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Gerums kyrka

Address
Fardhems Prästgård, 62352, HEMSE
Municipality
Gotland
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Visby

Gerums kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, in the Church of Sweden's diocese of Visby. Serving Gerum parish, it is a modest rural church notable for its unusual tower and richly painted interior spanning several centuries of decoration.



The church has its origins in a Romanesque 12th-century building, of which the chancel and semicircular apse survive. A tall stone tower was apparently planned when the church was later remodelled, but the work seems to have stalled; instead, an octagonal timber tower with a spire and sound openings for the bell was built, giving the church an exterior said to resemble Hellvi church in northern Gotland. The nave was completed towards the end of the 13th century in a late Gothic style, visible in the pointed arches of the south portal, the south window and the triumphal arch, with vaulting carried on a single sturdy pillar. A sacristy was added in 1835.

The interior is notable for its wall paintings, which range widely in date. The oldest are 13th-century ornamental designs on the western triumphal arch and the nave's east wall. In the 15th century, an artist known as the Passion Master added scenes from the life of Christ, while the acanthus-leaf decoration filling the apse dates from as late as 1771. A well-preserved 14th-century stained glass window in the chancel's south wall depicts Saint Olof.

Among the furnishings is a sandstone font from the later 12th century attributed to the so-called Master of the Majestic Lord, an unidentified sculptor whose work also appears at Stenkyrka and Väskinde churches; it is carved with reliefs from the life of Christ. A triumphal crucifix dates from the late 12th century, and the church also holds two processional crucifixes, one from the 13th century and one from the 14th.

The altarpiece is a carved wooden frame from 1667 surrounding a painting of the institution of the Eucharist. The pulpit, made in 1699, has painted figures of holy people in its panels and a canopy shaped like a royal crown. The pews combine 18th- and 19th-century work, with door panels decorated in acanthus scrollwork.

The church's current pipe organ, a small mechanical instrument, was built in 1966 by the Danish firm Th. Frobenius & Co, replacing an earlier harmonium from the 1920s.

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.

Contact & official information

Gerums församling

Gerums församling

Gerums kyrka

Gerums kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, in the Church of Sweden's diocese of Visby. Serving Gerum parish, it is a modest rural church notable for its unusual tower and richly painted interior spanning several centuries of decoration.

Fardhems Prästgård, 62352, HEMSE

Explore this church: Gerums 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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Bunge kyrka is a medieval church on Gotland, once part of the island's chain of defensive churches. Its stout tower, ancient wall paintings and carved medieval fittings still speak to visitors more than seven centuries…

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View church details: Bunge kyrka
Basic listing

Stenkumla kyrka

Stenkumla kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, standing within Stenkumla församling under the Diocese of Visby. Its long building history, surviving medieval carvings and wall paintings make it a rewarding stop for visitors…

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View church details: Stenkumla kyrka
Basic listing

Björke kyrka

Björke kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, set among open farmland within a small stand of deciduous trees. Part of Björke församling in the Diocese of Visby, it preserves features spanning from the…

622 42, Romakloster

View church details: Björke kyrka
Basic listing

Ala kyrka

Ala kyrka is a medieval parish church in Ala socken, part of Östergarn parish on Gotland, set within open farmland beside the road from Ljugarn. Founded in the twelfth century, it has survived rebuilding, fire…

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View church details: Ala 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: 8 Jun 2022. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 60828663-2035-47f5-9694-d95bf9ded656

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.