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Kävsjö kyrka

Address
Kävsjö kyrka, 33574, Hillerstorp
Municipality
Gnosjö Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Växjö

Kävsjö kyrka is a small wooden church in Gnosjö kommun, in the Diocese of Växjö, and the third church to have stood on this site. A wooden predecessor was built here as early as the 1200s, and today's building dates from the 1770s.



According to tradition the first church, built in wood in the 1200s, was destroyed by fire, though no record survives of when this happened. A second wooden church was built later in the medieval period, and its sacristy is thought to survive within the present building. A tower was added in 1741, allowing bells to be transferred from a freestanding bell-stapel of 1704, which was then demolished.

The present church was built in stages during 1775–76 under master builder Anders Jonsson: the straight-ended chancel first, followed by the nave. The west tower from the earlier church was retained and later given a tall lantern with paired sound openings, topped by a spire and a cross-orb finial.

Inside, the closed box pews sit beneath decorative drapery paintings around the windows and in the chancel, the work of Samuel Lindgren. The flat nave ceiling carries a painting of the Trinity, and the chancel ceiling one of Christ's Ascension, both attributed to Carl Ruuth.

Among the church's older furnishings is a sandstone font dated to the 1200s, by an unknown stonemason, above which hangs an iron corona thought to be medieval. A triumphal crucifix carved from limewood in the 1300s, attributed to a regional workshop in Östergötland, stands in the chancel arch. The altar cabinet, carved in 1955 by Curt Thorsjö, depicts Christ's entry into Jerusalem, while the altar rail and pulpit date from a mid-1950s restoration.

The church has had more than one organ over the years; a mechanical organ was installed on the gallery in 1973, replacing an earlier instrument that was sold on to another church.

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.

Gnosjö pastorat

Kävsjö kyrka

Kävsjö kyrka is a small wooden church in Gnosjö kommun, in the Diocese of Växjö, and the third church to have stood on this site. A wooden predecessor was built here as early as the 1200s, and today's building dates from the 1770s.

Kävsjö kyrka, 33574, Hillerstorp

Explore this church: Kävsjö 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

Böda kyrka

Böda kyrka stands on the island of Öland, in Kalmar län, with masonry dating back to the Middle Ages. Visitors can see its stiglucka (lychgate-style covered gateway) and an eye-catching altar crucifix, remnants of a…

Landsvägen Böda 45, 387 73, Löttorp

View church details: Böda 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 Jun 2025. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: b3c45a24-cd61-47c5-9d33-9eb140e6b0a9

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.