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Charlottenborgskyrkan

Address
Strandvägen 80, 591 45, Motala
Municipality
Motala Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Linköping

Charlottenborgskyrkan is a modern parish church in Motala, serving the district south of the Motala ström as part of Motala parish within the Diocese of Linköping. Built in the late 1980s, it offers a striking example of late twentieth-century Swedish church architecture.



The church was constructed in 1986–1987 to designs by architects Gösta Erikson (also spelled Eriksson in some sources) and Bengt Linder. During building work it was discovered that the ground was too soft, requiring additional reinforcement. The completed church was consecrated on 30 January 1988 by Bishop Martin Lönnebo. It has a round plan, with the chancel to the east and a porch and entrance to the west; a freestanding steel bell tower stands near the main entrance.

The circular interior was designed with a distinctive acoustic in mind: the sloping walls are said to give a reverberation time well suited to choral singing, and the space can hold around 180 people, with room for a further 75 if the porch doors are opened. The floor is laid in planed Öland limestone, and the font is carved from red Jämtland limestone.

Above or near the altar hangs a bronze figure of the risen Christ by sculptor Liss Eriksson, cast in Paris; accounts differ slightly as to whether this is a large sculptural figure or described as a simpler crucifix, but both agree on the sculptor and material. A processional crucifix with the same motif, its shaft made of paudouk wood from Burma, is also attributed to Eriksson, whose work is said to draw on Pasolini's cinematic depiction of Christ.//The sacristy contains an altarpiece painted by Erik Olson of the Halmstad Group, combining several biblical motifs including the crucifixion, loaves and fishes, Veronica's veil, the flames of Pentecost, and the Star of David. Two sculptures of the Virgin Mary, one showing her sheltering cloak and the other a pietà, were created by Kajsa Mattas of Stockholm.

Other furnishings include liturgical textiles by Sten Kauppi inspired by the Book of Revelation, communion silver and candlesticks by Lars Håkansson of Malmö, and a bell cast at the Olsson foundry in Ystad, said to carry an inscription composed by the poet Bo Setterlind. The mechanical organ, with 14 stops, was built by the Danish firm Marcussen & Søn and inaugurated on 23 September 1990.

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.

Facilities & accessibility

  • Parking
  • Toilet
  • Hearing loop

Listed by the provider; availability has not been independently checked. An unlisted facility is not necessarily unavailable.

Motala församling

Charlottenborgskyrkan

Charlottenborgskyrkan is a modern parish church in Motala, serving the district south of the Motala ström as part of Motala parish within the Diocese of Linköping. Built in the late 1980s, it offers a striking example of late twentieth-century Swedish church architecture.

Strandvägen 80, 591 45, Motala

Explore this church: Charlottenborgskyrkan

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

Kisa kyrka

Kisa kyrka is a parish church in Kisa, Östergötland, part of the Diocese of Linköping. Its whitewashed rectangular nave, north sacristy and west tower give it a plain but characterful presence, with medieval origins beneath…

Kyrkstigen 2, 59036, KISA

View church details: Kisa kyrka
Basic listing

Veta kyrka

Veta kyrka, standing near Mantorp in Östergötland, dates back to the 1100s and combines early medieval origins with later additions from Sweden's Age of Greatness. Its striking freestanding bell tower and richly painted interior make…

Veta kyrka 1, Mantorp

View church details: Veta kyrka
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Sjögestads kyrka

Sjögestads kyrka, in the village of Sjögestad in Östergötland, is a mid-19th-century parish church that stands on a site with a much older history. It lies between Mjölby and Linköping, within the parish of Vikingstad…

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View church details: Sjögestads 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: 11 Apr 2024. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 104a2f15-d61b-466f-a9ab-0eaad43525ef

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.