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Södra Björke kyrka

Address
Stationsvägen 7, Östra Kyrkogatan
Municipality
Herrljunga Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Skara

Södra Björke kyrka is a parish church in the western part of Herrljunga kommun, Västra Götaland, built to replace a medieval church that was judged too small and dilapidated by the mid-eighteenth century. The present building was completed in 1779.



The medieval church on this modest rise was condemned at a bishop's visitation in 1760, described as both decrepit and too small for the congregation. Rebuilding began in 1774 to designs attributed to Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz, and only the north-west corner of the old wall was retained. Fitting out the new building took time, and it was not consecrated until 1779.

One local tradition holds that a builder absconded with construction funds, which is said to explain why the porch and sacristy were not added until much later, in 1921 (sources differ on whether this delay was due to that alleged event or simply to the cost of completing the works). Whatever the cause, the church gained its porch, sacristy and an enlarged churchyard in that restoration.

The church was painted in 1821 and repaired in 1869, when a new gallery, windows and pews were installed. Further restoration followed in 1963–1964, when the interior was repainted in light colours under Olle Hellström, and again in 1988, when the plasterwork was repaired and the exterior repainted.

The whitewashed exterior has a saddle roof, narrowing over the chancel and covered with red tile, and round-arched, lead-latticed windows with grey-painted frames. A free-standing wooden bell tower stands beside the church, and a sundial dated 1717 can be seen in the churchyard.

Inside, the font is of particular interest: carved from sandstone in the twelfth century in two pieces, it belongs to a small group of related Romanesque fonts named after an example in Molla church, most bearing faint animal figures on the bowl. The pulpit dates from 1717 and had its original painted decoration uncovered during the 1960s restoration. The altarpiece, painted on canvas within a broad gilded frame, was made in 1870 by the artist A. G. Ljungström and depicts the Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist at the foot of the cross, surrounded by angels.

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.

Herrljungabygdens församling

Södra Björke kyrka

Södra Björke kyrka is a parish church in the western part of Herrljunga kommun, Västra Götaland, built to replace a medieval church that was judged too small and dilapidated by the mid-eighteenth century. The present building was completed in 1779.

Stationsvägen 7, Östra Kyrkogatan

Explore this church: Södra Björke 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

Horla kyrka

Horla kyrka is a small Romanesque church in the parish of Hol, in the south-western part of Vårgårda in Västra Götaland. Considered one of the best-preserved churches in the diocese of Skara, it dates from…

Kungsgatan 43, Vårgårda

View church details: Horla kyrka
Basic listing

Ornunga gamla kyrka

Set on a ridge in the district known as Svältorna, Ornunga gamla kyrka is a small medieval church regarded as one of the best-preserved historic church sites from the old farming society of the province.…

Kungsgatan 43, Vårgårda

View church details: Ornunga gamla kyrka
Basic listing

Skölvene kyrka

Skölvene kyrka serves the parishes of Skölvene and Norra Säm, in what is now Herrljungabygdens församling in the Diocese of Skara. This modest nineteenth-century church stands on the site of a medieval predecessor and holds…

Stationsvägen 7, Östra Kyrkogatan

View church details: Skölvene 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: 18 Apr 2023. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: d5303722-8421-44c6-9ea7-adedf48b6d16

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.