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Mogata kyrka

Address
Mogata 1, 61490, Söderköping
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Linköping

Mogata kyrka stands in the small church village of Mogata, near Söderköping in Östergötland. Built in 1842–1844 to replace a medieval predecessor, it retains part of the earlier church's tower and offers a well-preserved neoclassical interior with links to a notable 18th-century local landowner.



A church stood on this site from at least the early 1200s. Excavations carried out during restoration work in 1961 uncovered the foundations of the medieval long house and chancel beneath the present floor, showing the earlier building had a straight-ended chancel, a feature shared with several other medieval churches in eastern Östergötland. Towards the end of the Middle Ages the chancel was enlarged and vaulted, and decorated with wall paintings dedicated, according to a recorded inscription, to God and to Saint Olaf, the Norwegian royal saint widely venerated in the region. The paintings, later described in some detail by antiquarian visitors before they were lost, are said to have depicted the Trinity, the Last Judgement, the four evangelists and church fathers, various saints, and Old Testament scenes; sources suggest they may have resembled surviving 1435 paintings at Risinge, though this cannot be verified.

Only the medieval font survives from the earlier church's furnishings. That building served the parish until 1842, by which time its interior had been altered repeatedly, including new pews and pulpit in the 1600s and an enlarged tower raised around 1704–1705. A significant benefactor of the old church was General Jacob Burensköld (1655–1738), a wealthy landowner and former cavalry commander under Charles XII, who gave an altarpiece, a wine jug, a chandelier and a richly worked chasuble reportedly taken as war booty in Poland.

The present building, completed in 1844, was constructed to designs realised by builder Jonas Jonsson of Linköping, incorporating half of the older medieval tower. It is a straightforward neoclassical structure with a rectangular nave, a straight east end and rendered white walls beneath a slate roof — a late and accomplished example of the plain, light-filled classicist style that had dominated Swedish church building since the late 1700s, shortly before the Gothic Revival took hold elsewhere in the diocese. Inside, the chancel is emphasised by a semicircular arrangement of four columns behind the altar, echoed by a matching curved gallery front at the west end, a design also found in the church at Lofta.

Furnishings from the older church were retained or restored during 20th-century renovations. The medieval font, of Gotland limestone from around 1300, still stands in the chancel. The 1716 altarpiece, showing Christ enthroned on clouds flanked by figures of the evangelists, hangs on the west wall beneath the gallery, and bears the coats of arms of Burensköld and his wife. Other notable paintings include a depiction of the Descent from the Cross attributed to the Norrköping painter Måns Griis, and a two-part composition of the Madonna and Child with the prophet Isaiah, possibly by a Dutch painter of the later 1600s, given by local donors in 1692. A stained-glass window by the artist Bo Beskow, who lived for many years in the parish's old rectory, was installed in the sacristy during the 1961–1963 restoration.

The church's silver plate was stolen in 1820, so most surviving pieces date from the 19th century. Several older chandeliers survive, including one of a 17th-century type and others donated by members of the Burensköld family. The present organ, built by Åkerman & Lund, retains an older façade dating from the mid-19th century, incorporating carved figures believed to be the work of the Norrköping sculptor Niclas Österbom, whose work also appears in Linköping Cathedral and in Västervik.

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
  • Ramp
  • Accessible toilet

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.

Söderköping S:t Anna församling

Mogata kyrka

Mogata kyrka stands in the small church village of Mogata, near Söderköping in Östergötland. Built in 1842–1844 to replace a medieval predecessor, it retains part of the earlier church's tower and offers a well-preserved neoclassical interior with links to a notable 18th-century local landowner.

Mogata 1, 61490, Söderköping

Explore this church: Mogata 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

Appuna kyrka

Appuna kyrka, set beside the road between Väderstad and Skänninge in Östergötland, is a late 19th-century parish church that replaced a medieval predecessor. Visitors come chiefly for its richly painted interior and a handful of…

Appuna kyrka, 590 21, Väderstad

View church details: Appuna kyrka
Basic listing

Tåby kyrka

Tåby kyrka is a parish church in Tåby, on Vikbolandet in Östergötland, some five kilometres northeast of Söderköping. It belongs to Västra Vikbolandets församling within the Diocese of Linköping, and stands on a site with…

Tåby, 614 92, Söderköping

View church details: Tåby kyrka
Basic listing

Norra Vi kyrka

Norra Vi kyrka is a parish church beside Lake Sommen in Ydre, Östergötland, belonging to Norra Ydre församling in the Diocese of Linköping. The present building dates from the 1770s, though it stands on a…

Norra Vi kyrka 1, 57376, Ydre

View church details: Norra Vi 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: 31 Aug 2026. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 05dc70e3-e593-4b36-96f2-3b23cff44ead

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.