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Lekeryds kyrka

Address
Lekeryds församling Kyrkvägen 8, 56195, Lekeryd
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Växjö

Lekeryds kyrka is a small Romanesque parish church in the village of Lekeryd, part of the Diocese of Växjö. Its whitewashed walls date back to the 1100s, and it retains a remarkable collection of medieval furnishings from its earliest centuries.



The stone church was built in the 12th century with thick, metre-deep walls, a nave, a narrower chancel and a semicircular apse, though originally without a tower. Little is recorded of its history in the following centuries, but by the 1200s a triumphal crucifix had been added, followed by a shrine to the Virgin Mary in the 1400s. At the time it belonged to the Diocese of Linköping, and in 1527 it was reconsecrated by Bishop Hans Brask, when it reportedly held five altars dedicated to different saints alongside the high altar.

The medieval font, carved around 1200 in sandstone and attributed to the so-called Bestiarius workshop, is said to be as old as the church itself and now stands in the chancel. Also from the earliest period is an iron-bound oak door leading to the sacristy, marked with a runic inscription naming a "Johan", possibly an early priest of Lekeryd.

Among the notable furnishings is a large altar shrine attributed to a north German master around 1500, its painted and carved panels depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments along with various saints. Alongside it hangs the older 13th-century triumphal crucifix, moved from its original position in the chancel arch to the south wall of the nave. A carved pulpit from the 1640s, decorated with figures of the four evangelists, stands opposite on the north side.

The present altarpiece, carved in 1764 by Johan Ullberg the Younger, shows a scene from the Last Supper and replaced the older medieval shrine as the main altar image; the shrine itself was retained and now hangs on the wall. Painted ceiling decorations of angels, added in 1782 by the painter Rosenblad of Gränna, still survive. In 1877 many later additions considered reminiscent of the pre-Reformation Catholic period were removed, and further restoration took place in 1922 and 1952, aiming where possible to reinstate earlier features.

The church has had several organs over the centuries, including an 18th-century instrument later moved to Lappland, and a 19th-century organ by Erik Nordström of Eksjö that was subsequently rebuilt and enlarged; a smaller mechanical chancel organ was added in the 1980s.

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.

Lekeryds församling

Lekeryds kyrka

Lekeryds kyrka is a small Romanesque parish church in the village of Lekeryd, part of the Diocese of Växjö. Its whitewashed walls date back to the 1100s, and it retains a remarkable collection of medieval furnishings from its earliest centuries.

Lekeryds församling Kyrkvägen 8, 56195, Lekeryd

Explore this church: Lekeryds 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

Tingsås kyrka

Tingsås kyrka stands in the centre of Tingsryd, in southern Småland's Växjö diocese. This parish church, completed in the 1850s, is the third place of worship on or near this site, and it holds artefacts…

Kyrkogatan 1, 36230, Tingsryd

View church details: Tingsås kyrka
Basic listing

Agunnaryds kyrka

Agunnaryds kyrka is a parish church in the village of Agunnaryd, in Ljungby municipality, within Växjö diocese. It stands on the third of three church sites known in the parish, and replaced a medieval predecessor…

Kyrkogatan 1, 34176, RYSSBY

View church details: Agunnaryds 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: 26 Jan 2024. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 21aba4ff-a0ee-4408-9d43-302b781daaee

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.