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Händene kyrka

Address
Malmgatan 3, 53231, Skara
Municipality
Skara Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Skara

Händene kyrka is a small parish church in Händene, in the Skara diocese of Västra Götaland. Though largely rebuilt over the centuries, it retains a Romanesque tower and several medieval treasures that reward a closer look.



The church was originally built in the Romanesque style during the 1100s. It underwent a substantial rebuilding in the 1600s, followed by a major restoration in 1833, and the chancel was widened with a new sacristy added in 1912. Of all these changes, only the tower survives largely unaltered from medieval times, still showing its Romanesque sound openings with slender columns.

Inside, the font dates from the medieval period, as does a carved oak altar cabinet from the 1400s containing a seated Madonna figure, standing 85 centimetres tall within its 117-centimetre shrine; the figure has been repainted at some later date. The current altarpiece, painted in 1912 by A.G. Lundblad, depicts the Road to Emmaus.

The nave holds a memorial gravestone to lieutenant colonel and nobleman Pehr Gyllenhammar and his wife and cousin Christina Gyllencornet, with the Gyllenhammar family coat of arms mounted above it. The church also preserves textiles from the 1600s, 1700s and 1800s, which have been conserved by Sweden's national heritage authority, along with parish record books dating back to the 1600s.

The two church bells are of late medieval origin. The larger bell is dated 1528 and was cast by the Bossonska foundry in Stockholm; it carries a Latin inscription invoking Saint John, separated by small decorative figures including child heads wearing caps with hanging curls. The smaller bell is similar in shape but bears no inscription, and it has been suggested the pair may have been cast at the same time.

The present organ was built in 1953 by Nordfors & Co of Lidköping and stands on the west gallery; its silent façade pipework dates back to an earlier 1901 organ by Johannes Magnusson of Gothenburg.

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.

Skara pastorat

Händene kyrka

Händene kyrka is a small parish church in Händene, in the Skara diocese of Västra Götaland. Though largely rebuilt over the centuries, it retains a Romanesque tower and several medieval treasures that reward a closer look.

Malmgatan 3, 53231, Skara

Explore this church: Händene 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

Vesene kyrka

Vesene kyrka is a small church in the south-western part of Herrljunga municipality in Västra Götaland, within Skara diocese. Built in the 1100s, possibly extending into the early 1200s, it is notable for its thick,…

Stationsvägen 7, Östra Kyrkogatan

View church details: Vesene kyrka
Basic listing

Kinneveds kyrka

Kinneveds kyrka is a small parish church near Kinnarp in Falköping Municipality, Västra Götaland County. Dating from the late twelfth century, it belongs to the Church of Sweden's Kinneved parish within the Diocese of Skara,…

Kinneveds kyrka

View church details: Kinneveds 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: 1da3888c-bcda-458c-b0ba-0e574c0e187f

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.