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Viksängskyrkan

Address
Björnövägen 14, 721 31, Västerås
Municipality
Västerås kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Västerås

Viksängskyrkan stands in the Viksäng district of Västerås, a wooden church with an unusual military past. What began as a soldiers' home for a nearby regiment was later transformed into a parish church serving the surrounding neighbourhood.



The building's origins lie in 1912, when it was constructed as a 'Soldatkyrkan' (Soldiers' Church) for the Västmanland Regiment, which had moved to newly built barracks at Viksäng in 1906. Funds were raised by a support association, and Bishop Nils Lövgren was among those behind the project. Designed by architect Arvid Grane in a national romantic style, the building originally combined a chapel with a library, reading room and caretaker's residence.

After the regiment was disbanded in 1927, the site passed to the newly formed air force wing, and the church was refurbished in 1941 under architect Viktor Segerstedt, who added a new pulpit, ceiling and chandeliers. A freestanding bell tower, also by Segerstedt, was erected a few years later thanks to a local benefactor. Military use of the area declined through the following decades, and when the old barracks quarter was demolished to make way for thousands of new residents, the church remained in place rather than being relocated as once planned.

A thorough reordering of the interior took place in 1965 under architect Vilhelm Alnefelt, at which point nearly all military features were removed and the building was reconsecrated under its present name, Viksängskyrkan. Pulpit, pews and altar were replaced, and pine panelling was fitted to ceiling and pillars. In 1975 the altar was moved to the centre of the church room, a symbolic gesture emphasising the presence of Christ among the congregation — an arrangement that remains unusual among Swedish parish churches.

The exterior, by contrast, has largely kept its early twentieth-century character: an L-shaped timber building rendered in pale yellow-white, with a pentagonal apse, a ridge turret on the roof, and porches whose broad bargeboards draw on Old Norse decorative forms. Inside, the pine-clad, three-sided roof and simple white walls create a plain, contemplative space, with the green-toned apse providing the main note of colour.

Opening hours

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

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

Facilities & accessibility

  • Parking
  • Toilet
  • Hearing loop

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

Västerås pastorat

Viksängskyrkan

Viksängskyrkan stands in the Viksäng district of Västerås, a wooden church with an unusual military past. What began as a soldiers' home for a nearby regiment was later transformed into a parish church serving the surrounding neighbourhood.

Björnövägen 14, 721 31, Västerås

Explore this church: Viksängskyrkan

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

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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: 13 Apr 2026. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 9cd86814-42ce-452f-a3b1-92a2d41f9597

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.