is buried in the church cemetery

G

Name Main construction period Coordinates Image Notes References
Gammelgarn Church 14th century 57°24′16″N 18°48′16″E / 57.40444°N 18.80444°E Defensive tower from the 12th century adjacent (pictured) [4]
Ganthem Church 12th century 57°30′57″N 18°34′54″E / 57.51583°N 18.58167°E
Garde Church c. 1130 to c. 1310 57°19′01″N 18°34′55″E / 57.31694°N 18.58194°E [3]
Gerum Church c. 1200 to c. 1300 57°17′40″N 18°19′46″E / 57.29444°N 18.32944°E [10]
Gnisvärd Chapel 1839 57°30′26″N 18°06′44″E / 57.50722°N 18.11222°E [11]
Gothem Church 13th to early 14th century 57°34′31″N 18°44′06″E / 57.57528°N 18.73500°E [3]
Grötlingbo Church First half of the 13th to mid-14th century 57°08′01″N 18°20′47″E / 57.13361°N 18.34639°E [3]
Guldrupe Church Late 12th century 57°25′49″N 18°25′35″E / 57.43028°N 18.42639°E [12]

H-K

Name Main construction period Coordinates Image Notes References
Hablingbo Church Late 12th century to c. 1320 57°11′14″N 18°15′45″E / 57.18722°N 18.26250°E [3]
Hall Church Second quarter of the 13th century 57°53′31″N 18°42′57″E / 57.89194°N 18.71583°E [2]
Halla Church c. 1200 to the 14th century 57°30′39″N 18°29′50″E / 57.51083°N 18.49722°E [2]
Hamra Church Mid-13th century to early 14th century 56°58′33″N 18°18′48″E / 56.97583°N 18.31333°E [3]
Hangvar Church 13th century 57°50′21″N 18°41′18″E / 57.83917°N 18.68833°E [2]
Havdhem Church First half of 12th century to mid-13th century 57°09′45″N 18°19′23″E / 57.16250°N 18.32306°E [2]
Hejde Church Mid-13th century to mid-14th century 57°24′46″N 18°20′45″E / 57.41278°N 18.34583°E [13]
Hejdeby Church 13th century 57°37′49″N 18°26′34″E / 57.63028°N 18.44278°E [4]
Hejnum Church Early to mid-13th century 57°40′48″N 18°37′55″E / 57.68000°N 18.63194°E [14]
Hellvi Church 13th century 57°46′30″N 18°53′42″E / 57.77500°N 18.89500°E
Hemse Church 13th century 57°13′58″N 18°22′22″E / 57.23278°N 18.37278°E Original location of Hemse stave church
Hogrän Church 13th century 57°30′16″N 18°18′28″E / 57.50444°N 18.30778°E
Hörsne Church 13th century 57°33′30″N 18°35′50″E / 57.55833°N 18.59722°E
Klinte Church 13th century 57°22′42″N 18°13′55″E / 57.37833°N 18.23194°E
Kovik Chapel 1963 57°24′33″N 18°09′53″E / 57.40917°N 18.16472°E
Kräklingbo Church 13th century 57°26′42″N 18°42′40″E / 57.44500°N 18.71111°E
Källunge Church 12th to 14th century 57°36′28″N 18°35′04″E / 57.60778°N 18.58444°E [3]

