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Högalidskyrkan

Address
Högalids Kyrkväg 11, 11730, Stockholm
Municipality
Stockholms stad
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Stockholm

Högalidskyrkan crowns Högalidsberget on Södermalm in Stockholm, its twin brick towers visible across the city. Designed by architect Ivar Tengbom and consecrated in 1923, this National Romantic church reopened in June 2023 after extensive renovation, though some works may still affect visitor access.



The church was built between 1916 and 1923 to serve a new parish carved out of Maria Magdalena parish. Tengbom won the commission after a competition among three invited architects, with fellow architect Carl Westman's backing proving decisive. His original design faced north-south with a single roofline echoing Stockholm's City Hall, then under construction across the water; when the parish secured the whole hilltop, the plan was reworked to the traditional east-west orientation with two slender towers, said to have been sized to match the height of the City Hall's tower.

The exterior is dominated by dark red handmade brick laid in monk bond, the same technique and material used at Stockholm City Hall, giving the two landmarks a visual kinship despite their different purposes. The church's basilica-like profile, with a narrower chancel flanked by tall towers, has been compared to Visby's Mariakyrkan. A tall west window with stained glass by Oscar Brandtberg and three sculpted granite portals lead into a porch with a painted timber roof by Filip Månsson, who also contributed frescoes inside.

The two towers carry their own symbolism, reportedly proposed by Archbishop Nathan Söderblom: the northern tower is named for Ansgar and represents the law, topped by a weathercock, while the southern tower, crowned with a golden cross, is named for the reformer Olaus Petri and represents the gospel. A popular local legend claims the towers are of unequal height, sometimes explained by a tale of two sisters funding the building unequally, though both towers are recorded as 84 metres tall; more recent laser measurements have suggested a marginal difference, likely due to small variations in the plasterwork applied by different masons.

Inside, the tall vaulted nave has substantial internal buttresses forming bays along its sides, linked by rounded arches to create low side passages, while a high triumphal arch marks the transition to the star-vaulted chancel. Much of the fixed decoration was designed by Tengbom himself, with contributions from artists including Olle Hjortzberg, who painted the fresco at the baptistery entrance, and Gunnar Torhamn, responsible for further frescoes and the crucifix. Einar Forseth, known for his gold mosaics elsewhere in Stockholm, painted the sacristy ceiling and decorated a three-aisled space beneath the chancel, originally built as a burial vault and later converted into a memorial chapel.

Outside, along the church's north wall, an urn grove with a columned arcade was added in 1939 to Tengbom's designs, including a large fresco from 1942 by Arvid Fougstedt, with a further circular columbarium built in 1959.

Opening hours

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

From 13 Jul 2023; no end date supplied
Monday09:00–17:00
Tuesday09:00–17:00
Wednesday09:00–17:00
Thursday09:00–17:00
Friday09:00–17:00
Saturday09:00–17:00
Sunday09:00–17:00

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.

Högalids församling

Högalidskyrkan

Högalidskyrkan crowns Högalidsberget on Södermalm in Stockholm, its twin brick towers visible across the city. Designed by architect Ivar Tengbom and consecrated in 1923, this National Romantic church reopened in June 2023 after extensive renovation, though some works may still affect visitor access.

Högalids Kyrkväg 11, 11730, Stockholm

Explore this church: Högalidskyrkan

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

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View church details: Ängskyrkan
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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: 28 May 2024. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 9725e5f0-7d5e-4a37-8f35-0739c74d6c76

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.