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Östra Tommarps kyrka

Address
Bygatan 6, 27293, Tommarp
Municipality
Simrishamns kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Lund

Östra Tommarps kyrka, in the Gärsnäs parish of Skåne, is a nineteenth-century church that replaced a much older medieval building on the same site. Its striking gables and tower give it a distinctive presence in the small village of Östra Tommarp.



A stone church dedicated to Saint Mary is believed to have stood here since the 1100s, serving during the Middle Ages as the church of Tommarps monastery, home to the Premonstratensian order. That earlier building was small, roughly twelve metres long, and roofed with lead; when it was later demolished, quantities of lead were found melted into the walls, evidence of a past fire.

The present church was completed in 1857 in a neo-Gothic style, initially retaining the medieval tower from its predecessor. This arrangement did not last: in 1888 the old tower was taken down and replaced with the tower seen today, designed by the architect Agi Lindegren. The building now consists of a nave with a rounded sacristy to the east and the tower to the west, with the main entrance on the tower's south side. Stepped gables and decorative eaves give the exterior its character.

Inside, the vaulted ceiling and the wall separating the choir from the sacristy reflect the taste of the late 1800s. Most of the original decorative wall and ceiling paintings have since been removed, though a painted star-covered ceiling survives in the sacristy. An older font, cast in coloured brick and decorated with angel figures, stands in the porch; it has not been used for baptisms since 1955.a

The altarpiece, "Christus Consolator", was painted by Almén in 1886 and is a copy of Carl Bloch's altarpiece in Hörup church. The pulpit displays five carved panels depicting Christ and the four evangelists; these figures were salvaged from an earlier pulpit dating from the early 1600s, giving the Victorian-era church a tangible link to its older furnishings.

The current font, of carved sandstone with an eight-sided, fluted form, was made in 1958 to a design by Torsten Leon Nilsson. Behind it stands a modern image of the Madonna, created in 2007 by Ralf Broselius.

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.

Gärsnäs församling

Östra Tommarps kyrka

Östra Tommarps kyrka, in the Gärsnäs parish of Skåne, is a nineteenth-century church that replaced a much older medieval building on the same site. Its striking gables and tower give it a distinctive presence in the small village of Östra Tommarp.

Bygatan 6, 27293, Tommarp

Explore this church: Östra Tommarps 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

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View church details: Ljungdalakyrkan
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Stehags kyrka, in the village of Stehag in Skåne, is regarded as one of the most interesting churches in the diocese of Lund. Dating from the 12th century, it retains wall paintings from the early…

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Södra Sallerups kyrka

Södra Sallerups kyrka, in the village of Södra Sallerup in eastern Malmö, is thought to be the city's oldest church, with origins reaching back to the 1100s. Despite the encroaching suburbs, it retains the feel…

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View church details: Södra Sallerups 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: 20 Aug 2026. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: ae74cee3-6404-4d92-8607-48514f377e3c

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.

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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.