Haverö kyrka stands on a peninsula in Lake Havern, on what is considered Norrland's oldest documented church site. Designed by Theodor Edberg in 1842, with the proposal approved by King Karl XIV Johan, the present building was constructed in 1850 on the site of an earlier stone church and consecrated on 14 March 1852.
The site's long history is recorded in a 1268 document from a meeting in Lödöse, where a church at Hafra (Haverö) is mentioned as a boundary marker; sources suggest a church stood here by around 1270, though earlier structures cannot be ruled out. Through the turbulent border disputes of the 17th century, the church and the large stone beside it were repeatedly cited as landmarks, and the stone is said to have served as a pagan sacrificial site in earlier times.
Parishioners resolved to build a new church as early as 1835, but financial difficulties delayed completion until 1850, with consecration following in 1852. Parts of the demolished older church were incorporated into the present sacristy. Bishop Frans Mikael Franzén of Härnösand took a close interest in the project, reportedly shaping its light, white-and-gold interior and artistic scheme, modelled on Ulrika Eleonora's church in Stockholm. The large altarpiece is a copy, signed by S Blombergsson, of an original painted by Professor Fredric Westin; according to local tradition, two of the angels in the Resurrection scene were modelled on the bishop's daughters.
The woodcarving throughout the church was carried out under Johan Uhrus of Bollnäs, who is also credited with two of the chandeliers. Another, nearest the altar, was donated by a local man, Isak Lemoine, in gratitude after his two children were found safe having been lost in the forest for several days.
The church's most notable treasure is a medieval wooden sculpture of the Archangel Michael battling a dragon, gilded and thought to have been made in Cologne around 1200 — possibly the oldest surviving image of Michael in Sweden. Other early items include a 14th-century censer kept in a sacristy window and a 15th-century blue chasuble, while a small museum room above the sacristy holds further fragments from the old church. An altar structure made in 1736 by Jonas Granberg of Klövsjö, along with two pyramids and an altar rail, was later moved to stand by the baptismal altar. The marble font was a gift from the vicar P J Söderberg in 1923.
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Borgsjö-Haverö församling
Borgsjö-Haverö församling
Haverö kyrka stands on a peninsula in Lake Havern, on what is considered Norrland's oldest documented church site. Designed by Theodor Edberg in 1842, with the proposal approved by King Karl XIV Johan, the present building was constructed in 1850 on the site of an earlier stone church and consecrated on 14 March 1852.
Vallen 334, 841 93, Östavall
Explore this church: Haverö kyrkaChurch information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.
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Strandvägen 10 B, 83532, Krokom
View church details: Näldens församlingshemSources, 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: 28 Jan 2025. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: 8c8cb970-f2fd-47cf-9b43-9b52284df655
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.