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Nävelsjö kyrka

Address
Nävelsjö, Landsbro
Municipality
Vetlanda kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Växjö

Nävelsjö kyrka is one of the so-called Njudung churches, a group of nine medieval churches near Vetlanda and Sävsjö that share a common Romanesque origin dating from the 1100s.



The church began as a small chancel apse built in the mid-1100s, with the nave following in 1182 — a date confirmed by dendrochronological analysis of a roof beam. Like other Njudung churches, its style has been linked both to stonemasons who worked on Lund Cathedral and to the influence of Cistercian monks at nearby Nydala Abbey.

The building's appearance changed significantly in the 18th century. Sources differ slightly on the exact year: one gives 1760, another 1761. A new nave was added to the north, which meant the chancel moved to what had previously been the south side, while the original medieval apse became a baptismal chapel. Further restoration work followed over the centuries, most recently in 1991.

Among the church's furnishings, the sandstone font stands out as the oldest surviving object, dating from the 1100s and carved with reliefs of fabulous beasts, attributed to a carver known as Bestiarius. The pulpit dates from 1669 and depicts the four evangelists, with a canopy added in 1691. An altarpiece from the 1760s, by Johan Ullberg, has the Crucifixion as its central image, and numeral boards from 1764 and an 18th-century chandelier also survive.

The freestanding bell tower was erected in 1682 and took its present form around 1900. Its bells include one dating from the 1200s, said to be among the oldest church bells still in use in Sweden.

The present organ was built in 1937 by Olof Hammarberg of Gothenburg, incorporating the facade of an earlier 1852 instrument by Johannes Magnusson of Lemnhult.

Opening hours

Opening hours have not been confirmed for the current date. This does not mean the church is closed.

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
  • Hearing loop
  • Ramp

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.

Vetlanda pastorat

Nävelsjö kyrka

Nävelsjö kyrka is one of the so-called Njudung churches, a group of nine medieval churches near Vetlanda and Sävsjö that share a common Romanesque origin dating from the 1100s.

Nävelsjö, Landsbro

Explore this church: Nävelsjö 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

Vetlanda kyrka

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

Ventlinge kyrka

Ventlinge kyrka stands amid farmland on the west coast of southern Öland, within earshot of the waves of Kalmar Sound. Dedicated to Saint Laurentius, it has served this fishing and stone-working community since the twelfth…

Kyrkgatan 3, 38692, Färjestaden

View church details: Ventlinge kyrka
Basic listing

Bodafors kyrka

Bodafors kyrka, in Norra Sandsjö parish in Jönköping County, is a twentieth-century church with an unusual history: it was first consecrated in 1940, then rebuilt and reconsecrated in 1972 after its original structure was enclosed…

Kyrkogatan 5, 571 61, Bodafors

View church details: Bodafors 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 Mar 2026. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: adf96ac3-3902-44d6-9a9d-0a1ff5c27312

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.