Folkärna kyrka is the parish church of Folkärna, in the Diocese of Västerås, Dalarna. Its churchyard is the resting place of the poet Erik Axel Karlfeldt and the sculptor Björn Lövin, and the building's long, eventful history spans wooden chapel, medieval stone church and 19th-century rebuilding.
The site's history stretches back to at least 1353, when a wooden chapel is first recorded here. That building burned down in 1378, and a stone church, probably completed around 1400, replaced it. The sturdy west tower, which still stands today, was added towards the end of the 15th century, giving the church its earliest surviving architectural feature.
The building has suffered repeated fire damage over the centuries. In 1704 lightning struck the tower and the nave burned to the ground; repairs were initially makeshift, with a temporary board roof, and the tower went without its spire until 1788. That year a rebuilding under master builder Eric Sjöström gave the tower its present Gustavian-style cupola and lantern, and the old south porch was removed. The present nave, in Empire style, dates from 1849–1853, built by Johan Bergström to designs by the architect Johan Adolf Hawerman.
Inside, the church is divided into three aisles, with the central nave covered by a barrel vault resting on two rows of columns, while the side aisles have lower, flat ceilings. A restoration in 1931 uncovered the medieval vaulting within the tower, and later works in 1978–79 altered the colour scheme of the interior.
Among the church's furnishings, the font dates from 1670; it was rediscovered in the church attic and given a reconstructed supporting pillar in 1931. The altar cabinet is considerably older still, made in Antwerp towards the end of the 1490s, a striking survival from the church's medieval past. The pulpit, from the workshop of O.A. Dahlman in Västerås, is contemporary with the current 1853 nave, and its accompanying hourglass was donated to the church in 1764.
The church has had a succession of organs, the earliest a small regal bought from Stockholm in 1657. Later instruments were built in 1769 and 1853, before the present organ was installed in 1931 by A. Magnussons Orgelbyggeri of Gothenburg, incorporating the façade of its 1853 predecessor; it was renovated in 1984.
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By-Folkärna pastorat
By-Folkärna pastorat
Folkärna kyrka is the parish church of Folkärna, in the Diocese of Västerås, Dalarna. Its churchyard is the resting place of the poet Erik Axel Karlfeldt and the sculptor Björn Lövin, and the building's long, eventful history spans wooden chapel, medieval stone church and 19th-century rebuilding.
Kapellgatan 6, 77551, KRYLBO
Explore this church: Folkärna kyrkaChurch information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.
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Klockarvägen 1, 73360, Västerfärnebo
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KYRKVÄGEN 28, 78230, MALUNG
View church details: Tyngsjö kyrkaSources, credits and English adaptations are identified on each church page. Provider data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0.
Provider catalogue data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser, CC BY 4.0. Separately credited descriptions retain their stated source and licence terms. Catalogue and visiting data reformatted from the provider. The English guide combines and abridges separately credited sources below.
Provider record updated: 8 Jun 2022. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: bcdc706f-3d5f-4efd-9f1b-6cfaeaa6e06a
This English guide combines, abridges and translates the sources below with AI assistance, with editorial contributions by Churches in Sweden. It has not been independently verified. The adapted guide text is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photographs and map data have their own terms.