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Östra Eneby kyrka

Address
Finspångsvägen 155
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Linköping

Östra Eneby kyrka, near Norrköping, is thought to be the city's oldest surviving building, with parts dating back to the 1100s. Now serving Kolmårdens församling, this greystone church combines medieval origins with later additions, including a distinctive 18th-century tower.



The church was originally built of greystone in the 1100s, making it one of the older ecclesiastical structures in the region. Carved stonework surviving from the early Romanesque building links it stylistically to other early Östergötland churches, while the plan of the nave has closer parallels with somewhat later buildings. Medieval extensions followed towards the end of the 1300s, when brick vaulting, a sacristy and a new chancel were added, with the porch believed to date from the 1400s.

The present tower was built in the 1770s by a master mason from Linköping, replacing a temporary bell frame that had itself succeeded an older tower demolished after severe fire damage inflicted during a Russian raid in 1719. That fire is also said to explain the scarcity of surviving medieval furnishings, since fittings such as altar shrines and wooden sculptures were reportedly lost in the blaze, with the parish priest at the time only managing to save a few movable items. Two burial chapels stand against the church's south wall, associated with different local families; one now serves as a waiting room for baptism parties.

The barrel-vaulted ceilings carry medieval paintings attributed to a painter workshop active around 1400, later continued by a follower responsible for the sacristy decoration. Faded remains in the chancel are said, according to old descriptions, to have once included heraldic imagery connected to a powerful medieval magnate family with local landholdings, though much of this decoration is now in poor condition. Further painted scenes depict biblical episodes and the lives of saints, and additional roof paintings can apparently still be seen in the loft space.

Few medieval furnishings remain, partly because of Gustav Vasa's confiscation of church silver in the 1500s and partly, it is claimed, because of the 1719 fire. A runestone once used as an altar slab during the Middle Ages survives, having been rediscovered in the chancel floor in the mid-1900s after being hidden there since the Reformation. An older font, with a Gotland sandstone base from the late 1100s and a bowl of Kolmården marble carved in the 1200s, is decorated with Old Testament scenes and is kept in the baptismal chapel; it is considered one of the oldest known objects made from that distinctive local marble. A stained-glass window from the 1920s, depicting Christ as the true vine, serves as the altarpiece.

The church has had several organs over the centuries, the earliest recorded gift dating from 1737; the current instrument, installed in the 1980s, incorporates part of an older facade from the 1890s.

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.

Kolmårdens församling

Östra Eneby kyrka

Östra Eneby kyrka, near Norrköping, is thought to be the city's oldest surviving building, with parts dating back to the 1100s. Now serving Kolmårdens församling, this greystone church combines medieval origins with later additions, including a distinctive 18th-century tower.

Finspångsvägen 155

Explore this church: Östra Eneby 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

Lambohovskyrkan

Lambohovskyrkan stands at the heart of Lambohov, a district of Linköping, built in 1987 to the shape of Noah's Ark — a symbol of shelter and rescue from the world's turmoil. It is a shared…

Tröskaregatan 41, 58333, Linköping

View church details: Lambohovskyrkan

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: 1 Sep 2025. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: a2599b62-7672-48d9-8e1a-2bc103b87dcc

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.