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Södra Sandsjö kyrka

Address
Sandsjövägen 13 Dångebo, 36293, Tingsryd
Municipality
Tingsryds Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Växjö

Södra Sandsjö kyrka stands beside Sandsjön lake in the village of Dångebo, Kronoberg, within Växjö diocese. Built in the 1830s to replace a small 16th-century wooden church, it belongs to a group of Swedish churches associated with Bishop Esaias Tegnér, who consecrated it in 1838.



The present building was erected in 1836–1837 to designs by the architect Samuel Enander, replacing an earlier timber church dating from 1590 that stood a little to the south-west; its former site is marked with a cross in the churchyard. Growing congregations across the Växjö diocese in the early nineteenth century prompted many parishes to build larger churches during Tegnér's time as bishop, and such buildings are sometimes locally nicknamed 'Tegnér barns' for their scale and light-filled interiors, though this particular church is described as a smaller example of the type. Built in Empire style, of stone with roughcast, lime-washed walls, it has a rectangular nave, an eastern chancel wall and a sacristy behind, with a west tower topped by a four-sided lantern and cross.

Inside, tall round-arched windows and a wooden barrel-vaulted ceiling accompany an extensive painted decoration covering the entire chancel wall, created in 1837 by the decorative painter Carl Strömberg of Karlshamn. Its centrepiece, depicting Christ in Gethsemane, was later covered over in 1873 but rediscovered and restored in 1927. Grisaille-technique paintings above the doors depict kneeling angels and symbols referring to the Old and New Testaments, echoing the illusionistic style used elsewhere in the decoration.

An earlier altarpiece showing the Resurrection of Christ, painted by Ludwig Frid after a work by Fredric Westin (whose original hangs in Kungsholm Church, Stockholm), now hangs on the south wall. Frid, a Småland-born painter who studied in Stockholm and Paris, is also known for the altar decoration at Urshult church. Other furnishings recall the church's earlier history: a wall beam from the old church carries carved imagery of the biblical wise and foolish virgins, and a seventeenth-century bridal bench stands nearby. A free-standing altar was introduced during restoration work in the late 1950s.

The church holds a mix of older and newer fittings, including a floor clock said to date from 1794 and thought to have stood in the earlier church, a font from 1939 decorated with reliefs, and several pairs of chandeliers, some modern Orrefors and Gullaskruf crystal and others said to date from the seventeenth century. A bench once used for the old churching ceremony — a rite of thanksgiving for new mothers that continued in some form into the 1940s — survives near the entrance. The church's silver is comparatively modern, following a theft of older items in 1807.

The church has had several organs over its history, from an instrument built in 1865–66 to a new organ installed in 2019, though accounts differ slightly on the details of the earliest instrument. Since 2010 Södra Sandsjö parish has formed part of a joint pastorate covering all seven parishes within Tingsryd municipality.

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.

Södra Sandsjö församling

Södra Sandsjö kyrka

Södra Sandsjö kyrka stands beside Sandsjön lake in the village of Dångebo, Kronoberg, within Växjö diocese. Built in the 1830s to replace a small 16th-century wooden church, it belongs to a group of Swedish churches associated with Bishop Esaias Tegnér, who consecrated it in 1838.

Sandsjövägen 13 Dångebo, 36293, Tingsryd

Explore this church: Södra Sandsjö kyrka

Church information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.

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Nässjö gamla kyrka stands around five kilometres north-west of Nässjö in Småland, on a site occupied by a church since the 12th century. Consecrated in 1791, it remains a popular setting for weddings and christenings…

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View church details: Nässjö gamla kyrka
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Oskarshamns kyrka

Oskarshamns kyrka, the town church of Oskarshamn, stands in the town park and has served as the parish church since the late nineteenth century. This guide draws on its recorded history, architecture and notable furnishings…

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View church details: Oskarshamns 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 Sep 2023. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: c43449a1-d4d4-43e0-8d5a-65837c11abd7

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.

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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

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Photographs are credited individually with their own licence or permission. The API data licence does not automatically cover photographs. No images are imported automatically.