L-M

Name Main construction period Coordinates Image Notes References
Lau Church Mid-13th century to c. 1300 57°16′58″N 18°37′12″E / 57.28278°N 18.62000°E [3]
Levide Church Late 12th century to mid-13th century 57°16′55″N 18°15′59″E / 57.28194°N 18.26639°E [2]
Linde Church End of the 12th century to early 13th century 57°16′46″N 18°22′47″E / 57.27944°N 18.37972°E [2]
Lojsta Church 13th century 57°18′46″N 18°23′02″E / 57.31278°N 18.38389°E
Lokrume Church Inaugurated 1277 57°41′16″N 18°32′19″E / 57.68778°N 18.53861°E [2]
Lummelunda Church 13th century 57°46′11″N 18°27′19″E / 57.76972°N 18.45528°E
Lye Church 12th to 14th century 57°17′52″N 18°31′34″E / 57.29778°N 18.52611°E Contains the best-preserved set of medieval stained glass windows in the Nordic countries [3]
Lärbro Church Finished c. 1340 57°47′13″N 18°47′37″E / 57.78694°N 18.79361°E Defensive tower from the 12th century adjacent (pictured) [3]
Martebo Church Mid-13th century to c. 1310 57°44′55″N 18°29′31″E / 57.74861°N 18.49194°E [3]
Mästerby Church c. 1200 to mid-14th century 57°28′11″N 18°18′14″E / 57.46972°N 18.30389°E [3]

N-R

Name Main construction period Coordinates Image Notes References
Norrlanda Church 13th century 57°30′05″N 18°39′34″E / 57.50139°N 18.65944°E
När Church 13th century 57°15′26″N 18°37′30″E / 57.25722°N 18.62500°E
Näs Church Mid-13th century 57°06′36″N 18°15′44″E / 57.11000°N 18.26222°E [2]
Othem Church Mid-13th century 57°44′50″N 18°44′19″E / 57.74722°N 18.73861°E [3]
Pentecostal Church of Visby 1988 57°37′39″N 18°18′09″E / 57.62750°N 18.30250°E Belonging to the Pentecostal Church
Roma Church 13th century 57°31′42″N 18°26′31″E / 57.52833°N 18.44194°E Not to be confused with the ruined Roma Abbey nearby [3]
Rone Church 13th century 57°12′32″N 18°26′28″E / 57.20889°N 18.44111°E
Rute Church 13th century 57°50′01″N 18°55′24″E / 57.83361°N 18.92333°E

S-T

Name Main construction period Coordinates Image Notes References
Sanda Church 1300 57°25′45″N 18°13′24″E / 57.42917°N 18.22333°E
Silte Church Mid- to late 13th century 57°13′15″N 18°14′12″E / 57.22083°N 18.23667°E [2]
Sjonhem Church 12th century 57°29′08″N 18°31′14″E / 57.48556°N 18.52056°E
Slite Church 1960 57°42′26″N 18°47′45″E / 57.70722°N 18.79583°E
Sproge Church First half of the 13th century 57°15′13″N 18°12′39″E / 57.25361°N 18.21083°E [2]
Stenkumla Church 13th century 57°32′51″N 18°16′06″E / 57.54750°N 18.26833°E
Stenkyrka Church Inaugurated 1255 57°29′28″N 18°31′14″E / 57.49111°N 18.52056°E [3]
Stånga Church Mid-13th century to mid-14th century 57°16′59″N 18°27′57″E / 57.28306°N 18.46583°E
Sundre Church 13th century 56°56′09″N 18°10′54″E / 56.93583°N 18.18167°E Defensive tower adjacent (pictured) [3]
Tingstäde Church First half of the 13th to the early 14th century 57°44′10″N 18°36′53″E / 57.73611°N 18.61472°E [3]
Tofta Church 13th century 57°31′17″N 18°10′07″E / 57.52139°N 18.16861°E
Träkumla Church Inaugurated 1287 57°33′37″N 18°18′46″E / 57.56028°N 18.31278°E [15]

