Östra Sallerups kyrka

The church was built in the Romanesque style towards the end of the 1100s, reputedly on the initiative of Archbishop Absalon of Lund. One account suggests the site was chosen partly because the archbishop held estates nearby, and because the completion of Lund Cathedral around the mid-1100s had left skilled builders available for new commissions. The thick walls and small, high-set windows were practical as well as defensive, offering shelter to local people and soldiers in troubled times.

Like many rural churches, it grew in stages as the congregation expanded. The wall between tower and nave was removed in 1745 to create more space, a southern extension was added in 1864 for additional seating, and a gallery was built into that extension in 1896 to house the church's first organ. Vaulting was added to the ceiling in the 1400s, the west gable was removed in the mid-1700s when the previously free-standing tower was joined to the church, and the south transept arm dates from 1864.

A restoration in 1935–36 introduced new windows, including a colourful chancel window by Hugo Gelin depicting Christ with hands raised in blessing. Further changes came in the 1960s, when the roof was reclad in pine, the gallery was removed, the organ was relocated to the church floor, the altar and altar rail were replaced, and a new brick floor was laid. The font, said to be as old as the church itself, was moved to a new position beside the altar.

When a porch was added on the south side, builders uncovered a walled grave and monument whose location had been known but lost — that of vicar Jöns Henriksson (1622–1689), who had raised the monument over himself. The grave had stood in the way of the 1864 staircase to the side aisle and was largely demolished at the time, with fragments built into the church wall and the rest buried. Part of the monument, in the form of a large stone coffin, can still be seen on the church's north side today.

In the 2000s, medieval Latin graffiti was found in the church and, during restoration work in 2021, was deciphered by scholars from Lund and Gothenburg universities. It was dated to the early 1100s and is thought to have been written by a priest or monk, reflecting on the medieval distinction between the terms used for divine and earthly rulers.

The current organ was built in 1965 by A. Mårtenssons Orgelfabrik of Lund, replacing an 1896 instrument by Salomon Molander & Co of Gothenburg.