Nederluleå Church, Gammelstad, Sweden

Nederluleå church is the largest medieval church in Norrland. It was built during the 15th century and inaugurated by Archbishop Jacob Ulfsson in 1492. The church has a very rich interior and furnishings. The late-mediaeval frescos in the chancel were by the school of Albertus Pictor.

The richly decorated triptych was made in Antwerpen around 1520 and it is one of the finest in Sweden. The font and cruficix date also from the late Middle Ages. The wooden pulpit was carved by Nils Fluur in 1712.

References:

Address

Kyrktorget 2, Gammelstad, Sweden

See all sites in Gammelstad

Details

Founded: 1492
Category: Religious sites in Sweden
Historical period: Kalmar Union (Sweden)

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Gammelstad Church Town (0 km)

Luleå Cathedral (8,9 km)
Museum of Norrbotten (8,7 km)
Råneå Church (26,2 km)
Boden Fortress (23,7 km)

User Reviews

Alexander Majorov (10 months ago)
Väldigt fin byggnad och fantastisk atmosfär under sommaren!

Jane Fagerström (13 months ago)
Nederluleån kirkko on ihana ja tunnelmallinen vanha kirkko, joka kutsuu hiljentymään Pyhän äärelle. Se on Norrlannin suurin keskiaikainen kirkko, jonka historian aistii jo kirkon ympärille rakennetusta Gammelstadin mökkikylästä. Kirkko on mökkikylän ohella osa Unescon maailmanperintökohdetta. Kirkon alttaritaulu on todella upea lukuisine yksityiskohtineen ja esimerkiksi saarnastuoli on hyvin koristeellinen. Kirkosta löytyy kivana yksityiskohtana lasten leikkialttari. Iso suositus tälle kirkolle: Älä aja ohi!

Wolfgang Buelter (15 months ago)
Sehr schöne Kirche in Gammelstad / Nederlulea. Interessante Innenausstattung.

Maria N (20 months ago)
Interesting looking church with curious history. People working at the church are always happy to tell more about it. Leaflets with church’s history are available in multiple languages. Overall, worth a visit.

Niilo Alhovaara (3 years ago)
The beautiful stone church from the 15th century is the natural center of the UNESCO world heritage village. The hundreds of church cottages are scattered around the church. The amazing sounding church organ was built in Gammelstad, Grönlunds!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright adegie

Historic Site of the week

Czocha Castle

Czocha Castle is located on the Lake Leśnia, what is now the Polish part of Upper Lusatia. Czocha castle was built on gneiss rock, and its oldest part is the keep, to which housing structures were later added.

Czocha Castle began as a stronghold, on the Czech-Lusatian border. Its construction was ordered by Wenceslaus I of Bohemia, in the middle of the 13th century (1241–1247). In 1253 castle was handed over to Konrad von Wallhausen, Bishop of Meissen. In 1319 the complex became part of the dukedom of Henry I of Jawor, and after his death, it was taken over by another Silesian prince, Bolko II the Small, and his wife Agnieszka. Origin of the stone castle dates back to 1329.

In the mid-14th century, Czocha Castle was annexed by Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia. Then, between 1389 and 1453, it belonged to the noble families of von Dohn and von Kluks. Reinforced, the complex was besieged by the Hussites in the early 15th century, who captured it in 1427, and remained in the castle for unknown time (see Hussite Wars). In 1453, the castle was purchased by the family of von Nostitz, who owned it for 250 years, making several changes through remodelling projects in 1525 and 1611. Czocha's walls were strengthened and reinforced, which thwarted a Swedish siege of the complex during the Thirty Years War. In 1703, the castle was purchased by Jan Hartwig von Uechtritz, influential courtier of Augustus II the Strong. On August 17, 1793, the whole complex burned in a fire.

In 1909, Czocha was bought by a cigar manufacturer from Dresden, Ernst Gutschow, who ordered major remodelling, carried out by Berlin architect Bodo Ebhardt, based on a 1703 painting of the castle. Gutschow, who was close to the Russian Imperial Court and hosted several White emigres in Czocha, lived in the castle until March 1945. Upon leaving, he packed up the most valuable possessions and moved them out.

After World War II, the castle was ransacked several times, both by soldiers of the Red Army, and Polish thieves, who came to the so-called Recovered Territories from central and eastern part of the country. Pieces of furniture and other goods were stolen, and in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the castle was home to refugees from Greece. In 1952, Czocha was taken over by the Polish Army. Used as a military vacation resort, it was erased from official maps. The castle has been open to the public since September 1996 as a hotel and conference centre. The complex was featured in several movies and television series. Recently, the castle has been used as the setting of the College of Wizardry, a live action role-playing game (LARP) that takes place in their own universe and can be compared to Harry Potter.

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Nederluleå Church