V-Ö

Name Main construction period Coordinates Image Notes References
Vall Church 13th century 57°31′14″N 18°20′42″E / 57.52056°N 18.34500°E [2]
Vallstena Church 13th century 57°36′35″N 18°38′12″E / 57.60972°N 18.63667°E
Vamlingbo Church Mid-13th century to c. 1320 56°58′10″N 18°13′49″E / 56.96944°N 18.23028°E [3]
Viklau Church 12th century 57°27′56″N 18°27′23″E / 57.46556°N 18.45639°E One of Sweden's most well-known medieval sculptures, the Viklau Madonna, originally belonged to the church (now in the Swedish History Museum)
Visborg Church 1969 57°37′28″N 18°17′06″E / 57.62444°N 18.28500°E
Visby Cathedral Inaugurated 1225 57°38′30″N 18°17′51″E / 57.64167°N 18.29750°E Officially Visby St. Mary's Cathedral (Swedish: Visby S:ta Maria domkyrka) [16]
Visby Catholic Church 1982 57°38′31″N 18°17′43″E / 57.64194°N 18.29528°E Belonging to the Catholic Church; officially the Church of the Body of Christ [17]
Vårdklockan Church 1875 57°38′18″N 18°17′44″E / 57.63833°N 18.29556°E Belonging to the Uniting Church in Sweden [18]
Vänge Church 12th century 57°27′07″N 18°30′41″E / 57.45194°N 18.51139°E
Väskinde Church 13th century 57°41′26″N 18°25′22″E / 57.69056°N 18.42278°E
Västergarn Church 1200 57°26′27″N 18°09′03″E / 57.44083°N 18.15083°E
Västerhejde Church 1200 57°34′50″N 18°14′53″E / 57.58056°N 18.24806°E
Väte Church 14th century 57°26′56″N 18°21′50″E / 57.44889°N 18.36389°E [19]
Öja Church First half of 13th century to mid-14th century 57°02′07″N 18°18′0″E / 57.03528°N 18.30000°E Houses a famous Gothic triumphal cross (pictured):
Östergarn Church 13th century 57°25′18″N 18°51′31″E / 57.42167°N 18.85861°E

Additional information

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Kyrkor" (in Swedish). Gotland County Administrative Board. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 Lagerlöf, Erland, ed. (1973). Gotlands kyrkor (in Swedish). Uddevalla: Rabén & Sjögren. ISBN 9129410355.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 Andrén, Anders (2011). Det Medeltida Gotland. En arkeologisk guidebok [Medieval Gotland. An archaeological guide book.] (in Swedish). Lund: Historiska Media. ISBN 978-91-85873-83-8.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Jonsson, Marita; Lindquist, Sven-Olof; Hejdström, Raymond (1999). Vägen till kulturen på Gotland (6th ed.). Visby: Gotlands fornsal. ISBN 91-88036-32-4.
  5. ↑ Hansson, Joakim (2005). "Lost values & unused possibilities in the medieval churches in Gotland". Meno istorija ir kritika (MIK). 1/2005: 60–72. ISSN 1822-4547. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Akebäcks kyrka" (in Swedish). Church of Sweden. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  7. ↑ Söderberg, Bengt G. (1978). Kyrkorna på Gotland: The churches of Gotland (in Swedish). Visby: Gotlandskonst.
  8. ↑ Lindgren, Mereth (1995). Karlsson, Lennart, ed. Signums svenska konsthistoria: Den romanska konsten (in Swedish). Lund: Signum. ISBN 91-87896-23-0.
  9. ↑ James, Maria. "Atlingbo kyrka". www.gotland.se (in Swedish). Region Gotland. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  10. ↑ "Gerums kyrka" (in Swedish). Region Gotland. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "Gnisvärds kapell" (in Swedish). guteinfo.com. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "Guldrupe kyrka" (in Swedish). Swedish National Heritage Board. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  13. ↑ "Hejde kyrka" (in Swedish). Swedish National Heritage Board. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  14. ↑ "Hejnums kyrka". Swedish National Heritage Board. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  15. ↑ "Träkumla kyrka" (in Swedish). Church of Sweden. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  16. ↑ "Historik". Visby S:ta Maria Domkyrka (in Swedish). Church of Sweden. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Om kyrkan" (in Swedish). Kristi Lekamens församling i Visby. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "Vårdklockans kyrka". www.vardklockanskyrka.se (in Swedish). Equimeniakyrkan [Uniting Church in Sweden]. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  19. ↑ "Väte kyrka". www.gotland.se (in Swedish). Region Gotland. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

Bibliography

External links