Sweden's Kiruna Church Is On The Move After More Than 100 Years
In a spectacle unfolding over two days this week, the landmark Kiruna Church is being transported on a hydraulic transporter along a specially prepared three-mile route.
The move of the 130-foot-wide, 115-foot-tall structure represents the most striking chapter yet in a decades-long relocation project that has already shifted hundreds of homes, businesses, and public buildings out of harm's way.
Kiruna's move is driven by ground subsidence linked to the vast iron ore deposits beneath the city. When the settlement was founded in 1890, the surrounding mountains offered vital shelter from Arctic winds, making it an ideal location.
More than a century later, the growth of what is now the world's largest underground iron ore mine has forced a dramatic rethink. To reach the richest seams, operator LKAB must tunnel beneath the original town site in an outcome the city's founders could never have imagined.
The church was completed in 1912 and is widely considered one of Sweden's most beautiful pre-1950 buildings.
The organ in Kiruna Church, one of largest wooden buildings in Sweden. LightRocket via Getty Images
Designed by architect Gustaf Wickman, it blends Scandinavian Romantic style with influences from Sami culture and Norwegian stave churches.
Something that's lacking is many overtly Christian symbols. While a compromise was reached to include a cross, Lundbohm wanted everyone to feel welcome in the church.
Its striking red-painted wooden walls and ornate interior have made it the pride of Kiruna for generations, as well as a significant tourist attraction. How To Move A Church
Unlike some other heritage buildings in the city, which were dismantled and rebuilt piece by piece, the church is being relocated intact.
Engineers from the contractor Veidekke, working with specialists in heavy transport, have jacked the 600-ton structure onto a self-propelled modular transporter.
Roads have been widened, viaducts demolished, and infrastructure re-routed to allow the slow journey to its new home beside the cemetery and the emerging city center.
Veidekke's CEO Jimmy Bengtsson said the company has already been involved with the dismantling of the old city center and the construction of the new one. 'We have moved 12 important cultural buildings,' he added. A Cultural Event For Kiruna
The relocation is not only an engineering feat but also a cultural event. Following a blessing from church leaders of the church and planned route, the move got underaway at approximately 8am local time on August 19.
The incredible relocation project is being live streamed to fascinated audiences across Sweden and beyond. Getty Images
Thousands of locals and visitors gathered to watch the church inch along the road, while concerts and community activities accompanied the move.
LKAB, the state-owned mining company financing the project, has organized a livestream for global audiences, ensuring that the extraordinary sight of a church on wheels can be shared far beyond the Arctic Circle.
Swedish media including the newspaper Aftonbladet are also live streaming the remarkable event.
Yet for residents, the moment is bittersweet. Kiruna's vicar has described the move as 'a rebirth,' while others reflect on the loss of familiar landscapes swallowed by mining.
Sami communities, whose reindeer herding routes have been affected by both the mine and the city's expansion, have voiced concern over the wider impact of development in the region.
Once resettled on its new site, the church will be carefully restored and rotated so its entrance faces the community, which is a traditional orientation for folk churches in Arctic Sweden.
The grave of Hjalmar Lundbohm, Kiruna's founding figure, will also be relocated to rest beside the church once more.
Visitors who come for the northern lights, one of the region's most famous ice hotels or to explore the Arctic wilderness now have the chance to witness history in motion: an entire city redefining itself and its most cherished building taking a slow, stately journey into the future. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes How To Visit Kiruna, Sweden's City On The Move By David Nikel Forbes Why You Should Plan A Northern Lights Trip To Scandinavia In 2025 By David Nikel Forbes 5 Great Reasons To Visit Sweden In 2025 By David Nikel
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Wooden church to be slowly inched down Arctic road as part of town relocation
Sweden's iconic Kiruna Church is set to embark on a two-day journey to a new location, slowly traversing an Arctic road to protect its historic wooden structure from ground subsidence caused by the expansion of the world's largest underground iron ore mine. Weighing 600 tons and 113 years old, the church has been lifted from its foundations and placed onto a specially constructed trailer. This monumental undertaking is part of a broader 30-year initiative to relocate thousands of residents and buildings within the Lapland city. Mine operator LKAB spent the past year preparing the route for the red-painted church, often hailed as Sweden's most beautiful and one of its largest wooden buildings. The 5km (3-mile) winding journey will lead it to a brand new Kiruna city centre. While the move ensures the church's survival, it marks its departure from a site it has occupied for over a century. Lena Tjarnberg, the vicar of Kiruna, reflected on the significance: "The church is Kiruna's soul in some way, and in some way it's a safe place. For me, it's like a day of joy. 'But I think people also feel sad because we have to leave this place." For many of the region's indigenous Sami community, which has herded reindeer there for thousands of years, the feelings are less mixed. The move is a reminder of much wider changes brought on by the expansion of mining. "This area is traditional Sami land," Lars-Marcus Kuhmunen, chair of the local Gabna Sami community, said. "This area was grazing land and also a land where the calves of the reindeer were born." If plans for another nearby mine go ahead after the move, that would cut the path from the reindeer's summer and winter pastures, making herding "impossible" in the future, he said. "Fifty years ago, my great-grandfather said that the mine is going to eat up our way of life, our reindeer herding. And he was right." Symbol of transformation The church is just one small part of the relocation project. LKAB says around 3,000 homes and around 6,000 people need to move. A number of public and commercial buildings are being torn down while some, like the church, are being moved in one piece. Other buildings are being dismantled and rebuilt around the new city centre. Hundreds of new homes, shops and a new city hall have also been constructed. The shift should allow LKAB, which produces 80 pre cent of the iron ore mined in Europe, to continue to extend the operation of Kiruna for decades to come. The state-owned firm has brought up around 2 billion tonnes of ore since the 1890s, mainly from the Kiruna mine. Mineral resources are estimated at another 6 billion tonnes in Kiruna and nearby Svappavaara and Malmberget. LKAB is now planning the new mine next to the existing Kiruna site. As well as iron ore, the proposed Per Geijer mine contains significant deposits of rare earth elements, a group of 17 metals critical to products from lasers to iPhones and green technology key to meeting Europe's climate goals. Europe - and much of the rest of the world - is currently almost completely dependent on China for the supply and processing of rare earths. In March this year, the EU designated Per Geijer as a Strategic Project which could help speed up the process of getting the new mine into production. Around 5km down the road, Kiruna's new city centre will also be taking shape. "The church is ... a statement or a symbol for this city transformation," mayor Mats Taaveniku told Reuters. "We are right now half on the way. We have 10 years left to move the rest of the city."
