Ancient Swedish Wooden Church Moves a Step Closer to Its New Destination
In the heart of northern Sweden, a historic and culturally significant church is embarking on a remarkable journey. The Kiruna Church, built in 1912 and weighing approximately 672 tonnes, is being moved five kilometres to a new city centre, marking the latest chapter in a town relocation process that began almost two decades ago.
The move, which began on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, and is scheduled to be completed on Wednesday, is a testament to modern engineering and logistical prowess. The church is being transported on remote-controlled flatbed trailers, moving at a slow pace, half a kilometer an hour, to ensure its safety.
The church, designed by Gustaf Wickman, stands tall at 40 metres (131 feet) and boasts a neo-Gothic exterior with slanting roofs and windows on each side. Its dark interior features elements of national romanticism, an Art Nouveau altarpiece, and an organ with over 2,000 pipes. The design includes influences inspired by the region's Indigenous Sami people, as seen in the pews.
The relocation is necessary to allow Europe's biggest underground mine, LKAB, to expand. The mine's burrowing has weakened the ground beneath the old city centre, causing cracks and fissures that pose risks to critical infrastructure. Swedish law prohibits mining directly beneath buildings, necessitating the relocation of parts of the city.
The cost of moving the church alone is estimated at approximately 500 million Swedish kronor ($52 million or €45 million). The entire Kiruna town relocation, a much larger operation involving thousands of residents and numerous buildings over a 30-year span, is expected to cost about $1 billion. The funding for this massive undertaking comes from LKAB, the state-owned mining company responsible for the mining activities causing the ground instability.
The journey of the Kiruna Church is not just a logistical operation; it is also a cultural preservation project. The church is considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings and holds significant cultural and historical significance for Kiruna. It was voted the best building built before 1950 in Sweden and is a beloved symbol, designed to resemble Sámi traditional huts.
Large crowds have gathered in Kiruna to witness this historic event, and Swedish television is broadcasting the journey live. Even King Carl XVI Gustaf was due to take part in festivities in Kiruna. The new town centre, where the church now resides, was officially inaugurated in September 2022.
The belltower, which stood separately next to the church, will be moved next week, completing the relocation of this iconic Swedish landmark. The Kiruna Church relocation is a complex engineering and cultural preservation project, costing around $52 million for the church move and part of a larger billion-dollar town relocation effort over several decades.
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