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Skirö kyrka

Address
Skirö
Municipality
Vetlanda kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Växjö

Skirö kyrka stands in a striking elevated position near Skirösjön in Jönköping County, long regarded as one of the district's most attractive churches. The present building dates from the 1830s and replaced a medieval stone church, whose ruined remains still lie nearby.



The earliest church at Skirö may have been a wooden stave church, later replaced during the early 1200s by a stone church built in Romanesque style, with nave, chancel and apse — comparable to surviving medieval churches of the Njudung district such as Myresjö and Lannaskede old churches. That medieval church stood by the shore of Skirösjön close to the old rectory; its foundation walls survive, and a bell tower housing the old church's smaller bell was later erected on the former site.

By the early 1800s the old church was considered too small and in poor repair. Following a bishop's visitation in 1803, the decision was taken to build anew, though disagreements over funding and the choice of site delayed matters for some three decades. In 1831 it was agreed the new church would be built on the hill above the lake, and construction began in 1835. Skirö nya kyrka was completed in 1837 to designs by the architect Jacob Wilhelm Gerss and was consecrated that September by Bishop Esaias Tegnér.

The church is a single-nave hall church in Neoclassical style, with a semicircular chancel, large round-arched windows and a barrel vault. A sacristy projects from the centre of the nave's east side, while the tower to the north carries an open lantern and clock. Among the furnishings is a wooden crucifix dating from the early 1200s, evidently retained from the medieval church, along with box pews from the time of the new building's construction — some fitted as reversible pews, allowing occupants to face either the altar or the pulpit. Fragments of an 18th-century gallery screen decorated with scenes from the life of Christ also survive.

The church has had more than one altarpiece: a painting of the Transfiguration by Johannes Magnusson from 1840, and a later 1927 work depicting Christ in prayer by Elisabeth Hagstrand, which for a time replaced it before both were rearranged during a mid-20th-century restoration. Skirö also has two pipe organs, including a mechanical gallery organ built in 1857 by the local farmer, church painter and organ builder Johannes Magnusson, whose façade was designed by Johan Adolf Hawerman.

Opening hours

Opening hours have not been confirmed for the current date. This does not mean the church is closed.

Additional opening information is awaiting translation. Check the official visitor-information link before travelling.

Check access with the parish before travelling. Services and seasonal changes can affect visits.

Facilities & accessibility

  • Parking
  • Toilet
  • Hearing loop
  • Ramp

Listed by the provider; availability has not been independently checked. An unlisted facility is not necessarily unavailable.

A listed ramp does not confirm step-free access throughout the building.

Vetlanda pastorat

Skirö kyrka

Skirö kyrka stands in a striking elevated position near Skirösjön in Jönköping County, long regarded as one of the district's most attractive churches. The present building dates from the 1830s and replaced a medieval stone church, whose ruined remains still lie nearby.

Skirö

Explore this church: Skirö kyrka

Church information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.

Other churches in the same diocese

Basic listing

Högsrums kyrka

Högsrums kyrka is a parish church on the island of Öland, in Kalmar county. Its west tower dates back to the Middle Ages, while the main body of the building reflects a rebuilding in the…

Högsrums bygata 2, 387 92, Borgholm

View church details: Högsrums kyrka

Sources & credits

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: 2 May 2025. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 1a1cc7b0-a8e7-42d4-b568-8e9429076c16

Guide sources

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.

Suggest a correction

Church data retrieved 24 Sep 2026. Visiting details have not been independently verified.

Sources, licences & reuse

Independent guide

Churches in Sweden is an independent guide. It is not an official Svenska kyrkan website and does not imply sponsorship or endorsement.

Church information

Source: Svenska kyrkan — Platser, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. English adaptations by Churches in Sweden are identified on each profile. Our adaptations solely from Platser are offered under CC BY 4.0. Guides combining Wikipedia with other compatible sources are identified individually and offered under CC BY-SA 4.0; this covers that guide text, not the whole website. Separately credited third-party material retains its stated terms. Independently written descriptions are identified on their profiles. Imported material has not been independently verified. Original names and visiting details are retained; presentation is reformatted. Each profile identifies its source record and any additional supplied credits.

You may reuse the licensed church material under CC BY 4.0, including commercially, with the required attribution, licence link and indication of changes. No additional site restriction overrides those rights. The licence does not automatically cover separately credited images or map data.

Provider disclaimer

Svenska kyrkan supplies Platser data without guaranteeing that it is correct, current, complete across its organisation, or always available. The material is provided as-is and as-available, subject to the licence’s disclaimer of warranties and limitation of liability.

Svenska kyrkan kan ej garantera att den data som finns i Platser:
– är korrekt.
– är aktuell.
– är komplett för hela Svenska kyrkans organisation.
– alltid är tillgänglig.

Preserved provider agreement · Full licence

Automatic diocese associations use the organisation codes from Svenska kyrkan UnitAPI. An association does not establish ownership or denomination. External editorial sources are credited separately.

Map and photographs

Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL and © OpenMapTiles. Tiles and style are served by World Class Maps. Map rendering uses MapLibre GL JS. The map’s own attribution remains visible.

Photographs are credited individually with their own licence or permission. The API data licence does not automatically cover photographs. No images are imported automatically.