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Forbes
Sweden's Kiruna Church Is On The Move After More Than 100 Years
Kiruna church, weighing 672,4 tons, will be transported to a new location almost two miles away to avoid damages caused by LKAB´s iron ore mine. Getty Images In a spectacle unfolding over two days this week, the landmark Kiruna Church is being transported on a hydraulic transporter along a specially prepared three-mile route. The move of the 130-foot-wide, 115-foot-tall structure represents the most striking chapter yet in a decades-long relocation project that has already shifted hundreds of homes, businesses, and public buildings out of harm's way. Kiruna's move is driven by ground subsidence linked to the vast iron ore deposits beneath the city. When the settlement was founded in 1890, the surrounding mountains offered vital shelter from Arctic winds, making it an ideal location. More than a century later, the growth of what is now the world's largest underground iron ore mine has forced a dramatic rethink. To reach the richest seams, operator LKAB must tunnel beneath the original town site in an outcome the city's founders could never have imagined. The church was completed in 1912 and is widely considered one of Sweden's most beautiful pre-1950 buildings. The organ in Kiruna Church, one of largest wooden buildings in Sweden. LightRocket via Getty Images Designed by architect Gustaf Wickman, it blends Scandinavian Romantic style with influences from Sami culture and Norwegian stave churches. Something that's lacking is many overtly Christian symbols. While a compromise was reached to include a cross, Lundbohm wanted everyone to feel welcome in the church. Its striking red-painted wooden walls and ornate interior have made it the pride of Kiruna for generations, as well as a significant tourist attraction. How To Move A Church Unlike some other heritage buildings in the city, which were dismantled and rebuilt piece by piece, the church is being relocated intact. Engineers from the contractor Veidekke, working with specialists in heavy transport, have jacked the 600-ton structure onto a self-propelled modular transporter. Roads have been widened, viaducts demolished, and infrastructure re-routed to allow the slow journey to its new home beside the cemetery and the emerging city center. Veidekke's CEO Jimmy Bengtsson said the company has already been involved with the dismantling of the old city center and the construction of the new one. 'We have moved 12 important cultural buildings,' he added. A Cultural Event For Kiruna The relocation is not only an engineering feat but also a cultural event. Following a blessing from church leaders of the church and planned route, the move got underaway at approximately 8am local time on August 19. The incredible relocation project is being live streamed to fascinated audiences across Sweden and beyond. Getty Images Thousands of locals and visitors gathered to watch the church inch along the road, while concerts and community activities accompanied the move. LKAB, the state-owned mining company financing the project, has organized a livestream for global audiences, ensuring that the extraordinary sight of a church on wheels can be shared far beyond the Arctic Circle. Swedish media including the newspaper Aftonbladet are also live streaming the remarkable event. Yet for residents, the moment is bittersweet. Kiruna's vicar has described the move as 'a rebirth,' while others reflect on the loss of familiar landscapes swallowed by mining. Sami communities, whose reindeer herding routes have been affected by both the mine and the city's expansion, have voiced concern over the wider impact of development in the region. Once resettled on its new site, the church will be carefully restored and rotated so its entrance faces the community, which is a traditional orientation for folk churches in Arctic Sweden. The grave of Hjalmar Lundbohm, Kiruna's founding figure, will also be relocated to rest beside the church once more. Visitors who come for the northern lights, one of the region's most famous ice hotels or to explore the Arctic wilderness now have the chance to witness history in motion: an entire city redefining itself and its most cherished building taking a slow, stately journey into the future. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes How To Visit Kiruna, Sweden's City On The Move By David Nikel Forbes Why You Should Plan A Northern Lights Trip To Scandinavia In 2025 By David Nikel Forbes 5 Great Reasons To Visit Sweden In 2025 By David Nikel
Washington Post
6 hours ago
- Washington Post
How do you move a beloved Swedish church down the road? With prayer, engineering and some Eurovision
KIRUNA, Sweden — How do you move one of Sweden's most beloved wooden churches down the road? With a little bit of engineering, a lot of prayer — and some Eurovision for good luck. The Kiruna Church — called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish — and its belfry are being moved this week along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation. It's happening because the world's largest underground iron-ore mine is threatening to swallow the town.
