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Bergunda kyrka

Address
Bergunda kyrka, 355, 355 93, Växjö
Municipality
Växjö Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Växjö

Bergunda kyrka is a medieval-origin church in Bergunda, part of Öjaby parish in the Diocese of Växjö. Its thick walls and sturdy tower give it the character of a defensive church, shaped by centuries of rebuilding and its exposed position beside an old highway.



The church's precise age and original form are uncertain. Foundation remains uncovered beneath the floor in the late 1930s hint at an earlier Romanesque church with an apse, possibly similar in style to the old church at Dreved, though little else is known of this early building. The tower, added somewhat later than the nave, once contained a shooting gallery near its top, and the building's massive stone walls and small window and door openings reflect its historic role as a place of refuge in troubled times.

Standing beside the main road linking Småland and Skåne, the church occupied a vulnerable spot in wartime; it is recorded as having been plundered by Danish troops in 1611. A freestanding bell tower was demolished in 1732, with the bells then moved into the tower itself. The building's present exterior largely dates from a major restoration in 1825–26, when the chancel and apse were rebuilt and the eastern end took its current form. A south extension was added at this time, funded by the countess of the Bergkvara estate, balancing an earlier north extension thought to have served as a vestry. Until 1921 the church remained under the patronage of Bergkvara, and its history is closely tied to the fortunes of that estate.

Further changes came with a 1904 restoration, which shaped much of the interior seen today, including the barrel vault, altar rail, pews and gallery front, along with new painted windows donated by a member of the Posse family. A restoration in the late 1930s removed decorative stencilled wall paintings added around the turn of the century. Later work, in 1988–89, gave the church its current colour scheme, introduced a new freestanding altar in the chancel, and saw two rows of pews removed from the rear of the church.

Among the church's older furnishings is an altar slab said to date from medieval times and reputed to contain a relic cavity, along with a sandstone font attributed to the late twelfth century and linked to a recognised group of Romanesque fonts decorated with fantastical creatures. The altarpiece, depicting Christ among harvesters, was painted by Simon Gate and installed in the 1940s. A gallery on the south transept, known as the patron's gallery, was reserved for the Bergkvara family, underlining the long connection between the church and the estate. The pulpit is said, according to a note from the 1690s, to have been a gift from the Bergkvara household, though it has been repainted and altered several times since.

The church has had at least three organs across its history, the earliest dating from around 1770, with later instruments installed in the late 1930s and again in the 1970s; visitors interested in organs may find the instrument's mechanical action and retained eighteenth-century façade of note.

Opening hours

Provider-listed schedule, applicable on 12 Oct 2026. All times are local to Sweden.

From 1 Jun 2022; no end date supplied
Monday08:00–20:00
Tuesday08:00–20:00
Wednesday08:00–20:00
Thursday08:00–20:00
Friday08:00–20:00
Saturday08:00–20:00
Sunday08:00–20:00

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
  • Hearing loop
  • 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.

Öjaby församling

Bergunda kyrka

Bergunda kyrka is a medieval-origin church in Bergunda, part of Öjaby parish in the Diocese of Växjö. Its thick walls and sturdy tower give it the character of a defensive church, shaped by centuries of rebuilding and its exposed position beside an old highway.

Bergunda kyrka, 355, 355 93, Växjö

Explore this church: Bergunda 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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Vetlanda kyrka stands at the heart of the town, close to houses and green space alike. A church has occupied this site since the Middle Ages, though the building visitors see today is largely the…

Storgatan 58, 574 31, Vetlanda

View church details: Vetlanda kyrka
Basic listing

Gårdsby kyrka

Gårdsby kyrka is a Neoclassical parish church in Kronoberg county, built in the 1830s to replace a much older medieval church on a nearby site. It serves Gårdsby parish, part of the Church of Sweden's…

Gårdsby kyrka, 355

View church details: Gårdsby kyrka
Basic listing

Huskvarna kyrka

Huskvarna kyrka is a red timber church standing at the heart of central Huskvarna, in Jönköping County. Built in the early twentieth century as a gift to the growing community, it remains a striking landmark…

Alfred Dalinvägen 10-12

View church details: Huskvarna 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: 17 Sep 2026. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: c0aa98c7-f109-4df7-b93e-6026e147841a

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.